EPA Awards Environmental Grant in Crete, Nebraska

EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., awarded Public Health Solutions in Crete, Neb., an $86,500 cooperative agreement grant today under the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program.

EPA Region 7 Administrator John Askew said, “The CARE program and grant will help establish a series of community-based and community-driven projects to reduce local exposure to toxic substances. Region 7 looks forward to working in partnership with Public Health Solutions and the citizens of the five-county area it serves.”

The CARE program is designed so that EPA can help communities identify and address critical local environmental issues dealing with toxic risks. It will also help local community partnerships establish sustainable and measurable environmental improvements. The money will be used to lead a community-driven environmental health assessment that will increase local capacity to prioritize and manage environmental health issues. Public Health Solutions will employ a part-time staff person to implement the program.

Marcy Bauer, environmental health manager with Public Health Solutions said, “This project will produce far more than just another set of talking points. By working together as a community-team, we will develop a plan that physically and realistically addresses the most important environmental health problems the residents in our district face every day. It is a realization of hope, cooperation, and positive results.”

Public Health Solutions was established in 2002 to provide local public health assurance, assess community health status, and provide leadership on health-related policy development for a rural five-county district. The district includes Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline and Thayer counties. Public Health Solutions is one of a small number of health departments in Nebraska that has set aside staffing and resources to specifically address local environmental health concerns.