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The Network has recently completed its second year
of operation and has made significant progress toward transferring
results of its research on metals in the environment to the user
community through organization of two research symposia, four workshops
(including an October 2000 Ecological Risk Assessment workshop for
government and industry and a spring 2001 Science Policy Workshop)
and numerous presentations by Network scientists. Communication initiatives
to date have included production of two newsletters, two annual reports,
and web site information posting. The MITE-RN hosted a Science Policy
Workshop in March 2001 for scientists and decision makers to discuss
the policy implications of the research on metals in the environment
being conducted both within the Network and externally. The workshop
had two principal goals:
- To determine the current knowledge gaps and science questions,
related to the impact of metals in the environment, that must be
addressed from a government policy perspective in order to facilitate
the development of public policy.
- To identify mechanisms that could improve and enhance the communication
of relevant research results to the key officials involved in developing
public policy in the metals-in-the-environment area.
The workshop program included plenary
presentations by three keynote speakers:
Dr. Barry Stemshorn, Assistant Deputy
Minister, Environmental Protection
Service, Environment Canada; Ms.
Justyna Laurie-Lean, Vice President, The
Mining Association of Canada; Mr.
Robert Lyng, Manager, Environment
Programs, Ontario Power Generation,
Inc., and shorter presentations by Domain
leaders from the three MITE-RN
Domains. A summary of the workshop
presentations and discussions may be
downloaded from the Network web site. In accordance with its stated
objective of ensuring that the Network continues to
attract new and unattached investigators
who can contribute to meeting the
Network’s research goals, the MITE-RN
solicited and received 18 new proposals
from non-affiliated university-based
Canadian researchers, and three new
proposals from government-based metals
researchers. Following an intensive
internal and external peer review, seven of
these new proposals were accepted for
funding by the Network.
Network News: Year
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