Montana Environmental Public Health Tracking Project
On August 16, 2002, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) submitted a proposal to receive funds to develop an environmental public health tracking project. The proposal was developed in response to an announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award funding to several states and cities to begin to initiate a National Environmental Public Health Tracking System.
The proposal briefly outlined the background of historic exposure issues in Montana including the effects of past mining on the health of residents of Libby, East Helena, and Butte. Also noted was the fact that Montana was the first state to pass legislation addressing chronic disease and environmental health tracking. House Bill 582 (HB582) was authored by Montana State Legislator Gail Gutsche, Missoula. The bill was signed by the Governor Martz on March 31, 2001. This bill required Montana DPHHS to conduct an assessment of current chronic disease-related data collection systems. In response to this legislation, DPHHS established the Montana Chronic Disease Registry Study Task Force and initiated planning activities in partnership with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
Montana was awarded funding as a "Part A, Planning and Capacity Building State", for Environmental Public Health Tracking beginning October 1, 2002. Montana will receive approximately $510,000 per year from CDC for three years and ten months.
In order to define priority environmental health issues in Montana, a Statewide environmental health needs assessment was completed. Information was gathered through surveys, environmental health needs assessments conducted by communities, and input from the Statewide EPHT Advisory Group. Surveys also identified training needs that are essential to developing a statewide public health environmental health tracking system.
Below is a brief history of events that have lead to the planning of a national environmental health tracking system.
1988 A report by the Institute of Medicine noted that removal of environmental health authority from public health agencies has led to fragmented responsibility, lack of coordination, and inadequate attention to the health dimensions of environmental problems in the U.S.
11/1999 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent an emergency response team to Libby, MT due to asbestos-related health risks.
1/2001 The Pew Health Commission issued "America's Environmental Health Gap: "Why the Country Needs a Nationwide Health Tracking Network" It stated the existing environmental health system is neither adequate nor well organized and recommended the creation of a "Nationwide Health Tracking Network for disease and exposures"
3/2001 Montana's Governor Martz signed HB 582, which mandated that Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) complete a feasibility report that addresses the "recommendations of the Pew Environmental Health Commission, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and other pertinent organizations and agencies."
8/2001 CDC and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) developed a document entitled, "CDC and ATSDR's Proposed Plan for an Environmental Public Health Tracking Network".
10/2001 CDC 's National Center for Environmental Health convened workgroups of scientists, managers and policy specialists to develop practical recommendations for implementing an EPHTN as envisioned by CDC and ATSDR's proposed plan. It was recommended that either public health or environmental health protection agencies should be eligible to receive funding for tracking.
12/2001 Congress appropriated $17.5 million to CDC "for development and implementation of a nationwide environmental health tracking network and capacity development at State and local health departments."
3/2002 Additional legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress to appropriate additional funds for chronic disease registries.
8/2002 A Montana report entitled "Development of a Chronic Disease Registry to Improve the Health of Montanans: Feasibility Issues and Recommendations for Implementation" was completed to address the mandate of Montana HB 582
8/2002 Montana DPHHS submitted an application in response to a request for proposals from CDC to develop an environmental public health tracking program in collaboration with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
10/2002 Montana was selected as one of 17 initial states and cities to receive federal funding to develop an environmental public health tracking program to integrate information on chronic disease with data monitoring environmental parameters.
