The Role of Public Health in Brownfields Redevelopment While brownfields site activities are largely driven by economic and environmental considerations, there is a strong need for public health involvement. It is imperative that public health issues be considered from the earliest phases of site selection, evaluation, and development, and that all brownfields stakeholders work in a coordinated manner to ensure that cleanups are being performed to adequately protect public health. Vice President Gore announced that as part of the inception of the Brownfields National Partnership Action Agenda in Fiscal Year 1995, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will work across the administration to develop a public health strategy to protect community residents near brownfields. The DHHS and other federal agencies share the Agenda's commitment to foster interagency coordination towards the development of methods to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and create healthy and sustainable reuse of brownfields. DHHS specifies ten essential services provided by its health-related agencies and the larger public health community that must be applied to each brownfields project to assure public health protection: Monitoring health conditions to identify community health problems and safety hazards Diagnosing and investigating health hazards, problems, and safety in the community; Informing, educating, and empowering people about health and safety issues; Mobilizing community partnerships and action to identify and solve health and safety problems; Assuring a competent public health and personal health care workforce; Evaluating effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services; Researching for new insights and innovative solutions to health and safety problems; Developing policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts and ensure health safety; Enforcing laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety; Linking people to needed personal health services and assuring the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable. These services delineate the needed role of DHHS and other health care providers in the brownfield redevelopment effort, emphasizing the importance of public health issues and ultimate need for a community-based public health presence in all brownfield projects. The communities residing near most brownfields sites include a large proportion of our nation's medically under-served and economically disadvantaged citizens, a primary clientele for DHHS programs, other federal agencies, and state and local public health practitioners. Brownfields redevelopment poses the possibility that, once the sites are cleaned up and new industries open, the areas will become polluted all over again. The role of public health officials includes ensuring that cleanups are being performed and monitored to adequately protect every individual who may be potentially affected. There are many potential health hazards at brownfields properties, and local and state health departments can have a strong role in supporting the redevelopment efforts while assuring the protection of public health. The Georgia Division of Public Health (GDPH) is currently working to develop and implement strategies to ensure that efforts to remediate and redevelop properties do not present public health hazards. The GDPH has identified a need to: (1) educate brownfield site stakeholders about public health science; (2) build capacity for brownfield project support in local health departments, and (3) implement communication and empowerment methods to enhance community support for and participation in brownfields redevelopment. It is expected that by using this comprehensive approach to brownfields redevelopment, the health and quality of life of persons working or living on or near brownfields properties will be adequately protected. It is expected that this program will stimulate developers to enlist the cooperation of local public health officials, in addition to community-based organizations and state government officials, to ensure that public health issues are considered in the earliest phases of remediation and redevelopment of brownfields properties. Specific activities that the GDPH and/or local public health agencies may be involved in during a brownfields redevelopment project include: In collaboration with other state and federal agencies, collect and analyze existing environmental data, community health concerns, medical and other public health data, and other relevant information to evaluate existing and proposed brownfields properties for specific public health issues. Assure that public health issues are integrated into brownfields decision-making during assessment, clean up, and redevelopment. Provide assistance for other agencies, developers, residents, and other stakeholders by serving as an information referral and materials resource for questions about toxicology, exposure pathways, and potential and actual health threats. The ability to respond more effectively because they are usually geographically closer to the site, many have regulatory authority and most have closer ties to the community than state and federal agencies and staff are generally known and trusted. Protect the health of the community and the environment by ensuring that development does not pose significant health threats in the clean-up process or future use. Investigate potential exposure to hazardous substances. Recognize that the health of a community is linked to economic redevelopment.

Links to Public Health Information Sources

The following agencies have been involved in EPA brownfields pilot projects:

Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, MD Baltimore has established relationship with the Health Department and other local, state, and federal agencies to clean up long standing threats to public health and the environment. Chemung County Health Department, Elmira, NY Representatives of the Chemung County Health Department serve on a technical advisory team conducting preliminary site assessments resulting in an improved quality of life for residents in affected neighborhoods. Department of Environment, City of Chicago Chicago's Brownfields Initiative has operated from a regional perspective with public health protection, as well as economic redevelopment, being the primary focus. In addition, Chicago has established a Brownfields Institute to educate the community and developers about brownfields issues. Department of Health, District of Columbia Because of the complexities and the high level of interest within the District government, the Health Department is the lead agency for the brownfields pilot project. It is coordinating a broad-based Multi-Agency District Task Force to address brownfields including pubic outreach and education for health issues. Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, FL The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Health is working with other environmental experts to ensure that public health and safety issues are adequately represented in brownfields redevelopment projects, and that lingering environmental justice issues are addressed. The Georgia Division of Public Health, Atlanta, GA The Georgia Division of Public Health is currently working to develop and implement strategies that will stimulate developers to enlist the cooperation of state and local public health officials, in addition to community-based organizations and state government officials, to ensure that public health issues are considered in the earliest phases of remediation and redevelopment of brownfields properties. Panhandle Health District, Silver Valley, ID The Silver Valley was home to one of the country's largest mining operations, and includes one of the nation's largest Superfund sites. The Panhandle Health District is cooperating with the regional health authority and other agencies to address the Valley's problems associated with the cleanup of the site, including public health concerns which may hinder new business development. County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA The Department of Health is helping to guide the pilot to enhance the quality of public health in the Barrio Logan Hispanic community by continuing community outreach efforts, including preparing bilingual informational material that can be used by other organizations with brownfields issues in Hispanic communities. Department of Ecology, Seattle, WA By reviewing existing studies of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination and producing a risk-based decision making framework for toxicological risk evaluation and screening levels, the Department of Ecology will ultimately develop a new guidance manual for TPH sites. Washington State Department of Health, Seattle/King County, WA The Washington State Department of Health has worked with the National Association of County and City Health Officials to develop a national protocol for conducting community environmental health education needs assessments. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is providing a common approach and analysis for each brownfield site that will eventually form the basis for decisions regarding community health issues. Site assessments will include groundwater, surface water, soil, and sediment sampling to determine the need for additional investigations and cleanup to protect public health. Rhode Island Department of Health The Rhode Island Department of Health was awarded a Brownfields capacity building grant from ATSDR in FY 99. From that grant a collaborative effort was launched to create a low-barrier education tool on brownfields and how communities can become involved. This tool in now available online at http://www.edc.uri.edu/homeasyst/brnflds.html.

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