The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Public Health (Division) recognizes environmental factors determine an individual’s quality of life and has prioritized protecting communities from harmful environmental exposures. The Division requests $420,000.00 annually from ATSDR to identify, evaluate, and respond to harmful environmental exposures across Idaho. Through this cooperative agreement, the Environmental Health Program (EHP) will continue to fulfill its purpose by assessing and responding to site-specific issues concerning human exposure to hazardous substances in the environment; retaining and expanding local, state, federal, and tribal partnerships; conducting community outreach and education targeting populations and stakeholders affected by hazardous substances; and expanding the Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE) program to increase protection for Idaho’s children from potential environmental hazards at newly opened early care and education (ECE) facilities and existing ECE facilities.
As of November 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund program has identified 13 sites in Idaho containing hazardous substances. Of these sites, six are National Priorities List (NPL) sites and three are proposed NPL sites. In addition to Superfund sites, Idaho also has 3,019 sites (1,109 active) that have handled Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste; over 8,000 mine and mine-related sites; and 1,585 (59 active) contaminated sites under the leaking underground storage tank and general remediation programs.
By continuing Idaho’s cooperative agreement with ATSDR, the Division will preserve the resources necessary to identify, evaluate, and respond to harmful environmental exposures across Idaho.
Outcomes for this funding align with the following ATSDR performance goals:
• Protect the public from environmental hazards and toxic exposures
• Prevent adverse health outcomes associated with exposure to environmental hazards
• Educate communities, partners, and policy makers about environmental health risks and protective measures
• Promote healthy environments
• Support environmental public health practice
• Support environmental justice efforts
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare appreciates this opportunity to continue Idaho’s cooperative agreement with ATSDR to reduce human exposure to hazardous substances in the environment and protect the health of Idaho’s citizens.