Using Residential History and Groundwater Modeling to Examine Drinking Water Exposure and Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND. Spatial analyses of case-control data have suggested a possible link between breast cancer and groundwater plumes in upper Cape Cod, Massachusetts. OBJECTIVE. We integrated residential histories, public water distribution systems, and groundwater modeling within geographic information systems (GIS) to examine the association between exposure to drinking water that has been contaminated by wastewater effluent and breast cancer. METHODS. Exposure was assessed from 1947 to 1993 for 638 breast cancer cases who were diagnosed from 1983 to 1993 and 842 controls; we took into account residential mobility and drinking water source. To estimate the historical impact of effluent on drinking water wells, we modified a modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater model (MODFLOW) from the U.S. Geological Survey. The analyses included latency and exposure duration. RESULTS. Wastewater effluent impacted the drinking water wells of study participants as early as 1966. For > 0-5 years of exposure (versus no exposure), associations were generally null. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for > 10 years of exposure were slightly increased, assuming latency periods of 0 or 10 years [AOR = 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9-1.9 and AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 0.8-3.2, respectively]. Statistically significant associations were estimated for ever-exposed versus never-exposed women when a 20-year latency period was assumed (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.4). A sensitivity analysis that classified exposures assuming lower well-pumping rates showed similar results. CONCLUSION. We investigated the hypothesis generated by earlier spatial analyses that exposure to drinking water contaminated by wastewater effluent may be associated with breast cancer. Using a detailed exposure assessment, we found an association with breast cancer that increased with longer latency and greater exposure duration.National Cancer Institute (5R03CA119703-02); National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (5P42 ES007381

Government House, Halifax : archaeological resource impact assessment

Davis Archaeological Consultants Limited conducted an archaeological resource impact assessment of renovations at Government House in Halifax from November 2006 to February 2007. The assessment included surface reconnaissance of the property grounds as well as archaeological monitoring of excavations in the moat, beneath the existing floor in the interior basement, and at the southeast corner of the exterior of the house. Three test trenches were also excavated between the carriage house and the north side of the main house which were monitored by an archaeologist. Archaeological resources were observed in the moat as well as beneath the floor of the basement and on the south wall of the carriage house in the excavated trench. Recommendations for monitoring of any ground disturbance inside the carriage house have been made. Early nineteenth century artifacts were observed in a disturbed context in the gardens on the southeast side of the house. No additional monitoring is required in those areas investigated by archaeologists. However, recommendations for monitoring on the west side of the house in the gardens and on the east side of the grounds near the entrance to the house have been made if future ground disturbance is to occur in hhese areas. These areas have not been investigated and may contain in situ archaeological resources

Archaeological resource impact assessment : Jefferson Property, Fall River

In October 2004, Davis Archaeological Consultants Limited conducted an archaeological resource impact assessment of the Jefferson Property in Fall River under contract to Halifax Regional Municipality and in accordance with Heritage Research Permit A2004NS82 (Appendix A). The property is the proposed site for a community recreational facility to be constructed in 2005. The purpose of the assessment was to locate potential heritage resources within the study area, assess the archaeological significance of any such resources, and provide recommendations for mitigation if necessary. A field survey was conducted by three qualified archaeologists over three days between 20 and 22 October 2004 and was preceded by a historical background study. This report is a summary of the history of the study area, the activities carried out by the archaeologists during the assessment, the heritage resources encountered and their historical significance, as well as recommendations for their mitigation prior to and during construction

Phase II : Jefferson Property, Fall River : archaeological resource impact assessment

File consists of two copies of an archaeological resource impact assessment follow up study on the Jefferson Property site in Fall River, conducted for the Halifax Regional Municipality .In December 2004, Davis Archaeological Consultants Limited conducted a phase II archaeological resource impact assessment (subsurface testing) of the Jefferson Property in Fall River under contract to Halifax Regional Municipality and in accordance with Heritage Research Permit A2004NS90. Although development plans had not been finalized at the time of the assessment, the property has been proposed as the site of a new recreational facility and fire station to be constructed in 2005. The purpose of this assessment was to evaluate the physical integrity and cultural and archaeological significance of features identified during a previous assessment conducted by DAC in October 2004, to determine if any additional subsurface features were present in the development area, and to provide recommendations for further mitigation of those resources based on the findings of this assessment. A total of 56 formal 50 cm by 50 cm test units were excavated at five metre intervals in a grid encompassing the house, well, and barn, and their immediate surroundings. Testing was conducted by a crew of three to seven qualified archaeologists over four days between 2- 6 December 2004 with monitoring of geotechnical testing by DAC's senior technician taking place on 1 December 2004. This report is a detailed account of the extent of the study area, the subsurface testing conducted within that area, the resources encountered and an analysis of them, an evaluation of the research strategy, and recommendations for further mitigation

Jefferson Property, Phase III : archaeological resource impact assessment

File consists of an archaeological resource impact assessment report prepared by Davis Archaeological Consultants for the Halifax Regional Municipality regarding a proposed recreational facility and fire station at the Jefferson property in Fall River.In August 2006, Davis Archaeological Consultants Limited was contracted by Halifax Regional Municipality to conduct a phase III archaeological resource impact assessment of the proposed Fall River Recreational Facility and Fire Station at the Jefferson Property on Fall River Road. The purpose of the assessment was to fully document and more clearly define the archaeological features identified and recorded in December 2004 and to determine the function of a feature identified near the southeast corner of the Jefferson house. These features are to be capped with fill prior to construction and artificially delineated through landscaping. The paddock wall identified in 2004 will be dismantled. The assessment was conducted under Category C Heritage Research Permit A2006NS59 issued by the Nova Scotia Heritage Division

Salter's Gate : archaeological resource impact assessment final report

An archaeological resource impact assessment of Lot A-l on the north side of the Alexander Keith's Brewery Building in downtown Halifax was conducted by Davis Archaeological Consultants Limited. The assessment was conducted between March and September 2005 under Heritage Research Permit A2005NS10. A total 5,695 artifacts were collected from 34 archaeological features within the study area. The features dated from the late eighteenth through mid twentieth centuries and included stone foundations, privies, wells, middens, outbuildings, municipal drainage systems, and original city street surfaces

Citadel High School steam line installation, Halifax : archaeological resource impact assessment

Appears to be lacking page 1.In November 2006, Davis Archaeological Consultants Limited was contracted by CBCL Limited Consulting Engineers, on behalf of the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works, to conduct an archaeological resource impact assessment of the Citadel High School Steam Line Installation project in metropolitan Halifax. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the potential for archaeological resources within the development zone and to provide recommendations for further mitigation if necessary. The assessment included archaeological monitoring of mechanical excavation of a trench and associated catch basins between the High School property on Bell Road and the QEII Hospital on Summer Street. The assessment was conducted between 04 December 2006 and 18 June 2007. The assessment was conducted under Category C Heritage Research Permits A2006NS79 and A2007NS04 (Appendix A) issued by the Nova Scotia Heritage Division

The significance of seniority for women managers’ interpretations of organizational restructuring

This paper examines the impact of restructuring within the transport and logistics sector on women managers working at senior and less senior (middle/junior management) levels of the organization. The majority of women experienced increased performance pressures and heavier workloads as well as an increase in working hours. At the same time, there were pressures to work at home (i.e. week-ends and evenings) and reduced opportunities to work from home (i.e. during normal office hours). Management level emerged as an important factor in how these changes were interpreted. Senior managers perceived more positive outcomes in terms of increased motivation and loyalty. Despite a longer working week, they were less likely to report low morale as an outcome from long hours. In fact, irrespective of management level, women working shorter hours were more likely to report low morale as an outcome. Results are discussed in relation to literature on restructuring and careers, in terms of perceptual framing and in relation to different levels of investment in the organization

Establishing a meaningful human rights due diligence process for corporations : learning from experience of human rights impact assessment

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, has constructed a new international framework, which is set to become the cornerstone for all action on human rights and business at the international level. The principle of human rights due diligence (HRDD) is the central component of the corporate duty to respect human rights within that framework. This article argues that Ruggie's HRDD principle contains the majority of the core procedural elements that a reasonable human rights impact assessment (HRIA) process should incorporate. It is likely that the majority of corporations will adopt HRIA as a mechanism for meeting their due diligence responsibilities. However, in the context of the contentious debate around corporate human rights performance, the current state of the art in HRIA gives rise to concerns about the credibility and robustness of likely practice. Additional requirements are therefore essential if HRDD is to have a significant impact on corporate human rights performance – requirements in relation to transparency; external participation and verification; and independent monitoring and review