ATSDR -- FY 1999 AGENCY PROFILE AND ANNUAL REPORT
Alabama Department of Public Health, Vincent, Alabama
The Alabama Department of Public Health, through a cooperative
agreement with ATSDR, took a proactive approach to coordinate community
involvement and health education at the Alabama Plating Company site in
Vincent. The site had been contaminated with lead, and there was evidence
that children were playing on the site. The Alabama Department of Public
Health has conducted site visits, mail-outs to the community, a community
survey, and public meetings to alert parents to the danger of childhood lead
poisoning from this source. As a result, more than 90% of parents surveyed
stated that they knew which areas were unsafe.
Wisconsin Environmental Health Department,
Appleton, Wisconsin
In cooperation with other state and local agencies and organizations, the
Wisconsin Environmental Health Department facilitated a seminar on the
health concerns of eating fish for its Hmong population. The seminar
addressed the areas of health concerns, fish identification and advisories,
methods for preparing and cooking the fish, and the handling and preservation
of fish. Hmong was the primary language spoken during the seminar.
HEALTH PROMOTION ACTIVITIES
Health promotion is the science and art of helping people change their
lifestyles to move toward a state of optimal health. Optimal health is defined as
a balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health.
Lifestyle change can be facilitated through a combination of efforts to enhance
awareness, change behavior, and create environments that support good public
health practices.
ATSDR's health promotion program integrates health education, risk
communication, environmental medicine, and promotional activities to assist
communities affected by exposure to hazardous substances in the
environment. The program supports three key goals--prevention,
intervention, and capacity building.
In FY 1999, ATSDR conducted health promotion activities at the following
sites: Agriculture Street Landfill, New Orleans, Louisiana; Alberton, Montana;
Del Amo, Torrence, California; Grand Bois, Louisiana; Woolfolk Chemical
Works, Fort Valley, Georgia; and Bunker Hill Superfund Site, Idaho. Following
is an example of a site where ATSDR conducted promotion activities.
Agriculture Street Landfill, New Orleans, Louisiana
A significant effort to educate health care providers was initiated in the
Agriculture Street Landfill (ASL) community in Louisiana. ASL is a 95-acre
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