Public Health Assessments

What is a public health assessment?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment public health assessments report on sites in greater detail than required for health consultations. Health assessments rely on three main types of information:

Environmental data, such as information available on contaminants and how people could come in contact with them
Health data, including available information on communitywide rates of illness, disease, and death compared with national and state rates
Community concerns, such as reports from the public about how the site affects their health or quality of life

How Are public health assessments used?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's public health assessments identify health studies or other public health actions-such as community environmental health education-that might be needed. They advise other agencies on actions to prevent or reduce people's exposure to hazardous substances.

How Is the community involved in a public health assessment?

The community plays a key role in a public health assessment and any activity that may follow. Throughout the public health assessment, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment talks with people living or working near the site-action groups, local leaders, and health professionals, among other community members-about what they know about the site and their site-related health concerns. Community health concerns are addressed in every public health assessment for every site.

Two-way communication between the public and this department is vital to every public health assessment. For that reason, the department has many ways to give and receive information and involve the community in its activities. The department may host pub;ic meetings so community members can express ideas in a larger forum. The department will use other communication channels, such as contact with local community groups, political leaders, and health professionals, as well as articles in local newspapers and stories on television and radio.

Before the public health assessment is finished, it is available in the community during the public comment period. The public comment period lets the community tell the department how well the public health assessment addresses their concerns. The department responds to the public's comments in the final public health assessment.

ATSDR in Partnership With Colorado

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is the lead public health agency responsible for implementing the health-related provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). ATSDR is an Atlanta-based federal agency responsible for assessing the presence and nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites, helping to prevent or reduce further exposure and illnesses resulting from those hazards, and expanding the knowledge base about the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.

ATSDR works closely with state agencies including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to carry out its mission to serve the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.

ATSDR provides funding and technical assistance to states and other partners through cooperative agreements and grants to identify and evaluate environmental health threats to communities.

These resources enable state and local health departments and other grantees to further investigate environmental health concerns and to educate communities. Completed Public Health Assessments:·

Many documents on this site are PDF files, which require the use of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.