CHE_Impact of Cumulative Stressors on Health.pptVIP

CHE Partnership Call - Evaluating the Impact of Cumulative Stressors on Health Monday, April 19, 2010  Report Out from Strengthening Environmental Justice Research and Decision Making : A Symposium on the Science of Disproportionate Environmental Health Impacts Devon Payne-Sturges, DrPH Assistant Center Director for Human Health National Center for Environmental Research, EPA Purpose of the Symposium To lay the groundwork to develop a systematic and scientifically defensible approach for incorporating environmental justice concerns into EPA’s decision making process. “How do you identify disproportionately impacted population groups and communities?” “How can we translate EJ concerns into language understood by EPA Risk Assessors, Analysts and Decision Makers?” Symposium Themes Structure Understanding contributors to disproportionate environmental health impacts to facilitate their consideration in decision making Commissioned 7 technical papers on state of the science Proximity to environmental hazards Multiple exposures and cumulative impacts Unique exposures Vulnerability/susceptibility Physical Infrastructure Community capacity to participate in the decision making process Psychosocial stress Informing policy and decision making to protect environmental health Informing research to advance policy Observations There is disconnect between what the community leaders know about what EPA does and EPA’s understanding about what policy/reg actions are/are not successful on the ground States matters – they can make or break EPA’s good intentions – regulations More holistic impact assessment methodologies are needed – particularly cumulative impacts, joint effects of social and physical environments. Equity impact assessment approach is needed – borrow the best from HIA EPA needs to engage more with the public and community-based organizations to get their input into our research agendas Cumulative Stressors/Impacts Need to address multiple factors and pl