Approaches for Assessing, Preventing, and Controlling Environmental Hazards (see link below):
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Hazardous Materials
Two of the
main Federal laws that address hazardous and toxic materials issues are the
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). CERCLA, commonly known
as Superfund, has the major objectives to identify hazardous and toxic material
sites, determine liability, and oversee the cleanup.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. states and territories are responsible for implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which governs the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. Most states have enacted laws and created regulations that are at least as stringent as federal regulations. RCRA authorizes states to carry out many of the functions of the federal law through their own hazardous waste programs (as well as their state laws) if their programs are approved by the EPA.
Federal
Register :: Suggested Search - State Hazardous Waste Management Program
Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976 in order to manage
the growing amount of municipal and industrial waste in the United States. This
law has been amended several times since then, notably in 1980 (including
important provisions related to the status of energy extraction wastes) and
again in 1984 (HSWA, or Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments), including new
authorities to prevent and address contamination from underground tanks storing
petroleum products and hazardous substances.
Environmental Compliance Information for
Energy Extraction (eciee.org)
Statutes & Regulations
Beginning in the 1970s, there was a major wave of health, safety, and environmental regulation. In the United States, the government established new regulatory agencies with broad regulatory responsibilities for risk and environmental policy. Some of these agencies addressed risks to people, such as mortality and morbidity risks, while others focused on dangers to natural resources, such as endangered species, which affect people indirectly. Among these new federal agencies were the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (Viscusi, Kip, 2006). Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the effects of laws and regulations are crucial steps in the process of ensuring effective legal environments for health but are often overlooked. Because law has the power to affect diverse populations in different ways, it is crucial that policy makers rely on evidence, whenever possible, to distinguish between laws that work, laws that do not work, and laws that cause harm. Federal environmental statutes and initiatives greatly influence both the development and enforcement of state environmental laws. Understanding the relationship between federal and state environmental regulations becomes critical (Burris, Anderson, 2013).
References:
Viscusi, W. Kip, Regulation of Health, Safety, and Environmental Risks (February 2006). Harvard Law and Economics Discussion Paper No. 544.
Burris S, Anderson E, Legal regulation of health-related behavior: A half-century of public health law research. Annual Review of Law & Social Science. 2013; 9: 95-117.Regulatory Programs
Throughout our history, numerous federal and state agencies have been created to address issues related to safety and health in the workplace, as well as the surrounding environment. Federal and state agencies have become increasingly involved in examining and monitoring the impact of the environment on the health of the public. The following list highlights several of the federal and state agencies currently involved in monitoring, evaluating, and protecting the environment and its relation to public health.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
The Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR) was created by Superfund legislation in 1980 as a part
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR's mission is to
prevent or mitigate adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. In order to
carry out its mission and to serve the needs of the American people, ATSDR
conducts activities in public health assessments, health investigations,
exposure and disease registry, emergency response, toxicological profiles,
health education, and applied research.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) is charged with protecting the public health of the nation by
providing leadership and direction in the prevention and control of diseases
and other preventable conditions and responding to public health emergencies.
Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) is the Cabinet-level department of the federal executive branch
most concerned with people and most involved with the nation's human concerns.
In one way or another—whether it is mailing out social security checks or
making health services more widely available—DHHS touches the lives of more
Americans than any other federal agency. It is literally a department of people
saving people, from newborn infants to our most elderly citizens.
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
inspects manufacturing plants and warehouses, collects and analyzes samples of
foods, drugs, cosmetics, and therapeutic devices for adulteration and
misbranding. Responsibilities also extend to sanitary preparation and handling
of foods, waste disposal on interstate carriers, and enforcement of the
Radiation Control Act as related to consumer products. Epidemiological and
other investigations are conducted to determine causative factors or possible
health hazards involved in adverse reactions or hazardous materials accidents.
Investigators are located in resident posts in major cities throughout the
country.
STATE AGENCY (New Jersey)
The Consumer, Environmental and Occupational Health Service
(CEOHS) serves the communities and workers through activities aimed at
improving the health and well-being of all New Jerseyans. At the core of its
mission are preventive initiatives to decrease disease and injury by reducing
exposure to chemical, physical and biological hazards. CEOHS activities are
organized into three programs: Environmental and Occupational Health
Surveillance, Food Safety and Public Protection, and Environmental and Occupational
Health Assessment.
CEOHS services include childcare center health assessments,
hazardous site health evaluation, food and drug safety, asbestos and lead
training and certification, and environmental and occupational disease
tracking. CEOHS also oversees the regulation of pools, tanning facilities, body
art studios and youth camps.
Department
of Health | Environmental Health (nj.gov)
References:
Institute of Medicine
(US) Committee on Enhancing Environmental Health Content in Nursing Practice;
Pope AM, Snyder MA, Mood LH, editors. Nursing Health & Environment:
Strengthening the Relationship to Improve the Public's Health. Washington (DC):
National Academies Press (US); 1995. D, Environmental Health Resources:
Agencies, Organizations, Services, General References, and Tables of
Environmental Health Hazards. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232383/.
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Approaches to Mitigate Environmental Hazards (Video)
Approaches for Assessing, Preventing, and Controlling Environmental Hazards (see link below): https://youtu.be/bCY33hK7nPw
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General Environmental Health Environmental public health focuses on protecting groups of individuals from threats and hazards to their h...
