Integrating C-FERST with EJSCREEN and other EPA tools

Underserved and economically distressed communities may be faced with higher exposures to many environmental stressors. They may want to understand their health risks and how to mitigate or prevent them, but accessing, integrating, and interpreting available data and information is a challenge.  EPA has developed several risk screening and decision support tools, including C-FERST, EJSCREEN and EnviroAtlas. The Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) is being developed as a community information access and mapping tool to help improve community environmental health assessments and decision making. C-FERST increases the availability and accessibility of information, maps, and location-specific environmental data to help communities gain a better understanding of potential environmental public health issues in their community. C-FERST also provides links to information on how other communities have managed similar issues.  EnviroAtlas is a collection of interactive tools and resources that allows users to explore the many benefits people receive from nature, often referred to as ecosystem services.  Another screening tool, EJSCREEN can effectively be used to identify ”candidate” communities.  C-FERST, along with the EnviroAtlas, can be used to engage overburdened  communities in accessing relevant community-specific information on potential environmental health issues, environmental benefits, and options to reduce exposures and risks.