The Interacting Axes of Environmental, Health, and Social Justice Cumulative Impacts: A Case Study of the Blueberry River First Nations.

Maya Gislason,Holly Andersen

doi:10.3390/healthcare4040078

Abstract

We consider the case of intensive resource extractive projects in the Blueberry River First Nations in Northern British Columbia, Canada, as a case study. Drawing on the parallels between concepts of cumulative environmental and cumulative health impacts, we highlight three axes along which to gauge the effects of intensive extraction projects. These are environmental, health, and social justice axes. Using an intersectional analysis highlights the way in which using individual indicators to measure impact, rather than considering cumulative effects, hides the full extent by which the affected First Nations communities are impacted by intensive extraction projects. We use the case study to contemplate several mechanisms at the intersection of these axes whereby the negative effects of each not only add but also amplify through their interactions. For example, direct impact along the environmental axis indirectly amplifies other health and social justice impacts separately from the direct impacts on those axes. We conclude there is significant work still to be done to use cumulative indicators to study the impacts of extractive industry projects—like liquefied natural gas—on peoples, environments, and health.

Highlights

The purpose of this discussion piece is to reflect on the environmental, health, and ethical dimensions of the impacts of intensive natural resource extraction (IRE) on Northern British Columbia (BC) in Canada
Within the province of BC, northern BC comprises over 70% of the landmass of the province, less than 10% of the total population, over 50% of the Indigenous population and is the site of approximately 65% of all the active or proposed projects related to intensive resource extraction (IRE) and manufacturing [1]
To illustrate how the links between health and rights interact to impact social and environmental landscapes, and how people living in communities in Northern BC embody these multiple factors, we offer a case study which focuses on extractive industry projects in the treaty-protected area of the Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN)

Summary

Introduction

The purpose of this discussion piece is to reflect on the environmental, health, and ethical dimensions of the impacts of intensive natural resource extraction (IRE) on Northern British Columbia (BC) in Canada. Within the province of BC, northern BC comprises over 70% of the landmass of the province, less than 10% of the total population, over 50% of the Indigenous population and is the site of approximately 65% of all the active or proposed projects related to intensive resource extraction (IRE) and manufacturing [1]. The Northern Health Authority, responsible for the public health of this region, describes that resource projects can have positive impacts such as economic growth and negative impacts on health as it puts pressure on health care infrastructure and services, places strains on communities, intensifies the impacts of the socio-economic determinants of health and increases environmental health impacts [2]. B-6) and in the Healthcare 2016, 4, 78; doi:10.3390/healthcare4040078 www.mdpi.com/journal/healthcare

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