Environmental Public Health Law: Issues & Items

Training

• The "Swimming with Sharks: Environmental Health in the Context of Litigation" DVD, produced by the Southern Center for Excellence in Environmental Health is a concise, 30-minute review of issues that front-line public health practitioners encounter in responding to litigation and in using litigation as tool to advance the health of the public health.
  
  The learning objectives of this course are to understand:
  1. how to carry out your important functions when litigation is occurring around you,
  2. what you need to know if you are the target of litigation, and
  3. how litigation can be a tool for you to use in enforcing regulations.
  
  "Swimming with Sharks" features Dr. Howard Frumkin, formerly Director of the Southern Center of Excellence in Environmental Health Practice at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, and currently Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and B. Suzi Ruhl, JD, with the Environmental Law Institute, along with public health professionals and attorneys working in, and advising, Georgia public health agencies.
  
  "Swimming with Sharks" was produced by the Southern Center for front-line public health professionals, managers and legal counsel in local and state public health agencies, and schools of public health. This resource is in the public domain. Choose from the links below to download "Swimming with Sharks".
  Small (for dial-up)     Medium     Big

  The CDC Public Health Law Program welcomes your feedback on this course—and your suggestions for additional public health law-related training—contact Andrea Hines, Program Analyst, PHLP, at Ahines@cdc.gov.
  
  
  

  CDC Links

  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
    
    
  • CDC National Center for Environmental Health
  
  
  
  

  Non-CDC Links

  • ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
  
  
  
  • Pittsburgh Journal of Environmental and Public Health Law
  
  
  
  • National Environmental Health Association
  
  
  

  Presentations

  • "The Healthy Homes Initiative: The Role of Law," December 8, 2006. A presentation by Doug Farquhar, JD, National Conference of State Legislatures Denver, Colorado.
    (PowerPoint Presentation)
    
    
  • "Healthy Homes," December 8, 2006. A presentation by M. Deborah Millette, MPH, Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    (PowerPoint Presentation)
    
    
  • "Using Law for Healthy Homes," December 8, 2006. A presentation by Priscilla Keith, JD and Dana Reed Wise, Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion county Indianapolis, Indiana.
    (PowerPoint Presentation)
    

  Readings

  • Paul A. Locke, Henry Falk and Chris Kochtizky, "Environmental Health and Protection", Law in Public Health Practice (2002).
    (PDF file).
  
  

  State Legislative Initiatives

  The following state legislative initiatives were identified and provided by the CDC-NCEH Built Environment Work Group.
  
  
  • California. ASSEMBLY BILL No. 437 This bill will authorize the county health officers to provide assistance to cities and counties with regard to public health issues relating to local land use and transportation planning processes.
    (PDF file).
    
    
  • Florida. 37-1196A-07 This bill will revise the intent of the Legislature regarding the mission of the state's public health system, the Department of Health's duty to monitor and regulate factors in the environment which affect the public health, and the functions of the public health system with regard to local planning and development activities.
    (PDF file).
    
    
  • Maryland. Maryland Healthy Places Act An act requiring the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to establish an Interagency Working Group to discuss certain environmental health concerns.
    (PDF file).