We know that when persons are diagnosed
with environmentally induced illness/chemical sensitivity generally the single most important item
to change is to remove all sources of open combustion in their living, schooling
and working spaces, especially any using natural gas, and most especially any cooking or space
heating or other appliances with natural gas. Although furnace rooms can be vented outdoors, often they
are not and pipes can and often do leak. To affected persons, natural gas tends to be even more problematic
than fuel oil. Switching to electric cooking, appliances and heating is generally recommended. Solar heat
is best of all.
Currently, there is no piped natural gas used in the Maritime Provinces. Having none is likely to have
significantly reduced the overall burden of toxic substances in homes and workplaces. Any additional burden
of toxins will adversely affect all of our members and will similarly affect all persons to a greater or
lesser extent certainly causing more cases of environmentally induced illness/chemical sensitivity and
worsening the severity of others.
Our objectives are to insure that this environmental assessment process fully addresses the issues of
environmentally induced illness/chemical sensitivity, asthma and allergy and protects completely the health
and well-being of present and future persons with environmentally induced illness/chemical sensitivity,
asthma and allergy.
AEHA has many years experience developing awareness of, and promoting, environmental health issues. AEHA
and its partners are particularly concerned with the effects of toxics in the environment. Protection from
potential exposures is a core component of treatment and prevention.
As public health advocates, the AEHA and our partners are committed to assessment of the potential impacts
of piped natural gas in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and any appropriate methods of safeguarding our health
and the health of others.
AEHA-NS is the oldest and largest
organization in Nova Scotia promoting awareness of environmental health
issues. AEHA was instrumental in establishment of the Environmental Medicine Clinic at the Victoria General
Hospital in Halifax, now the Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre - Dalhousie, the first
government funded environmental health clinic in the world. This is an internationally renowned centre for
scientific/medical research and treatment of environmentally induced illness. Our members serve on it's
Patient Advisory Committee.
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We have rendered assistance to the Langley Review Committee concerning the review and update of scientific
articles on environmentally induced illness and chemical sensitivity.
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We have produced a manual on less toxic products as part of our educational program.
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We promoted and supported education programs by sponsoring seminars, conferences and workshops on
environmentally induced illness and chemical sensitivity.
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We have invited prominent speakers from clinics and research centres in England, US and Canada.
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We have built awareness on healthy school environments including establishing environmental health committees
at the School Board level for Halifax, Dartmouth and Halifax County.
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We participate in Smoke-Free Nova Scotia.
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Professionals in AEHA include doctors, nurses, and other health care practitioners, as well as teachers,
architects, chemists and other scientists, environmental health consultants, dentists, psychologists,
and engineers.
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The high quality and usefulness of
the submissions of AEHA and coalition group members to previous environmental assessments and public
processes are worth consideration. These efforts have contributed greatly to saving hundreds of millions of
dollars to the Atlantic Canadian economy as well as invaluable protection for the environment. All
forms of help received in this process are wise investments in our common future that will reap rich
dividends.Many members of AEHA and our Coalition
partner groups were contributors to the Environmental Assessment
Hearings on the proposed Metropolitan Authority Burnside Waste-To-Energy Incinerator.
AEHA-NS Board member David Wimberly
participated as member of the Board of Directors of the "Metro Coalition for Harbour Cleanup", a funded
participant in the 1992-1993 Halifax-Dartmouth Wastewater Management System
environmental assessment. The Panel Chair, Dr. Shirley Conover, in her closing remarks after the hearings
stated: "... under a recently implemented Federal Government program, seven Intervenor groups received
funding to prepare and present submissions to the Panel. Five of these groups worked collectively as the
Metro Coalition for Harbour Cleanup, as well as submitting as individual organizations on particular
occasions ... The content and innovation that characterized these submissions are greatly appreciated by the
Panel, and in our view, represent a strong justification for this federal support program. It is worth
noting that the Federal Environmental Assessment and Review Office staff judged these submissions to be
among the most comprehensive and informative Intervenor submissions seen to date under this program. "
Hearings Transcript, Vol. 16, pp. 308-309.
The abbreviated environmental
assessment given to the proposed Atlantic Provinces PCB Destruction Program
also saw core participation by David Wimberly. Mr. Wimberly acted as the ENGO representative to the
official Working Group of this Federal-Provincial project. He was appointed to that role by the combined
Environmental Coalitions of all four Atlantic provinces. He also served during that process as Chair of the
Atlantic PCB Caucus, with membership from the Environmental Coalitions of all four Atlantic provinces.
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AEHA's efforts over many years to promote the awareness of the need for clean and healthful home, school and
working environments, as well as remedies to the existing environments.
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AEHA members having served on various Environmental Health Committees of Halifax, Dartmouth and County
School Boards, as well as those at many individual schools.
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AEHA publication of the quarterly National UPdate, available to members as well as from newsstands to share
knowledge of environmental health issues.
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AEHA-NS publishes a newsletter on environmental health issues of particular interest locally in Nova Scotia.
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AEHA and Coalition members' leadership in the efforts to bring to light, understand and cope with the
environmental problems of workplaces.>
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| AEHA members' active participation in the Burnside garbage incinerator environmental assessment. |