The combination of a large number of contaminated sites, a reduction in funds allocated to state environmental agencies to evaluate and clean up contaminated sites, a large territory, a rapidly increasing population and housing development, and a large percentage of the population that depends on private unregulated well water creates suitable conditions for a large number of North Carolinians to be exposed to hazardous waste. Exposure to toxic chemicals increases the risk of communities developing costly and devastating adverse health effects. Since 2006, the Health Assessment, Consultation and Education (HACE) program has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing and eliminating human exposures to toxic waste because of the skilled and experienced staff, the long history of effective collaborations with diverse organizations, a thorough understanding of communities throughout the state, and the wealth of resources the program leverages. No other program in the state focuses its work on the evaluation of risk to human health from hazardous waste sites. HACE is asking for funding to continue its Cooperative Agreement Program with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, specifically to support three full-time team members: a health assessor/principal investigator, a health assessor/program coordinator, and a health educator/community involvement coordinator.
The purpose of the program is to prevent or reduce the incidence of adverse health effects that occur as a result of exposure to toxic substances found at hazardous waste sites throughout the state by identifying, implementing and coordinating public health interventions to reduce exposures which occur at levels of concern. This is achieved by identifying pathways of exposure to hazardous substances and using the best science, reliable health information and responsive public health actions. The expected outcomes of the program are: 1) to increase the knowledge, and change the attitudes and behaviors of regulatory agencies and policymakers so that they understand and agree to the recommendations presented in the written documents and to implement a child care safe-siting program; 2) to increase the knowledge, and change the attitudes and behaviors of community members so that they understand the results of the health risk assessment, accept recommendations presented in the written documents and understand risk reduction recommendations; 3) to increase the knowledge of health professionals on environmental medicine, the environmental health situation and behaviors that contribute to the reduction of adverse health effects from toxic environmental exposures; 4) to reduce or eliminate acute and urgent public health hazards; 5) implementation of recommendations to reduce exposures, including child care safe siting program; 6) reduction or elimination of site related exposures, including at child care facilities; 7) adoption of appropriate (risk-lowering) behaviors by community residents; 8) use of environmental medicine in practice by health professionals; and 9) improvement of the quality of life of residents.