The goal of any environmental monitoring program is to assess and protect the health of the organisms being monitored. Yet the most common methods require the sacrifice of a large number of individuals to collect enough data to ensure the well-being of the entire population. A new study published in IEAM set out to find a better way to monitor fish populations in Canadian waters affected by mining activity. We spoke with lead author Alyse Kambeitz to hear more. Access the article in the November 2019 issue of IEAM.
About the Guest
Alyse Kambeitz is a Compliance and Licensing Specialist at Cameco Corporation (Cameco) as well as the Communication Chair for Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan Inc. After completing her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Biology with a minor in Toxicology at the University of Saskatchewan, Alyse accepted a student position at Cameco Corporation. This opportunity led to three extended work terms and an in-depth, practical knowledge of Canadian environmental regulations and environmental monitoring. When she decided to return to university to pursue a Masters in Sustainable Environmental Management, she sought out industry partners and a topical project that was of great significance to monitoring programs across Canada. Her recent publication is a product of this research. While completing her Masters research, she focused other course work on community engagement, environmental assessments, co-management, and multiple ways of knowing in environmental decision making. Following her Masters, Alyse accepted a position with Canada North Environmental Services (CanNorth), where she continued to gain invaluable experience related to environmental monitoring. Alyse has since returned to Cameco where she now works in concert with operations to manage specific projects and/or issues related to environmental monitoring programs, regulatory compliance and licensing, continual improvement initiatives, and supporting reclamation activities in northern Saskatchewan.
Articles Referenced in this Podcast
Kambeitz A, Wells K, Rees C, Liber K. 2019. Evaluation of Lethal Fish Sampling and the Nonlethal Alternative Under the Canadian Metal and Diamond Mining Environmental Effects Monitoring Program. Integr Environ Assess Manag 15(6): 844-854. doi:10.1002/ieam.4183
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