Florida's Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment Team
The federal
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a cooperative
agreement with the Florida Department of Health (DOH). The group within
the Florida DOH that works on hazardous waste sites consists of four scientists
who evaluate environmental testing (air, soil, and water) and one community
involvement/health education coordinator.
The Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment Team looks at each chemical found at a hazardous waste site and its known health effects. Some chemicals are toxic in small amounts, while other common chemicals can be toxic in large amounts.
Next, the team writes a report that looks to see if there is a way for the chemicals to reach people (exposure pathway). These reports determine if a chemical (or chemicals) at a site poses a health risk or not. During this process,
the team updates the community on any activities and new information through newsletters and community meetings. If
the team finds a current health threat, they inform the community immediately. Otherwise,
the team drafts
either a Public Health Assessment (PHA) or Health Consultation (HC) report.
PHAs are a comprehensive report, while an HC has a more narrow focus and used to
address issues more quickly. For either report, the team asks for community input,
especially health concerns, usually at a public meeting. They rely on people living near a site to tell us their health concerns
related to a site. The team addresses these concerns in the final PHA or HC.
All pdfs
and zip files are <1MB unless indicated.
Who
is on the Health Assessment Team?
What can
the team do to help communities living near hazardous waste sites in Florida? (<
1 MB pdf)
What is a hazardous waste site?
"Answering Your Questions about Hazardous Waste Sites" booklet (<
1 MB pdf )
What sites the Health
Assessment Team worked on in Florida?
Health reports written about specific sites listed in alphabetical order.
How does the team get involved?
Services provided by the Health Assessment Team related to hazardous waste sites.
Where are the hazardous waste sites in Florida? (zip 2MB)
More information about the Health Assessment Program:
Resource Materials:
Additional Information and Resources:
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