State, Tribal, and Local Success Stories

ATSDR Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield/Land Reuse Sites

Past Cooperative Agreement Funding Announcements and Projects

4 images of contaminated sites

Purpose:

ATSDR’s mission is to serve the public through responsive public health actions to promote healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful exposures to environmental contaminants. Sites such as Brownfield/Land Reuse sites may be the source of potentially harmful exposures because of contamination from previous property uses. Addressing public health concerns and issues related to the restoration of contaminated properties is essential.

From 2008 – 2015 ATSDR funded community health projects to demonstrate how public health is an integral part of the land reuse process. Average awards for these projects was $150,000 for a one-year project. These projects aimed to increase capacity among states, tribes, health agencies, and local governments to identify, address, and improve public health in redeveloping Land Reuse sites, ensuring that particular attention was paid to identifying and addressing health issues prior to redevelopment and assessing changes in community health associated with reuse plans and redevelopment. These community health projects that addressed impacts of contamination at Land Reuse sites furthered ATSDR’s public health mission to promote healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful exposures.

Approach:

The funded projects integrated the ATSDR Community Health Project (CHP) Logic Model. The CHP Logic Model depicts how the problem statement, purpose, outcomes, and strategy of each project are interrelated.

ATSDR CHP Logic Model
ATSDR CHP Logic Model
STRATEGIES ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES LONG TERM
OUTCOMES/
IMPACTS
EARLY ACTIVITIES LATER ACTIVITIES
Build the Development Community* Capacity Promote collaboration within the development community at the local and/or state level Expand capacity for development community/ communities in developing models, strategies, and/or initiatives on promoting community health in Brownfield/Land Reuse redevelopment projects Strengthen relationships among the development community

Increase community and health agency involvement in redevelopment


Increase development community capacity to address health disparities

Establish development community coalition to promote health solutions to disparities in coordination with revitalization of communities

Prevent or reduced exposures to contaminants

Measure Success of Environmental and Health Change Build capacity to measure improvement of community health and other issues related to Brownfield/Land Reuse

Build capacity to address health disparities


Promote development community adoption of indicators of changes to address health disparities

Assess short- and long-term changes in indicators

Develop recommendations for sustainability once funding period has ended

Develop community health model to address community health concerns through Brownfield/Land Reuse projects

Increase capacity to plan, measure and track success of environmental and health change through Brownfield/Land Reuse projects


Increase capacity to create baseline, short-term, and/or long-term tracking of environmental and health change through Brownfield/Land Reuse projects

Long term tracking success of environmental and health change through Brownfield/Land Reuse projects

Inclusion of community health model into master plan, guidance, policy, or other means of sustainability to address health issues


Reduce health disparities through redevelopment

Characterize and Address Health Risks and Community Concerns Increase capacity to catalog the Brownfield/Land Reuse sites in the redevelopment area

Increase capacity to characterize potential environmental exposures using the best science

Communicate health risks to the community

Recommend changes to address health risks


Educate the community on the health risks

Increase risk communication and health education knowledge of community

Decrease or prevent the risks of human health effects from toxic exposures at Brownfield/ Land Reuse sites

Decrease the risks of human health effects from toxic exposures
Expand ATSDR CHP Promotion Report the success story of the project, including project results, health impact, and lessons learned. Assist ATSDR in developing videos, fact sheets, books, and other resources to promote models for including health in redevelopment Increase public health considerations in redevelopment

Expand resources for promoting community health considerations in redevelopment

Decrease the risks of human health effects from toxic exposures

Reduce health disparities through redevelopment

*Note: The development community includes residents, planners, city agencies, health departments, environmental agencies, developers, and any other stakeholders in the community of redevelopment.

Past Funding Announcements at grants.gov:

Past Funding Announcements at grants.gov
Funding Number Name
CDC-RFA-TS15-1502 Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield and Land Reuse Sites
CDC-RFA-TS14-1404 Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield and Land Reuse Sites
CDC-RFA-TS12-1202 Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield and Land Reuse Sites (2 year)
CDC-RFA-TS11-1103 Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield and Land Reuse Sites (1 year)
CDC-RFA-TS11-1104 Public Health Support for Land Reuse/Brownfield and Legacy Sites in the Areas of Concern (AOC) for the Great Lakes (1 year)
CDC-RFA-TS10-1002 Community Health Projects Related to Brownfield and Land Reuse Sites
CDC-RFA-TS10-1003 Public Health Support for Land Reuse/Brownfield and Legacy Sites in the Areas of Concern (AOC) for the Great Lakes (1 year)
CDC-RFA-TS09-904 Community Health Projects Related to Brownfield/Land Reuse (1 year)
CDC-RFA-TS08-803 Community Health Projects Related to Brownfield/Land Reuse (1 year)

ATSDR CHPs Awards:

FY2015

CDC-RFA-TS15-1502
CDC-RFA-TS15-1502
Grantee Title Amount
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Expanding Land Reuse Projects in Albany and Utica, NY to Promote Healthy Communities $150,000
City of Temple, TX City of Temple, TX Bend of the River Botanic Gardens, Brownfield Site remediation and community engagement, CDC Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield/Land Reuse Sites Grant $150,000
Philadelphia Department of Public Health Transforming Vacant Land into Community Empowered Urban Agriculture Projects in Philadelphia $150,000
Panhandle Area Development District Nebraska Panhandle Brownfields Inventory and Community Capacity Building for Community Health $113,272
Florida Department of Health in Duval County Healthy/Fresh Food Initiative in Health Zone 1, Jacksonville, Florida $150,000
City of Middletown, CT Engaging Community Stakeholders to Increase Recreational Opportunities for Children in Middletown’s Urban Districts through Brownfield Reuse $143,970
Arizona Department of Health Services Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Brownfield/Land Reuse Sites $130,000

FY2014

CDC-RFA-TS14-1404
CDC-RFA-TS14-1404
Grantee Title Amount
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Finding Common Ground: Partnering with Community Organizations for Land Reuse Projects in New York’s Capital District $149,936
Medical University of South Carolina Rebuilding the Graniteville, SC, Community through Public Health Communication and Promotion, and Public Health Tracking $150,000
San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Leveraging the Triple Bottom Line in Distressed Neighborhoods in San Antonio, Texas: Creating a Future for Sustainability, Social Justice, and Economic Development $150,000
City of Cincinnati (Ohio) Project Cool It! A City of Cincinnati Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative $149,998
Georgia Department of Public Health Assessing Brownfields and Community Health in Georgia $149,997
Oregon Health Authority Oregon Public Health Division Brownfields Initiative $150,000
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Sustainable Environmental Health Infrastructure and Cumulative Ranking Development for South Cook County with Community Stakeholder Participation $130,405

FY2013

CDC-RFA-TS12-1202-02
CDC-RFA-TS12-1202-02
Grantee Title Amount
City of Piqua (Ohio) Piqua Riverfront STAMP Proposal $148,010
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Enhancing Community Health of Residents of Utica, NY, through steps to reduce exposure and increase public health awareness related to contamination at land reuse and Brownfield sites $197,094
Oregon Health Authority Oregon Public Health Initiative $149,995
Rock County Health Department (Wisconsin) Brownfields to Promote Health, Businesses, Residents, and Organizations Working Now For Initiatives that Encourage Local Development Strategies to Promote Health $88,396

FY2012

CDC-RFA-TS12-1202
CDC-RFA-TS12-1202
Grantee Title Amount
City of Piqua (Ohio) Piqua Riverfront STAMP Proposal $148,000
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Enhancing Community Health of Residents of Utica, NY, through steps to reduce exposure and increase public health awareness related to contamination at land reuse and Brownfield sites $197,094
Oregon Health Authority Oregon Public Health Initiative $149,990
Rock County Health Department (Wisconsin) Brownfields to Promote Health, Businesses, Residents, and Organizations Working Now For Initiatives that Encourage Local Development Strategies to Promote Health $148,433

FY2011

CDC-RFA-TS11-1103
CDC-RFA-TS11-1103
Grantee Title Amount
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Brownfield and Community Well-Being in the Hudson/Mohawk River Industrial Corridor $149,399
Oregon Department of Human Services Oregon Brownfields Initiative $149,929
CDC-RFA-TS11-1104
CDC-RFA-TS11-1104
Grantee Title Amount
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Enhanced Public Health Support For Land Reuse $279,960

FY2010

CDC-RFA-TS10-1002
CDC-RFA-TS10-1002
Grantee Title Amount
Oregon Department of Human Services Oregon Public Health Brownfield Initiative $124,767
CDC-RFA-TS10-1003
CDC-RFA-TS10-1003
Grantee Title Amount
County of Muskegon, Public Health- Muskegon County (Michigan) Muskegon Environmental Contamination Health Assessment and Community Outreach Program $163,316
Illinois Department of Public Health Waukegan Harbor Brownfield Fish Advisory Education $118,849
New York State Department of Health /Health Research, Inc. Enhancing public health support for Brownfields and Land reuse and characterizing community well-being in New York’s Areas of Concern of the Great Lakes. $193,809

FY2009

CDC-RFA-TS09-904
CDC-RFA-TS09-904
Grantee Title Amount
Cuyahoga County Board of Health (Ohio) East Cleveland Health and Development Initiative: Integrating health into land use and brownfield redevelopment in East Cleveland and county-wide $70,000
Lummi Nation Lummi Indian Seafood Consumption Survey $75,000
Missouri Department of Health and Human Services Support Development and Monitoring of Brownfield Sites in Missouri $75,000

FY2008

CDC-RFA-TS08-803
CDC-RFA-TS08-803
Grantee Title Amount
Arizona Department of Health, Risk Assessment and Health Consultation Arizona Brownfield Land Reuse Project $68,478
Cuyahoga County Board of Health (Ohio) East Cleveland Health and Development Initiative $70,000
Elkhart County Health Department (Indiana) WIMBY – What’s In My Backyard $70,000
Georgia Dept of Human Resources, Chemical Hazards Program Atlanta Brownfield Community Health $69,000
Iowa Department of Public Health Perry, Iowa, Community Health Project $17,100
Minnesota Dept of Health Healthy Communities Count! Indicators of Community Health along the Central Light Rail Transit Route $60,269
Missouri Dept of Health and Senior Services, Section for Environmental Public Health Support Development and Monitoring of Brownfield Sites in Missouri $57,954

Most Community Health Projects included one or more of the following:

  • Developing stronger stakeholder partnerships and capacity in the Development Community to leverage additional expertise, tools, resources, and relationships to promote the success of the project and/or program.
  • Planning for actions to address issues identified at local and state level Evaluation of health risk from environmental contaminant exposures at Brownfield/Land Reuse sites.
  • Identifying community health status indicators (pre- and post-development).
  • Developing inventories of current land reuse sites, including associated potential health risks of exposure to contaminants at these sites, former site uses, citizen complaints, accidental releases.
  • Developing stronger stakeholder partnerships and capacity in the Development Community to leverage additional expertise, tools, resources, and relationships to promote the success of the project.
  • Engaging underrepresented populations in Brownfield/Land Reuse efforts through culturally specific and culturally competent approaches.
  • Evaluating health risk from environmental contaminant exposures at Brownfield/Land Reuse sites.
  • Developing risk communication and/or health education programs related to environmental hazards associated with Brownfield/Land Reuse sites or health status of the community.
  • Designing programs to assist communities in implementing new programs focused on land revitalization activities associated with areas impacted by environmental hazards associated with one or more Brownfield/Land Reuse sites.
  • Integrating equity through the inclusion of social justice, social determinants of health, and vulnerable populations into Brownfield/Land Reuse planning, environmental assessment and sampling, and site use after redevelopment.
  • Assessing residual contamination at Brownfield/Land Reuse sites before, during, or after redevelopment.
  • Creating measurable, short-term intervention strategies focused on Brownfield/Land Reuse sites.
  • Utilizing geospatial analysis maps to characterize land reuse sites and associated health risks and connect the community to available services.

If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us at atsdr.landreuse@cdc.gov.

Page last reviewed: December 19, 2017