183371 Increasing human health assessment and promotion in the Environmental Impact Assessment process

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 4:45 PM

Sarah Heaton Kennedy, MPH , Healthy Community Design Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, GA
Arthur M. Wendel, MD, MPH , Healthy Community Design Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH , National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
     
Land-use impacts health outcomes and indicators such as physical activity, obesity, asthma, injury, mental health, social capital, and environmental justice. Consequently, land-use policy, development patterns, and transportation infrastructure are emerging targets for primary prevention in public health.

Environmental impacts of land-use proposals, such as air and water quality, are routinely examined in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. However, health impacts, such as pedestrian injuries, have been infrequently addressed. Initiated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the EIA process offers CDC the opportunity to review and comment on the health impacts of proposed development projects. This process is being revisited by the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) as an opportunity to increase health considerations among decision-makers.

CDC/NCEH is now adding health comments and mitigation suggestions within the EIA review process. In recent work, sidewalks and landscaped planting strips were suggested for injury reduction, increased physical activity, and carbon sequestration for a highway redevelopment project in Kentucky, and the health benefits of public transportation infrastructure were highlighted in our response to a Florida streetcar extension proposal. Similar use of EIA by the San Francisco health department and the Alaska Intertribal Council successfully highlighted health impacts in urban redevelopment projects and oil and gas line development, respectively. Evaluation will be needed to assess the outcomes of integrating health into EIA.

This presentation will provide an overview of NEPA policy and discuss NCEH's work to increase health considerations and impact decision-making in federal planning pertaining to the built environment.

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 2) Discuss the history of environmental impact assessement as it relates to NEPA 3) Articulate how the human environment is addressed within the legislation and how human health impact assessment and mitigation can be promoted using this framework.

Keywords: Environmental Health Hazards, Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the manager and program developer for the NEPA review and comment program at the National Center for Environmental Health at CDC. My current work also involves cross-agency collaboration in human health impact assessmet within the Environmental Impact Assessment process for a zinc-lead mine proposal in Alaska affecting Alaskan Native populations. On-going work in Health Impact Assessment technical assistance and evaluation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Health Impact Assessment: State and National Policies
See more of: Environment