The goal of the Animal Health Project Team was to prevent short and long-term adverse impacts of air contaminants on animal health.

The team’s objectives were to:

• identify key concerns regarding the effects of air emissions on animal health
• investigate animal health impacts attributable to air contaminants
• develop a management response system to manage identified risks
• assess air quality guidelines and objectives and make recommendations to ensure animal health is protected
• document and summarize scientific and local/traditional knowledge regarding the effects of air emissions on animal health
• identify research gaps and make recommendations to fill the gaps
• communicate with stakeholders

Learn more in the terms of reference.

 Progress

 The animal health project team focused on the potential for a management response system that would be used to address livestock health issues that could be associated with air emissions.

The team provided an opportunity to discuss these issues in a supportive, non-confrontational forum with government, industry, and public stakeholders. This forum allowed stakeholders to search for commonly agreed solutions to concerns about animal/livestock health. 

The team sponsored a survey that identified some potential areas for further response. It also covered such diverse topics as how to improve the credibility of research into animal health, and how to gather information that would be used for a baseline assessment.

This project team continued to study the relationship of industrial emissions to animal welfare into 2001, before making a final report and recommendations to the CASA board.

Sub-groups:

Two sub-groups were created to complete a specific task furthering the goal and objectives of the larger team. They included members from the larger team.

• AHPT:  Animal health recommended practices sub-group
• AHPT:  Public survey sub-group

Co-chairs:

Martha Kostuch (NGO)
Tim Taylor (IND) 

If you’d like more information, please email casa@casahome.org.