Development, Evaluation, and Long-Term Outcomes of Environmental Health and Land Reuse Training-Part 1: Developing Environmental Health and Land Reuse Trainings for the Environmental Health Workforce and Their Community Partners

Abstract

This article is the first in a series of three that describes the development and delivery of the Environmental Health and Land Reuse (EHLR) Basic Training and the first pilot of the EHLR Immersion Training. The EHLR Basic Training is based on the 5-step Land Reuse Model from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Through a collaboration with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), we developed the EHLR Basic Training in two modalities: virtual/live (maintained by ATSDR) and online/asynchronous (maintained by NEHA). The modules include: 1) Engaging With Your Community, 2) Evaluating Environmental and Health Risks, 3) Communicating Environmental and Health Risks, 4) Redesigning With Health in Mind, and 5) Measuring Success: Evaluating Environmental and Health Change. From June 2019-August 2022, ATSDR and NEHA delivered 10 EHLR Classroom Basic Trainings, launched the EHLR Online Basic Training, and developed the EHLR Immersion Training. We piloted the EHLR Immersion Training in July 2022, March 2023, and July 2023. Our participants included science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students from Diné College who were in a Summer Intern Program; tribal environmental professionals; NEHA members in environmental health careers; and environmental professionals, students, and community members who were engaged in environmental work or environmental justice. We have learned that individual training modules can be used for specific learning needs among our participants. Perhaps more importantly, we have learned that undergraduate students and community members can and should be engaged in EHLR Training. The results of the evaluation and long-term follow-up of the EHLR Training will be presented in the second and third articles in this series.

Keywords: Navajo Nation; brownfields; environmental health; environmental training; land reuse; tribal ecosystem knowledge.

FIGURE 1. Environmental Health and Land Reuse (EHLR) Training Summary From 2019–2022

Note. ATSDR = Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; BROWN = Brownfields & Reuse Opportunity Working Network; NEHA = National Environmental Health Association.

FIGURE 2. Abandoned Uranium Mines On and Near the Navajo Nation

Note. The red dots represent abandoned uranium mines on and near the Navajo Nation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2024).

FIGURE 3. Map of Chinle Brownfield Sites

Note. The map shows the Chinle brownfield sites (red circles) that were previously not indicated in federal environmental maps (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022).

Photo 1.

Students of the Diné College Summer Intern Program participate in a SoilSHOP (Soil Screening, Health Outreach, and Partnerships) event offered by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR, 2022b). Photo courtesy of ATSDR.

FIGURE 4

Results of a SoilSHOP (Soil Screening, Health Outreach, and Partnerships) Event Held at a Navajo Community Health Fair in New Mexico