Friday, April 19, 2024
4/19/2024
The Rhode Island Project to Strengthen Environmental Health Capacity includes four projects: Component A, Project 1: RIDOH's Lead Hazard Mitigation Program (LHMP) will decrease lead poisoning rates by increasing the number of rental properties that comply with RI's Rules and Regulations Governing Lead Hazard Mitigation. Component A, Project 2: This project will develop the capacity for public health programs for inland recreational waters in Rhode Island. The plan is use a risk-based approach that will assure efficiency and effectiveness in monitoring and assessing pathogens, cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins and to stabilize monitoring with EHC grant funds. The result will be safer recreation at our inland water sites, areas where current monitoring efforts are inadequate to protect public health and inequitable in relation to better protected coastal areas of Rhode Island. Monitoring and assessment plans to reduce risk will be revised regularly to optimize protections provided by the program, with feedback provided from the associated Component B project. Component B, Project 3: The Component B project will expand on screening level assessment approaches applied in Component A. The plan is to apply the implicit informatics approaches to risk characterization as detailed in the US EPA guidance. In addition, the framework will draw from CDC and World Health Organization guidance to more specifically incorporate the environmental and cultural determinants of health for communities that rely on inland waters for recreation. Component B, Project 4: Aims to update Source Water Assessments (a proven tool for communicating risk to Rhode Island water suppliers and municipalities) with new environmental health data. The priority will be small community systems within disadvantaged communities to address health disparities. This project will address, prevent, and control environmental health hazards specifically posed by SOCs and PFAS. The project will utilize baseline and post-intervention surveying methods to determine the effectiveness or outreach associated with the updated Source Water Assessments.
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).
