200311 Water Security and Public Health

Monday, November 9, 2009

Nelson Mix, MS, PE, CHMM , Office of Water, Water Security Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USPHS officer assigned to USEPA, Washington, DC
Lauren Wisniewski, BSE , Office of Water, OGWDW, Water Security Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Karen Milam, BS , Office of Water, OGWDW, Water Security Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
  
This presentation will provide public health professionals with an understanding of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tools and resources available to assist in water preparedness and emergency response efforts and the interdependencies of the water sector with other sectors. Since September 11, 2001, EPA has been involved in a variety of efforts to improve the security of the Nation's water and wastewater infrastructure and the country's ability to prevent and respond to an emergency. EPA resources include the Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) and the National Environmental Methods Index for Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Methods (NEMI-CBR). Programmatic resources include the Water Laboratory Alliance, which provides the water sector with a network of laboratories with the analytical capabilities and capacity to support monitoring, surveillance, and remediation in response to a contamination event. Also, the Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks enable water and wastewater systems to share resources after a local or regional disaster.

EPA has been involved in several pilot studies, including the Chicago-area Hospital and Water Sector Interdependency Summit, which have demonstrated water's critical role in other sectors. Both water utilities and public health officials have started incorporating water security processes into normal business practices. This presentation will include examples of such ‘dual use applications.'

Through training, outreach, and working with water sector partners, public health departments can help ensure the resiliency of water systems, and the resiliency of public health and other critical interdependent infrastructures facing natural disasters, accidents, or intentional acts of contamination, tampering, or facility damage.

Learning Objectives:
Indentify water security preparedness efforts, tools, and products that can aid public health community planning efforts in water security, contamination, prevention and response Discuss interdependencies and relationships amongst different sectors, organizations, and disciplines while planning for and responding to water security issues that affect public health

Keywords: EPA, Water

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: CDR Nelson Mix has a BS and MS in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University (1992) and the University of New Mexico (1996) , respectively. He is registered as Professional Engineer (Civil) in the District of Columbia and is also a Certified Hazardous Material Manager (Master Level). His career a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service began with COSTEP assignments in ME and AL with the Indian Health Service. He was a Field Engineer in Ft. Defiance, AZ on the Navajo Nation from 1993 -1997, prior to becoming a Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the EPA in Kansas City, KS from 1997-2001. He worked in the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response from 2001 – 2008, in various capacities and offices, both in Crystal City, VA and Washington, DC. He recently transferred from EPA’s Office of Emergency Management to the EPA’s Office of Water, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Water Security Division located in Washington, DC. He currently serves as EPA’s alternate to the Surgeon General’s Policy Advisory Council, and is active with the Society of American Military Engineers. He served as its National Readiness Chair and on its National Board of Directors from 2004-2006, and he is currently serving as the Immediate Past Post President the Washington, DC Post for 2009.
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.

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