The Province publicly released the Northeast Oil and Gas Human Health Risk Assessment Study today, announced Health Minister Terry Lake.

“Our government is committed to ensuring that the health of British Columbians is protected as we explore opportunities for economic and job growth throughout the province,” said Lake. “That is why we undertook this comprehensive study, and I am pleased to release the full report today. After careful review and analysis, the study found that the risk to human health from emissions from oil and gas activities in the Northeast remains low.”

Phase two of the risk assessment began in November 2012, and included: a scientific literature review, a screening level risk assessment, a detailed human health risk assessment, a review of the current regulatory framework, and recommendations. Its goals were to assess the health risks associated with oil and gas activity in Northeastern B.C. and, where appropriate, to provide recommendations to fill knowledge gaps and manage risks. The phase two report was presented to government in November 2014.

“Our government has now had the opportunity to fully review the phase two report, and the data and information compiled will serve as a valuable baseline for monitoring the health effects of future development of natural gas and other resource activities in our region,” said Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm. “It will help us continue to protect our Peace country residents’ health and wellbeing while we grow our region and province’s economic health through these carefully managed activities.”

The human health risk assessment found there is a low probability of adverse health effects from exposures to contaminants related to current oil and gas activities. It was compiled following the standards and scientific processes recognized by Health Canada, the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Phase two also included a regulatory review of the current processes and policies in place to monitor the longer term development of the oil and gas industry in the Northeast. It found the existing regulatory framework is extensive and broadly protective of human health, but there is room for improvement in some selected areas, including: emergency planning; flaring, venting and fugitive emission management; hydraulic fracturing; information management; and environmental monitoring.

The Province has accepted the recommendations and has already taken action to address some of these issues. For example, phase one of the Northeast Air Monitoring Project established three new portable air monitoring stations in December 2013 and January 2014, located at Doig River, Farmington Community Hall and Tomslake. Each station measures concentrations of sulphur dioxide and total reduced sulphur traditionally associated with oil and gas development. There are currently ten ambient air monitoring stations located in Northeastern B.C. In addition, the Northeast Water Strategy that was recently released by government will address three out of 14 recommendations through monitoring and testing.

The release of the report constitutes the final phase of the study. Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc., the company contracted to complete phase two, will provide technical briefings and community outreach to key stakeholders and members of the public in the region. This will ensure that the technical data is made more accessible, and the results and recommendations can be thoroughly explained.

“The study looked at a vast amount of material and data. We used this material to compile the report examining the potential impacts on human health of the oil and gas industry in B.C.,” said Bart Koppe, project leader, Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. “While we recognize that no report can be all things to all people, I feel confident that this study is a comprehensive analysis of the oil and gas industry in the Northeast, and British Columbians can be assured that we did not find any significant threats to human health.”

The Intrinsik team included experts in several key areas, including air quality, water resources, emergency management, community medicine and epidemiology.

The phase one report, which engaged with stakeholders and members of the public to learn more about their concerns and questions around oil and gas development, was completed by the Fraser Basin Council, and can be found online at www.health.gov.bc.ca/protect/oil-gas-assessment.html, along with interim phase two report updates.

The first public information session on the assessment study will be held in Fort. St. John on Tuesday, March 31 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Quality Inn. Additional public information sessions will be scheduled in the following months. For more information or to request a technical briefing, please email: HP-PHW@gov.bc.ca

Two backgrounders follow.

Media Contacts:

Laura Heinze
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

BACKGROUNDER 1

Phase two - Oil and gas human health risk assessment

The results of the detailed human health risk assessment found that the risk to human health from emissions from oil and gas activities in the Northeast remains low.

The study looked at the maximum predicted levels of a variety of chemicals from oil and gas activity in a total of 26 community locations, over both a long and short-term basis. In general, air concentrations were less than health exposure limits (as set by a variety of regulatory organizations).

In addition, the study looked at potential exposures that people in the area might receive over the long term through the consumption of locally grown foods, drinking water, etc., and found that the potential for adverse human health effects is low.

The report made 14 recommendations, based on the findings of phases one and two, to guide government regulators who will oversee future oil and gas development. The full recommendations and response from government can be found in the next backgrounder, but they include:

Public Safety (emergency planning zones and setbacks):

• Update methods for calculating hazard distances and emergency planning zones.
• Update land use and setback provisions and consider equal application to both oil and gas and land development activities.

Flaring, Venting and Fugitive Emission Management:

• B.C. Ambient Air Quality Objectives should guide the development of regulations, directives and policies pertaining to flaring, venting and fugitive emissions.

Hydraulic Fracturing:

• Consider baseline pre-drilling groundwater testing requirements.
• Consider refining the fracturing fluid disclosure process.

Legacy Sites:

• Use the provincial Site Classification Tool and Contaminated Sites Regulation framework in the assessment and management of legacy sites.

Information Management:

• Review objectives and efficiency of various databases managing permits, facility information, wells and flares data.

Environmental Monitoring and Health Surveillance:

• Continue to follow principles outlined in the Framework for the B.C. Air Monitoring Network and use the results of the human health risk assessment to inform its expansion, including monitoring of additional contaminants.
• Verify air quality predictions and human health risks as new monitoring data becomes available.
• Expand aquifer and vulnerability mapping.
• Expand study of groundwater and surface water interactions within shallow aquifers and ground water flow conditions to assess potential contaminant fate and migration.
• Expand environmental monitoring to include other media, such as biota, soil and water quality.
• Tailor health surveillance to study health outcomes in areas with highest predicted air concentrations.

Standards Development:

• Review and update B.C.’s various ambient air quality objectives, including consideration of other chemicals of potential concern.

Learn more:

For the full phase two study and recommendations, visit: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/protect/oil-gas-assessment.html

Media Contacts:

Laura Heinze
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

BACKGROUNDER 2

Recommendations and government response

The Province has accepted each of the 14 recommendations and government has begun to take action to address them.

Recommendation 1: The tools applied to the calculation of emergency planning zones representing the range of hazards associated with oil and gas infrastructure and activities should be updated and use scientifically supportable methods and emergency-based consequence endpoints.

Response 1: Government accepts this recommendation, and the Oil and Gas Commission will consult with industry, experts and other oil and gas regulators to develop recommendations for updating the regulatory requirements used to calculate emergency planning zones. Regulatory revisions are subject to a rigorous stakeholder and public consultation process, and the Oil and Gas Commission continually evaluates the regulation of oil and gas activities for safe and efficient practices and processes.

Recommendation 2: Land-use and setback provisions applied in B.C. should be updated and use scientifically supportable methods along with individual and societal risk-based endpoints consistent with accepted risk norms, guidelines and standards applied in other developed industrialized countries. Further, it is recommended that these land-use and setback provisions be applied equally to both oil and gas and land development activities.

Response 2: Government accepts this recommendation, and the Oil and Gas Commission will consult with industry, experts and other oil and gas regulators to review the science and risk based practices regarding setbacks from oil and gas activities that may be suitable for regulatory adoption.

In addition, while the human health risk assessment report was being developed, setback provisions pertaining to schools were reviewed and increased.

Recommendation 3: The B.C. Ambient Air Quality Objectives should guide the development of regulations, directives and policies pertaining to venting, fugitive emissions, flaring limits, flaring notification and reporting, and flaring performance requirements. This should be done in a transparent manner that demonstrates how the objectives are considered.

Response 3: Government accepts this recommendation. All oil and gas activities are actively regulated to minimize impacts on air quality. Currently, the Ministry of Environment and the Oil and Gas Commission considers B.C. Ambient Air Quality Objectives when making decisions to authorize oil and gas activities.

The Ministry of Environment and the Oil and Gas Commission will continue to collaborate to ensure B.C. Ambient Air Quality Objectives are available to Commission staff in the regulation of oil and gas activities.

Transparency and consistency in applying the objectives will be clarified through the development of BC Oil and Gas Commission’s operational policies and directives.

Recommendation 4: The implementation of baseline, pre-drilling ground water testing requirements for oil and gas activity in B.C. should be considered. Whenever possible, the process for collecting the information should be transparent, and the results publicly available, and reviewed on a regular basis. To facilitate the interpretation of results, it may also be beneficial to encourage the collection and reporting of well information in addition to sample data.

Response 4: Government accepts this recommendation and one of the first actions includes investing in the Peace Project on groundwater in Northeast B.C. led by GeoscienceBC. The Peace Project is a collaborative effort that will generate new information about groundwater in Northeast B.C.'s Peace Region.

Recommendation 5: The Province should consider refining its fracturing fluid disclosure process so that designated authorities and health professionals can gain access to needed information about fluid ingredients, without compromising confidential business information.

Response 5: Government accepts this recommendation. All companies must currently report their use of hydraulic fracture fluid ingredients on FracFocus.ca. The Oil and Gas Commission and the Ministry of Health will review the current fracturing fluid disclosure processes to determine what changes can be made to ensure health care professionals have the information they need.

The Oil and Gas Commission is also working with UBC Okanagan to review the make-up of hydraulic fracturing chemicals and flowback water.

Recommendation 6: When possible, the site classification tool and the existing framework for the management of contaminated sites should be used together in the assessment and management of legacy sites in Northeastern British Columbia.

Response 6: Government accepts this recommendation. The Ministry of Environment and the Oil and Gas Commission will work together to determine how to best use the site classification tools with the existing environment framework to manage contaminated sites and to even better assess and manage legacy sites.

Results of this work will be made publicly available.

In addition, the Oil and Gas Commission’s Liability Management Program coupled with the existing provincial regulatory framework provide the tools necessary for the management of contaminated sites.

The Oil and Gas Commission continually reviews and evaluates the regulation of oil and gas activities to identify and implement safe and efficient practices and efficient processes.

Recommendation 7: The overall objectives and efficient use of the various databases that manage permits, facility information, wells and flare data should be reviewed, with the aim of identifying means to make the systems more accessible and user-friendly.

Response 7: Government accepts this recommendation and work is underway and ongoing. The Northeast Water Tool and Northwest Water Tool are hydrology tools developed by the Oil and Gas Commission and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. They provide guidance on water availability across Northern B.C. and support decision-making for water use approvals and permits.

In addition, within the past three years, the Oil and Gas Commission has made over 60 new oil and gas-related data sets publicly available via the B.C. Government Data Warehouse.

Further examples of new databases and tools include:

• The initiation and expansion of FracFocus.ca - tracking use of hydraulic fracturing fluids.
• The area-based analysis tool - managing the impact of oil and gas activities within acceptable levels in the broader context of all development.
• The Oil and Gas Commission Incident Map - showing pipeline incidents from 2000 to current.
• The Major Projects Office - tracking proposals that require a high degree of internal and external co-ordination.

Recommendation 8: The Province’s on-going air monitoring program in Northeast B.C. should continue to follow the principles outlined in B.C. Ministry of Environment Framework for the British Columbia Air Monitoring Network. Consideration should be given to the air quality contour maps provided in the detailed human health risk assessment in the placement of future air quality monitors. As well, the identification of specific air contaminants for inclusion in the air monitoring program should consider the findings of the detailed human health risk assessment.

Response 8: Government accepts this recommendation. Led by the Ministry of Environment, the Northeast Air Monitoring project is a multi-phase project to monitor, report, and assess air quality in the Northeast; to reach out to the local community in this process; and to establish a long-term air monitoring network with a sustainable funding mechanism.

The Oil and Gas Commission has actively supported the development of the air monitoring network via funding and staff time, and the Commission collects additional air quality information.

The Oil and Gas Commission and the Ministries of Health and Environment will continue to work together in implementing this recommendation.

Recommendation 9: Once additional data for the Northeast B.C. region are available from new monitoring stations or are made available from regulatory submissions, the air quality predictions and human health risk estimates from the detailed human health risk assessment should be revisited.

Response 9: Government accepts this recommendation, and the Ministries of Health and Environment will work with the Oil and Gas Commission in implementing this recommendation.

Led by the Ministry of Environment, the Northeast Air Monitoring project is a multi-phase project to monitor, report, and assess air quality in the Northeast; to reach out to the local community in this process; and to establish a long-term air monitoring network with a sustainable funding mechanism.

The development of the network was consistent with the principles outlined in the framework of the British Columbia Air Monitoring Network.

Recommendation 10: While some aquifer mapping has been completed in Northeast B.C., it is recommended that the existing aquifer mapping (and vulnerability mapping) be expanded for the Northeast B.C. region to help enhance the protection of groundwater resources in relation to oil and gas development. This information would aid in regional and site-specific assessments of potential risks to groundwater. As one of the limitations with the current aquifer mapping relates to an overall absence of subsurface data, it is suggested that surficial geology mapping (on an appropriate scale) for the region be completed as well.

Response 10: Government accepts this recommendation, and the Oil and Gas Commission and the Ministries of Environment and Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will work together to implement this recommendation.

This will be addressed through the Northeast Water Strategy, managed by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, which includes the Private Well Sampling program.

Early actions include the Geoscience BC Peace Project, which is a collaborative effort that will generate new information about the distribution of shallow aquifers in Northeast B.C.'s Peace Region and their groundwater quantity and quality.

Also, the Northeast Water Tool and Northwest Water Tool are hydrology decision-support tools developed in partnership by the BC Oil and Gas Commission and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. They provide guidance on water availability across Northern B.C. and they support decision-making process for water use permits and licenses.

The Oil and Gas Commission currently supports the expansion of aquifer mapping and aquifer vulnerability mapping via directly collecting aquifer and risk data and participating in related projects, and the Ministry of Health is also supporting aquifer characterization efforts within the Northeast Water Strategy.

Recommendation 11: Additional study of groundwater and surface water interactions within shallow aquifers and local ground water flow conditions in the Northeast B.C. region should be completed. This information could contribute to a better understanding of potential contaminant fate and migration. As well, studies could be carried out to investigate the location and sources of groundwater recharges.

Response 11: Government accepts this recommendation, which will be addressed through the Northeast Water Strategy, managed by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, which includes the Private Well Sampling program.

The Private Well Sampling program is a multi-partner effort to characterize aquifers and groundwater chemistry in the Groundbirch/Dawson Creek area. The Ministry of Health is contributing additional contract funding to support this program, including sampling and analysis of isotopic methane in groundwater across a broad number of observation wells in the Northeast.

The Oil and Gas Commission and the Ministries of Environment and Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will also work closely together to implement this recommendation, as the Oil and Gas Commission’s use of area-based analysis in decision-making manages the impact of oil and gas activities within acceptable levels.

Area-based analysis provides area-specific maps of all industrial activity and sets triggers to protect identified values, including environmental, to reduce the overall impact.

Recommendation 12: Consideration should be given to the overall goals of the existing environmental monitoring programs for soil, water, and biota, along with the presentation and quality of these data within the existing databases, specifically as these relate to the value that these data could provide with respect to human and environmental health.

Response 12: Government accepts this recommendation and will address it through the Northeast Water Strategy, managed by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and the Northeast water data portal, a key element of the Northeast Water Strategy.

The Northeast Water Data Portal is a map-based water information tool designed to provide public access to a wide range of water-related data and information in the Northeast.

Recommendation 13: The Province should explore tailoring their health surveillance to determine whether or not there are any differences in disease rates in those areas identified in the human health risk assessment with the highest predicted air concentrations. If possible, such future health surveillance would help verify the conclusions of the human health risk assessment.

Response 13: Government accepts this recommendation. The Ministry of Health and Northern Health are conducting preliminary analyses to explore the relationship between air quality and health outcomes in the Northeast to improve future health surveillance. The Oil and Gas Commission and Ministry of Environment will also collaborate in implementing this recommendation.

Recommendation 14: The B.C. air quality objectives should be reviewed and updated based on the existing provincial framework for developing air quality objectives.

Response 14: Government accepts this recommendation. The Interim Ambient Air Quality Objectives for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide have been released by the Ministry of Environment and will be reviewed by the Ministry of Environment once the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards are finalized in late 2015.

Learn more:

For the full phase two study and recommendations, visit: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/protect/oil-gas-assessment.html

Media Contacts:

Laura Heinze
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)