Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is applying for continuation of the Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP) for ATSDR’s APPLETREE program 4/1/2023 to 3/31/2028. MDH has had a highly successful CAP with ATSDR since 1987. MDH CAP’s core purposes are to: 1) identify exposure pathways at hazardous sites and releases, 2) identify, implement and coordinate public health interventions to reduce exposure to hazardous substances, and 3) provide training and technical assistance to promote and achieve safe siting of child care centers. Fulfilling these purposes, and demonstrating achievement requires using evidence-based strategies; maintaining and expanding effective partnerships; and using measurable outcomes. Expected outcomes are: 1) protect the public from environmental hazards/toxic exposures and promote healthy environments; 2) educate communities, partners, and policy makers about environmental health risks and empower them to protect health; 3) promote environmental justice and reduce health disparities (increase environmental equity) associated with hazardous environmental exposures; and 4) support environmental public health practice by increasing capacity and improving the evidence base for effective practices, policies, and processes to prevent exposure.
CAP activities prevent harmful exposures and disease from site-specific hazardous substances by identifying exposure pathways and evaluating links to health outcome data; and by identifying, implementing, and coordinating interventions to reduce or prevent such exposures. Achieving objectives and outcomes requires engagement with affected communities and health professionals about site contamination and potential health effects, and cultivating effective, collaborative partnerships. The CAP documents achievement of measurable outcomes. Activities, outcomes, and goals align with several Healthy People 2030 objectives and are consistent with ATSDR’s mission and NCEH/ATSDR goals of using the best science, taking responsive public health actions to prevent adverse health outcomes associated with environmental hazards and toxic substances, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and promote healthy environments.
MDH’s CAP is a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in environmental health, risk assessment, toxicology, environmental chemistry, hydrogeology, epidemiology, survey research, risk communication, and health education and community engagement; providing a unique resource, equipped to protect Minnesotans from environmental hazards and toxic exposures and advance public health science and practice. The team will build and enhance partnerships with ATSDR, US EPA, other MDH programs, state and local government units, Tribes, health professionals, and other colleagues and collaborators. MDH conducts an integrated program of activities including health assessment and exposure investigation that gather and analyze environmental data, identify contaminants of health concern, evaluate exposure pathways, identify physical and other hazards; and community assessments that identify community needs and characteristics, evaluate health outcome data and determine populations that are, or may be, at risk. MDH assigns hazard categories to assessed sites and summarizes public health hazards present and recommends measures regulators and communities can take to mitigate exposures, investigate further, or conduct follow-up activities. The findings guide implementation of public health action plans, including community and health professional engagement to educate community members, partners, and policy makers about environmental health risks and protection; promote healthy environments and choices; and promote environmental justice and health equity.