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Environmental Health Needs

Environmental Health Needs. Anderson County, SC Kathy Little, Community Development Coordinator Partners for a Healthy Community (864) 375-9190 klittle@anmed.com. Partners for a Healthy Community Mission Is to improve the health and well-being of people.

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Environmental Health Needs

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  1. Environmental Health Needs Anderson County, SCKathy Little, Community Development CoordinatorPartners for a Healthy Community(864) 375-9190klittle@anmed.com

  2. Partners for a Healthy Community Mission Is to improve the health and well-being of people.

  3. What are the Environmental Needs in Anderson County?

  4. Healthy People 2010 10 Leading Indicators • Physical Activity • Overweight and Obesity • Tobacco Use • Substance Abuse • Responsible Sexual Behavior • Mental Health • Injury and Prevention • Environmental Quality • Immunization • Access to Healthcare

  5. The Opportunity South Carolina Turning Point offered $50,000 grants for assessment and planning. Partners for a Healthy Community, a local non-profit organization serving Anderson County, applied and was funded, to assess the environmental health concerns of Anderson County.

  6. Goals and Objectives • To assess the environmental quality of Anderson County using APEX-CPH assessment tool • To identify the critical environmental health needs facing Anderson County • To establish a diverse team representative of the community partnering to address key critical issues • To develop a community improvement plan to address critical needs identified by the environmental assessment • To ensure sustainability through the commitment of partners involved and procurement of ongoing funding

  7. Examples of Data Sources • Environmental and Health Statistics available from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control • Information procured from OSHA • Environmental Toxicology information through Clemson University • Local Emergency Planning Committee list of Hazardous Materials

  8. Examples of Data Sources • NPDES Permit Lists of Corporate and Industrial Emissions • Hospital admission and discharge data related to environmental issues, such as asthma or work-related injury • Toxic Release Inventory by the Environmental Protection Agency • Demographics, population growth, and economic development data from Appalachian Council of Governments

  9. Timeline June 1, 2000 – Distribute request for proposal to qualified organizations to conduct Anderson County Environmental Assessment and select institution offering the best assessment for the funds available July 1, 2000 – Begin multi-faceted community input process November 1, 2000 – Release findings of the Environmental Assessment and convene committee to act as advisory panel to develop a community improvement plan March 1, 2001 – Strategic plan in place with projects and initiatives identified to address issues uncovered during the assessment and baseline outcomes measurements June 1, 2001 – Implementation of the strategic plan underway with funding identified to sustain the effort

  10. Grant Funding Request Budget Category Turning Point Funds In-Kind/Donated Program Director $8,840.00 Fringe Benefits $1,592.00 Consultants $32,000.00 Equipment $3,420.00 Meeting Expense $900.00 Travel $662.00 Supplies $486.00 Printer/Copying $1,800.00 Postage $300.00 Office Rent $3,600.00 Utilities and Telephone $600.00 Office Equipment $2,000.00 Office Supplies $600.00 Meeting Facilities $800.00 Data Projector and Screen $4,920.00 Committee Member Volunteer Time Invaluable Total Budget $50,000.00 $12,520.00

  11. What are the Environmental Needs in Anderson County? Key Findings

  12. Morningside Community Development Association Focus Group Issue Votes Dilapidated/abandoned houses 4 Parks (Recreational) 3 Abandoned cars 3 Storm drainage 3 Old mill sites 2 Overgrown/unkept property 2 Abandoned trailers 1 Keeping ditches clean (free of debris) 1 Drinking water quality 1 Air pollution 0

  13. Appalachia 1 Public Health District Community Advisory Council Focus Group Issue Votes Rapid growth 13 Recycling 12 Water quality 10 Overstimulation - Noise, litter, visual pollution 7 Air quality 7 Environment aesthetically pleasing 7 Environmental Education of public 6 Lack of education 6 Lack of healthcare 4 Density (commercial/residential development) 4 Water management 2 Drug and alcohol addiction 2

  14. Homeland Park Community Action Group Focus Group Issue Votes Abandoned Property 28 Burning Leaves 10 Telephone Exchanges (Abbeville vs. Anderson) 10 “Streetwalkers” 8 Road Conditions 5 Sidewalks 5 Scrap Tires in Piles 5 Traffic (So. Main and 28) 5 Businesses not Clean or Kept 4 Stray Pets / Animals 4 Insect Problems 4 Lighting Conditions 3 Noise Pollution 3 Drainage 2

  15. Forced Ranking - Anderson Business Expo 1. Drinking water 2. Outdoor air quality 3. Recycling 3. Dilapidated / unkept property 5. Educating the community on environmental issues 6. Waste management 7. Land management 8. Indoor air quality 8. Quality of recreational waterways 10. "Overstimulation" - (noise, litter, visual pollution) 11. County growth patterns 11. Green space (parks and recreation) 11. Industrial emissions Additional Issue: Rapid Growth

  16. Validating the Opinions of a Few University of Charleston’s Institute for Public Affairs and Policy Studies conducted a random household telephone survey of 379 Anderson County residents to determine their views on the environmental issues uncovered during the qualitative data collection process. (Error margin +/- 5%, 95% level of confidence) Community opinion showed the following critical concerns, beginning with the issue precipitating the most negative response: 1. Controlling trash and litter along roadsides and in public areas 2. Providing and encouraging opportunities to recycle 3. Preserving natural resources such as trees and wildlife

  17. And the Data Says... While our local committee focused on the community input process, our local Appalachian Council of Governments conducted our data collection and analysis and identified the following primary concerns: 1. Air Quality - We face critical ozone concerns that must be addressed to comply with U.S. EPA standards 2. Water Quality - Many miles of streams do not meet water quality standards and do not support basic aquatic life. 3. Growth - Rapid growth is straining overall infrastructure and the environment in key locations. Although economically beneficial, growth must be managed - “Smart Growth!” 4. Parks and Recreation - An alarmingly low percentage of acreage is protected and dedicated to public use

  18. Thinking Strategically • During a day long strategic planning retreat, our Environmental Committee considered both the community input and the data analysis to determine a course of action. We will focus on • Smart Growth • Waste Minimization (Litter & Recycling)

  19. Where do we go from here? • Smart Growth - a subcommittee has convened to determine ways of influencing community growth • Waste minimization - through the support of existing organizations working to address this issue • Education - our community must understand these critical environmental concerns • Funding - We seek additional funding to implement and sustain the effort began by the Turning Point grant to assess and plan.

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