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Home > Sustainable Development > Health & Safety > Community Health
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We aspire to assist the communities where we operate |
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Falconbridge is a member of the communities where we operate. The health and well-being of these communities is a priority. We are active participants in the communities where we operate
and where many of our employees live. For instance:
- For several years, we have participated in the Sudbury Soils Study, a comprehensive human-health risk assessment in the Sudbury region. Commissioned in 2001, the study is an independently administered program comprising health experts, governments, members of the community and First Nations as well as Falconbridge and Inco. The study is scheduled for completion in late 2005, with independent peer review to follow.
The study includes a survey of metal levels in local gardens and locally sourced produce, such as blueberries. The collected data will contribute to a better understanding of exposure levels and the risk to human health. An extensive regional air monitoring network was created to measure metal levels in the air, and aquatic sampling programs for fish and drinking water were established. First Nations communities are conducting a study on potential metals impacts on traditional medicinal plants and will supply their findings to the Sudbury Soils Study. For further information, visit www.sudburysoilsstudy.com.
- At Antamina, our joint-venture operation in Perú, a medical care clinic has been established for community health care needs. The operation provides health care staff, medical supplies and food and shelter for visitors from neighbouring communities, where health care is scarce.
- The Falcondo operation in the Dominican Republic recently supported a workshop to educate local community members on clean water technology developed by the Canadian-based Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST). Use of the low-cost, small-scale BioSand water filter technology has been effective in improving local sanitation, health and hygiene, while fostering community involvement and use of local materials.
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