Monthly Archives: July 2018

Horse River Wildfire of 2016

Millennium Environmental Management Solutions (MEMS) contribution to the assessment of air quality.

MEMS worked alongside Alberta Health to determine the effect of the Horse River Wildfire fire and provide support in their effort to assess the potential risk to human health associated with the Horse River Fire.  A preliminary air quality assessment of the fire-affected areas during the progression of the wildfire was conducted during the response period immediately after the fire.  The goals of the assessment were to determine how air quality and odour potential were affected during the time period from April 24 to May 30, 2016; and to compare air quality indicators to human health based limits and the response to the fire on the soil and air quality in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas.

The publication has been made available in the Open Government Portal at https://open.alberta.ca/publications/9781460130186

MEMS also provided support in the evaluation of other impacts of the Horse River Wildfire.  Measurements of ash, soil and air quality were collected during the response to the fire and after clean-up of the debris. These data were assessed within the context of guidelines for the protection of ecological and human health. A two-part report has been finalized and undergone quality control:
• The first part includes high-level summaries from literature reviews on the contaminants of potential concerns from wildfire smoke and ash and their impacts on soil and human health.
• The second part includes the identification of potential risks to human and ecological health from ash and soil in fire affected areas, a health risk assessment of potential ash migration into residential gardens, an overview of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s remedial program and a post-cleanup health risk assessment based on the post remedial soil sampling program results.

The document can be accessed through the Government of Alberta’s Open Government website at: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/9781460138434

Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. (MEMS) is recognized for its innovative and cost-effective air quality management solutions, providing a comprehensive suite of air quality assessment services including: air monitoring, dispersion modelling, regulatory compliance, emissions estimation and inventorying, and greenhouse gas emissions verification and auditing. MEMS’ human health risk assessment team includes highly experienced toxicologists, biologists and chemists providing a broad range of consulting expertise to industry and government clients. The human health risk assessment team works closely with other MEMS disciplines, including air and soil sciences, water resources, and safety to provide tailored solutions for large and small problems, including thorough and accurate environmental impact assessments. MEMS staff have authored human health risk assessment guidance for federal and provincial regulators and taught post-secondary health risk assessment courses.

MEMS is a member of the Calgary Region Airshed Zone.