WCA staff members Sheri Davis-Faulkner and Mackenzie Madden attended the Health Impact Assessment Workshop on May 23rd at the U.S. EPA Region 4 Headquarters downtown that focused on green infrastructure in the Proctor Creek communities. An HIA is a tool used to objectively evaluate potential positive and negative health impacts of a policy or project before it is implemented and provide recommendations to minimize adverse health impacts and maximize beneficial impacts. The goal of conducting such an assessment is to ensure that health and equity are considered in the decision-making process and that impacted communities are engaged. Please see the Health Pathways link below for more information.
The workshop was facilitated by representatives from Georgia Health Policy Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency. We were joined by community members Yvonne Jones, Tony Torrence, and Shaheed Dubois among others. In addition to learning about the Health Impact Assessment process, we learned about the Boone Boulevard Street Project. This project has been chosen by the City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management to address some of the community’s flooding concerns and will be implemented in collaboration with planned road diet improvements. The proposal includes a combination of planter boxes, permeable pavements, bioretention areas, and planting strips. Please see the HIA Proctor Creek link below for more information.
The Advisory Committee (37 members) will hold their next meeting will be held on July 23, 2013 from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm. The next Community Engagement meeting will be held at a date TBD.
For more information, please contact Tami Thomas-Burton at (404) 562-8027 or at Thomas-burton.tami@epa.gov.