The public health response during and after the Lac-Mégantic train derailment tragedy: a case study

Généreux, Mélissa; Petit, Geneviève; Maltais, Danielle; Roy, Mathieu; Simard, Robert; Boivin, Sonia; Shultz, James M.; Pinsonneault, Linda

doi:10.1080/21665044.2014.1103123

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The derailment, the explosions and the subsequent fire resulted in 47 deaths and necessitated mass evacuation of 2000 persons, equivalent to one-third of the town's population. With the coupling of human suffering and environmental degradation, the Lac-Mégantic derailment caused serious psychosocial and economic consequences, including the relocation of many families forced to leave their homes, loss of many jobs, and closure of many local businesses for weeks before relocating elsewhere in town [1]. Given the impact of this technological disaster, the involvement of public health personnel and resources was critical throughout the emergency response operations.…”

Section: The Lac-mégantic Train Derailment Disastermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Public Health Department (PHD) for the Estrie region responded immediately to provide direct services needed to protect the citizens of Lac-Mégantic and on-site responders from several health hazards. The priority at that time was to assess, communicate, and manage immediate risks to public health associated with exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents [1].…”

Section: The Lac-mégantic Train Derailment Disastermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Any collective trauma, including technological or natural disasters, is likely to lead to adverse health impacts among survivors and the wider community. Due to the experience of extensive stress and loss, people exposed to large-scale disasters like the Lac-Mégantic train derailment are subject to long-term adverse outcomes [1]. There is now a solid evidence base for the substantial effects of such a tragic event on psychological health in directly affected communities, which may persist over time in the absence of adequate support.…”

Section: Quantitative Approach In Addressing a Challenging Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Salutogenic Approach to Disaster Recovery: The Case of the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster

Généreux

Roy

O’Sullivan

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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In July 2013, a train carrying crude oil derailed in Lac-Mégantic (Canada). This disaster provoked a major fire, 47 deaths, the destruction of 44 buildings, a massive evacuation, and an unparalleled oil spill. Since 2013, Public Health has undertaken several actions to address this challenging situation, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Community-based surveys were conducted in Lac-Mégantic in 2014, 2015 and 2018. The first two surveys showed persistent and widespread health needs. Inspired by a salutogenic approach, Public Health has shifted its focus from health protection to health promotion. In 2016, a Day of Reflection was organized during which a map of community assets and an action plan for the community recovery were co-constructed with local stakeholders. The creation of an Outreach Team is an important outcome of this collective reflection. This team aims to enhance resilience and adaptive capacity. Several promising initiatives arose from the action plan—all of which greatly contributed to mobilize the community. Interestingly, the 2018 survey suggests that the situation is now evolving positively. This case study stresses the importance of recognizing community members as assets, rather than victims, and seeking a better balance between health protection and health promotion approaches.

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Section: The Lac-mégantic Train Derailment Disastermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Lac-mégantic Train Derailment Disastermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Quantitative Approach In Addressing a Challenging Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Salutogenic Approach to Disaster Recovery: The Case of the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster

Généreux

Roy

O’Sullivan

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

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“…Much evidence on this topic pertained to technical pipeline specifications, properties of diluted bitumen, leak detection techniques, and Enbridge's safety record. Some intervenors commented on the relative safety of transporting fossil fuels by pipeline versus rail, referencing the 2013 derailment and explosion of a train carrying crude oil that killed 47 people in Lac-Mégantic, Québec [74]. For some, Lac-Mégantic illustrated the intensity of the threat to human life posed by transporting fossil fuels and the need for higher standards for engineering, risk mitigation and transparency [55,60].…”

Section: Prudence and Responsibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Justice and Canada’s National Energy Board: A Critical Analysis of the Line 9 Pipeline Decision

Hunsberger

Awasis

2019

Sustainability

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This paper investigates the values and priorities reflected in a Canadian pipeline review: The National Energy Board (NEB) decision on Line 9. Theories of energy justice guided analysis of evidence presented at NEB hearings, the NEB’s explanation of its decision, and a Supreme Court challenge. We find that several aspects of energy justice were weak in the NEB process. First, a project-specific scope obstructed the pursuit of equity within and between generations: the pipeline’s contributions to climate change, impacts of the oil sands, and cumulative encroachment on Indigenous lands were excluded from review. Second, the NEB created a hierarchy of knowledge: it considered evidence of potential spill impacts as hypothetical while accepting as fact the proponent’s claim that it could prevent and manage spills. Third, recognition of diversity remained elusive: Indigenous nations’ dissatisfaction with the process challenged the NEB’s interpretation of meaningful consultation and procedural fairness. To address the challenges of climate change and reconciliation between Indigenous and settler nations, it is crucial to identify which kinds of evidence decision-makers recognize as valid and which they exclude. Ideas from energy justice can help support actions to improve the public acceptability of energy decisions, as well as to foster greater Indigenous autonomy.

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“…Longitudinal research carried out by Généreux et al (2014;Généreux, 2017) into the tragedy reveals a complex web of interrelated impacts, which developed for years after the disaster. Généreux's work is restricted to human impacts and, as such, represents very much the tip of the iceberg in terms of the full nohuman or environmental outcomes of the event.…”

Section: Cultural Environmental Victimsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the cultural dimensions of environmental victimization

Hall

2017

Palgrave Commun

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Arguing from a cultural victimological perspective, this article makes a case for the wider utilization of restorative justice and mediation-based approaches as a means of providing alternative or parallel justice mechanisms for both human and nonhuman victims of environmental crimes and broader environmental harms. Traditional criminal justice mechanisms, it is argued, are fundamentally ill-equipped to identify, prosecute and sentence in a manner proportionate to the full range of environmental victimizations emanating from many environmental crimes or other pollution events. Radical and critical criminological perspectives, it is argued, have only gone so far in conceptualizing this broader form of victimization, especially as it pertains to non-anthropomorphic aspects of the ecosystem. In contrast, the cultural understanding of victimhood has a more constructivist, dynamic character representing developing traumas and emphasizing the benefit to human victims of being officially acknowledged as such. It also gives such victims the opportunity to present “accounts” of their harm. Such characteristics, it is argued, better reflect the reality of environmental victimization and, in so doing, point towards a more central place for mediational and restorative justice mechanisms within the environmental sphere. That said, it will also be demonstrated that restorative justice and mediation mechanisms—despite bringing numerous advantages to human victims in terms of their perceptions of procedural justice—have as yet failed to adequately incorporate notions of ecological and species justice. Moreover, the present state of research in the area of environmental alternative dispute resolution is woefully lacking. The article, therefore, concludes with a call for more development of the cultural approach by green victimologists generally, as well as a focus on testing and developing restorative justice in this area in particular.

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The public health response during and after the Lac-Mégantic train derailment tragedy: a case study

Cited by 23 publications

References 8 publications

A Salutogenic Approach to Disaster Recovery: The Case of the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster

A Salutogenic Approach to Disaster Recovery: The Case of the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster

Energy Justice and Canada’s National Energy Board: A Critical Analysis of the Line 9 Pipeline Decision

Exploring the cultural dimensions of environmental victimization

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