Independent Expert Review Panel (IERP) for the Flin Flon and Creighton HHRA

Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA) will convene an independent expert review panel to review the draft human health risk assessment (HHRA) of Flin Flon, Manitoba, and Creighton, Saskatchewan.  A human health risk assessment (HHRA) was conducted by Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. to address the potential human health risks associated with exposure to smelter-related metals in soils and other environmental media in the Flin Flon an Creighton area.  HBMS provided funding for the study and the IERP review.

TERA has independently organized and will conduct all aspects of the review.  A panel of eight scientists with extensive experience in the key areas necessary to review the HHRA has been selected by TERA.  Prospective panel members were screened for potential conflicts of interest and biases utilizing TERA’s conflict of interest policy and procedures (http://www.tera.org/peer/COI.html).  Selected panelists are experienced in multi-pathway risk assessment; environmental fate, human toxicology and epidemiology; biomonitoring studies; exposure assessment and pathways modeling; bioavailability and bioaccessibility of metals from soils; sampling and analysis for metals in diverse media; evaluating human health hazards of soils and dust; derivation of Soil Trigger Concentrations (STC) and soil preliminary remediation goals (PRG); and uncertainty and sensitivity analyses.  Panel members are very familiar with Canadian and U.S. guidance and methodologies for multimedia risk assessments including Health Canada Contaminated Sites Program, U.S. EPA Superfund Program, and Ontario Ministry of the Environment guidelines for contaminated sites. 

The panel will meet in a closed session in late June to review and discuss the HHRA.  They will address a number of questions and issues (the charge to the panel) and reach conclusions and recommendations regarding the scientific support for the HHRA conclusions.  Click here to view the IERP charge.  The panel will provide a written report summarizing their discussions and recommendations to the Technical Advisory Committee in July.  The panel’s report will be part of the final risk assessment, which will be made public.  More information about the TERA peer review process is available at www.tera.org/peer.