NOHEIC shares its achievements

In November 2023, the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) officially announced the creation of the National observatory on health and environmental impacts of contaminants (NOHEIC). This new initiative was part of the government’s action plan to support the City of Rouyn-Noranda, announced in March of the same year in the context of the renewal of the Horne Smelter's ministerial authorization.

At the start of 2026, the observatory would like to present some of the activities it has carried out since its creation.

NOHEIC’s mission is to mobilize and increase knowledge of environmental, and health issues related to smelters.

First, the observatory provides support to facilitate and fund scientific research. It brings together and encourages collaboration among scientists from dozens of different disciplines working in Quebec universities on issues related to the impacts of contaminant emissions. It also implements tools to facilitate access to information and data about smelters for members of the scientific community and the public. 

In addition, the observatory organizes public events to give university experts a voice and thus, make scientific knowledge accessible and promote it.

• Establishment of a scientific council composed of 11 specialists from various fields and four citizens to guide the observatory’s scientific orientations and define research priorities concerning the situation in Rouyn-Noranda. The meetings reports are available on the NOHEIC scientific council page.
• In collaboration with the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) and based on the recommendations of its scientific council, preparation and launch of the Programme de recherche sur l’évaluation des contaminants et des incidences sur la santé et sur l’environnement (PRÉCISE) (Contaminants and Environmental Health Impact Assessment Research Program). This $3.2 million program aims to support scientific projects focused on assessing the health risks associated with exposure to industrial contaminants and the dynamics of exposure to these contaminants.  It brings together various fields of research and targets innovative research projects with high transformative potential and significant benefits for the population.
• Preparation of a second funding program with the FRQ to call for projects for the establishment of an epidemiological cohort of populations exposed to smelter emissions, as recommended by its scientific council.
• Design and launch of an interactive tool to present up-to-date information on air, water, and soil quality in Quebec. The Tableau de bord des agents contaminants et de l’environnement (TRACE) (Dashboard of contaminant releases and the environment) facilitates the exploration and understanding of existing data on contaminants.
• Online sharing of databases available in the NOHEIC data repository.
• Preparation of a catalog of scientific, media, and historical documents relevant to understanding the impacts of contaminant emissions and facilitating scientific research on these issues. This catalog is currently in preparation.
• Holding of the first edition of the observatory symposium in May 2025 and preparation for the second edition to be held in May 2026. This event, entitled “L'ONICSE et les sciences au cœur de la vie citoyenne” (“NOHEIC and science at the heart of civic life”) brings together the community and scientists to discuss topics related to the impact of contaminant emissions. Recordings of the presentations from the first edition are available on the NOHEIC 2025 symposium page.
• Organization of conferences open to the public in Rouyn-Noranda, by scientists working on various topics related to the impacts of contaminant emissions. Recordings of the conferences are available on the NOHEIC conferences page.
• Implementation of communication tools, such as a website, a newsletter, and a Microsoft Teams team, to share information on events organized by NOHEIC and the work of its scientific council, as well as a press review, news, and scientific publications on the impacts of contaminant emissions.

During its first two years of existence, NOHEIC recruited a professional team that worked to establish a rigorous scientific framework and forged partnerships with a large part of Quebec's research community interested in the impacts of contaminant emissions. It also forged ties with members of the Rouyn-Noranda community, many of whom actively participate in organized events. 

And it's not over yet! The NOHEIC team is continuing its work and has new achievements in the works for the coming months. Stay tuned. You can follow NOHEIC’s activities by subscribing to its newsletter, following its Facebook page, or visiting its website.