Janine Margaret Legg, MBA, University of Phoenix, HHC Services, Inc., P.O. Box 555, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, 610-834-9530, hhcservices@verizon.net

Building healthy communities in environmental justice areas,("Health EJA"), is a biopsychosocial model that was developed as an evaluatory and qualitative tool to assist in rebuilding environmental justice/polluted communities and to evaluate social justice issues in health. An evaluation of the area around Chester, Pennsylvania was performed using the model as a result of the findings in the EPA Environmental Risk Study and the landmark litigation. The EPA findings were: 1)there are a large number of TSDF facilities and sites located around Chester,PA; 2) blood lead levels of children were unacceptably high in 60% of samples; 3)the cancer and non-cancer risks from pollution sources exceeded EPA acceptable levels; 4)air emissions from facilities in and around Chester provided a cancer and non-cancer risk to residents; and 5)the health risks from subsidence fishing in Chester and the Delaware River is unacceptably high.

Using the model "Health EJA," the environmental justice area around Chester was evaluated and solutions were posed to the Environmental Justice Advisory Board of the State Department of Environmental Protection. Those solutions included: 1)identification of health disparities in this community; 2)identification of mental health issues and population in this community; 3) recommendations for reducing environmental burden and attracting new non-polluting businesses that assist and link in building a healthy community and healthy economy; 5) funding for medical care with court ordered victim assistance funds; 6)identification of appropriate health promotions to address identified health disparities; and 7)identification of community environmental racism issues and solutions posed.

Learning Objectives: