Cancer-causing chemicals are being blown downwind from coal mines in southern British Columbia in concentrations that rival those next to oilsand mines, newly published research has concluded.
"Our results reveal, for the first time, clear evidence that coal mining contaminants are spread far downwind from their sources," says the paper, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
When analyzed, the melted snow proved high in polycyclic aromatic compounds, a class of chemicals closely associated with fossil fuels. So-called PACs are considered to cause cancer as well as damage the liver and immune system. Alberta's environmental guidelines for PACs in rivers and lakes range between .015 micrograms and 5.8 micrograms per litre of water, depending on the specific chemical.
The results should encourage more research on the health and environmental impact of those chemicals, Holland said. The new study comes as Alberta's energy regulator prepares for hearings on Northback Holdings' applications for coal exploration at Grassy Mountain in southwest Alberta, near the Elk Valley. The regulator is currently deciding on what level of participation should be granted interveners, based on how directly and adversely affected they are.
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