Monday, May 12, 2025
5/12/2025
ATSDR Partnership to Promote Localized Efforts to Reduce Environmental Exposure (APPLETREE) Program - The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) involvement in the protection of public health from hazardous substances in the environment dates back to the early 1980s, driven by concerns associated with legacy sites such as the Weldon Spring site and dioxin contamination of Times Beach (and related dioxin-contaminated sites). The Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology (BEE), established in 1983, was tasked with the responsibility of addressing potential public health concerns at contaminated sites across the state. Since the establishment of the MDHSS/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) cooperative agreement partnership in 1989, MDHSS has continued to steadily strengthen its capacity to assess and respond to the risks of exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. The Health and Risk Assessment Program (HRAP) within BEE works closely with communities, environmental and public health agencies, and industry to reduce or eliminate human exposure to hazardous substances from hazardous waste sites or spills. The HRAP team is specifically responsible for evaluating the human health threats of exposure to hazardous substances and educates communities about possible adverse health effects from exposure to those substances. HRAP staff develop public health documents [(e.g., public health assessments (PHAs), health consultations (HCs)] and fact sheets on contaminated sites and spills and, where further investigations are warranted, perform exposure investigations. HRAP staff also provides extensive technical assistance to regulatory agencies, including reviews of technical documents of site investigations and cleanups at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Brownfield sites. In addition to core site activities, the HRAP team oversees Missouri’s annual fish advisory, responds to community concerns associated with potential pesticide exposures, and responds to citizen concerns regarding potential exposure concerns from illicit methamphetamine laboratory contamination of homes. HRAP is currently leading a collaborative effort, with funding from Center for Disease Control (CDC)/National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), to develop and implement a statewide, sustainable drinking water program that expands state and local efforts to protect the health of citizens who use private well water. The team also partners with federal and state agencies and other stakeholders on the development of national and state health and risk assessment guidance and training. With this funding opportunity, HRAP will continue to work closely with ATSDR to sustain, expand, and improve efforts to conduct and coordinate site-specific activities to reduce and prevent harmful chemical exposures. In addition, the HRAP team is working closely with ATSDR and other sections within MDHSS, including the Section for Child Care Regulation (SCCR) and the Bureau of Environmental Health Services (BEHS), in the development and implementation of the Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE) program to prevent children from being exposed to environmental hazards at early care and education facilities.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).