Environmental Policy and Public Health

The American Society for Public Administration, Section on the Environment and Natural Resource Administration, supports sound environmental health policies in the US and around the world.The book is an excellent resource to public administrators in local, state and federal governments, and to environmental activists on the progress that has been made over the past 4 or more decades to develop the infrastructure, regulations and frameworks for environmental health policy and its administration.In particular, the book reviews the statutes on food safety, air and water statutes, general environmental statutes (e.g., noise pollution), pesticides and toxic substances, and solid and hazardous waste. Siimilar to the efforts by leading foundations, public health promotes The Clean Air and Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, among other landmark legislation.The reviewer, who works in the disability field and public administration, was impressed with the policy initiatives on environmental equity and justice, including two 1990s National People of Color Leadership Summits. The federal government's environmental health structure with its National Center descriptions (e.g., National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health; Indian Health Services) and federal environmental health programs (e.g., National Science Foundation: Department of Transportation) is a find to organizations who may work with one or two departments.The United Nations is highly credited for its work on the US Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), and World Summit on Sustainable Development. Of course, Honorable Judith Heumann, known in independent living, worked as International Disability Advisor to the World Bank, also in the international section. Today, the UN leads the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabililties (UN, 2006).The only disappointment of this author in the book is the rise in Homeland Security, post-911, as reflected in the Bioterrorism and Preparedness Response Act and the inclusion of Behavioral Science and Risk Assessment, with simply an unreferenced paragraph on "social support". The latter represents the position of almost all social sciences worldwide, most humanities, many helping professions, incuding education, psychologies, and social work, in addition to environmental and even, peace activists.The very thorough, comprehensive book is courtesy of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. who has specialized in books on hazardous waste and neurotoxic illnesses. Many readers will find useful tables from legislative histories, to global health indicators to be relevant to their work and interests, even as world citizens!Julie Ann Racino about.me/julieannracinoAlso, Member, American Society for Public Administration, Section on the Environment and Natural Resource Administration