Actions and policies that affect the natural environment also have impacts on public health. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) believes health consequences should be considered in projects involving state land or action, like an environmental review. To inform the Minnesota Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW), MDH conducted a review of: 1) 20 state and local environmental review processes for examples of public health measures; 2) literature on Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) in legislation or the environmental review process; and 3) the Minnesota EAW from a health perspective generally. Based on the review described above, MDH conducted a desktop HIA on a Mixed-Use EAW in Minnesota.
MDH found that health indicators have limited presence in state and regional environmental reviews. Health indicators were most frequently found under the topics of air quality, noise, and hazardous materials. MDH then identified barriers to and produced recommendations for incorporating health indicators into the EAW. Results discuss both why and how health indicators should be included within the environmental review process. The presentation will introduce the process and value of Health Impact Assessments, report on the purpose and scope of work undertaken, and present recommendations for overcoming barriers to incorporating health in the environmental review process. This session is recommended for local public health, government agencies involved in the environmental review process, and consultants who contract with local and state governments on environmental impact assessments.
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