State and local health departments help improve and protect the health of their communities. One key focus is on the environment. Their environmental health programs address the quality and safety of our water, soil, air, food and more to promote health and quality of life.
As an example, the Chemical Event Exposure Assessment Program in the Environmental Epidemiology/Toxicology section of the Center for Environmental Health in the Office of Public Health in the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals…ok, whew!…does the following:
A large number of accidental releases, explosions, and other chemical releases occur each year in Louisiana. SEET evaluates the public health threat of these events and provides needed information as well as recommendations to the affected communities, hospitals, and physicians. In response to a chemical incident, Chemical Event Exposure Assessment Program staff also generates GIS maps of the incident location and surrounding locations of interest for use by regional and central office personnel….[continued on the page]
