The Florida Department of Health’s Hazardous Waste Site Health Risk Assessment Program performs various tasks that align with guidelines set forth by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and section 381.006, Florida Statutes, which directs the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to have a toxicology and hazard assessment function to conduct toxicological and human health risk assessments of exposure to toxic agents.
The primary goal of the program is to assess and respond to site-specific issues involving human exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. The program evaluates environmental data, often collected by other regulating agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
DEP is the lead agency for environmental management and stewardship, protecting our air, water, and land. The Department of Health’s role is to assess the public health impact from exposure to environmental contamination and ensure the citizens of Florida have the best information available to understand health risks and what can be done to reduce or eliminate risk.
DOH’s program assesses the public health risk from hazardous waste sites and produces health assessment reports, health consultation reports, and community update letters regarding those sites. Health assessments look at each chemical found at, or associated with, a hazardous waste site and its known health effects, as well as the different exposure routes at which somebody can be in contact with these chemicals. Some chemicals are toxic in small amounts, and other common chemicals can be toxic in large amounts. Data collected during a health assessment are compared to the national health guidelines.
In addition to conducting public health assessments, the program addresses concerns from communities, advises the public on how to protect themselves from exposure to chemicals, and advises clean-up agencies on health issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are hazardous waste sites?
A hazardous waste site may be a former landfill, it could be the site of a former industry, or where crops were once grown. It could be any place where chemicals have gotten into the soil, water, or air. Contact with the chemicals found at such sites may harm health.
What is superfund?
In 1980, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), known also as superfund, was enacted by Congress. The law provides broad Federal authority to reason directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health and the environment.
How many sites in Florida are on the National Priorities List?
The National Priorities List (NPL) is a list of sites of national priority among the known contaminated sites throughout the United States threatened by hazardous substances, pollutants, or other contaminants.
As of 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has 52 hazardous waste sites in Florida either on the final or proposed NPL. This also includes NPL caliber sites orย superfund alternative sites, which also merit federal interest.
EPA has more details on the NPL site listing process. This includes a database that EPA keeps on sites. They call it the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System.
What data is reviewed to assess a site?
Other agencies, including the EPA and DEP, take samples of soil, water, and air at hazardous waste sites. The Florida Department of Health staff look at these test results to see what chemicals they find, and at what levels.
The staff studies the known health effects for each chemical found at a site. They also see if there is way for people to come in contact with the chemicals (exposure).
What hazardous waste sites have been assessed in Florida?
The Hazardous Waste Sites Health Risk Assessment Reports page lists all of the health reports the program has written since 1987 about specific sites in Florida in alphabetical order. They include those written reports for ATSDR as well as ones written for others.
How do chemicals harm health?
Some chemicals are toxic in small amounts. Others may be toxic only in large amounts. A chemical cannot harm a person unless they come into contact with it.
Harm from most chemicals depends on:
- How someone contacted it
- How much they contacted
- For how long
- How often
How do people come into contact with chemicals?
There are three ways people come into contact with chemicals:
- Ingesting (eating, drinking, licking lips, or touching mouth with unwashed hands)
- Inhaling (breathing in a chemical)
- Dermal (skin contact or touching a chemical)
What health guidelines do program staff use to see how much public health risk exists at a site?
The program uses ATSDR guidelines to assess a site. These guidelines help figure out if the level of each chemical found at a site is enough to be a health threat. ATSDR keeps up with the latest research.
They update guidelines on a routine basis. This helps provide the best, most up-to-date knowledge on health effects that may occur when someone comes into contact with site chemicals. It helps the program better serve people living near sites who want to know what health risk the site may pose.
How does DOH conduct a health assessment?
To assess a site, the program staff:
- Gathers soil, water or air test results from EPA or DEP
- Studies the data
- Asks for more tests, if needed
- Looks for levels known to harm health
- Writes a draft health report
- Gets review by EPA or DEP
- Asks for public comment (knowing what health concerns exist within a community)
- Responds to all comments in a final report
- Shares findings from the report with the public
- Gives advice on how the public can keep healthy
- Tells health care providers what they may need to know about a site (if needed)
- Gives EPA or DEP input on how to protect health while a site is cleaned up
What activities are not a part of the health assessment program?
The health assessment program does not:
- Make or enforce laws or rules concerning hazardous waste
- Provide medical services for people exposed to a site
- Provide cleanup or relocation
- Take samples, except for some private well testing
- Conduct worker investigations
How does the health assessment program inform people who live near a hazardous waste site about these reports?
The program staff wants to make sure that everyone living in the area near a hazardous waste site has accurate and timely information. They communicate with residents in several ways, including:
- Newsletters and fact sheets sent via direct mail, email or delivered door-to-door
- Press releases and briefings
- Open-house style public meetings