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What is a Health Assessment?A health assessment is an evaluation of a chemical release and how exposure to that release might affect people’s health. A health assessment is an evaluation of information related to a hazardous chemical being released into the environment, usually at a hazardous waste site. The evaluation determines whether exposure to that chemical might cause harmful health effects. The Health Advisor, who prepares the assessment, looks at past, present, and future exposures. Once the evaluation is completed, the assessment will have specific recommendations on how to protect public health. There are three sources of information used to evaluate a site:
Information Needed to Conduct a Health AssessmentThe Health Advisor needs very specific information to conduct the health assessment in order to determine whether the public has been impacted by hazardous chemicals being released from a site. The following information is used to make that determination:
Who Conducts Health Assessments?The Washington State Department of Health has a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal public health agency, to conduct assessments of hazardous waste sites in Washington State. The Department of Health has formed a team, made up of four Health Advisors; a Toxicologist; an Epidemiologist; and a Community Educator, to determine possible public heath problems caused by chemicals released into the environment at hazardous waste sites around the state.Types of Health Assessment ReportsThe following list of reports are prepared by our assessment team. The type of report prepared will depend on whether an exposure has occurred.
How to Get Involved in a Health AssessmentOur goal is to keep community members, appropriate agencies, and health professionals informed of our assessment recommendations and site activities. We do that through community education and involvement such as: public information meetings, medical conferences, press releases, fact sheets, and reports. Two-way communication between affected community members and our assessment team is necessary for a successful evaluation, and helps us improve our services. We welcome the involvement of Washington residents and encourage questions and comments about sites. To contact us, call toll free at 1-877-485-7316 or contact the local health jurisdiction in your county. Input from affected community members helps identify:
What to Expect from a Health AssessmentThe assessment conclusions identify whether there is a public health hazard associated with site-related chemical exposures. Based on our conclusions, we make recommendations that advise federal, state, and local agencies on actions to prevent or reduce people's exposure to any hazardous chemicals released at those sites. Protective measure are also presented in the assessment for affected community members to take action to protect their own health. The following are examples of assessment recommendations:
Chemicals are found in the soil at levels of health concern:
The Department of Health follows-up on recommendations that require actions by agencies such as the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to ensure that public health is protected from harmful chemicals released into the environment from a hazardous waste site.
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