Environmental Health and Land Reuse Certificate Program (EHLR)

The Environmental Health and Land Reuse Certificate Program (EHLR), presented by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), was a 12-hour training delivered as part of the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum: Virtual gathering in August 2020 over two days.  Although certificates were awarded to participants that completed the live training in August 2020, certificates will not be awarded to professionals that view the recorded material. The training team is currently developing an online version of this training where participants who successfully complete all modules will receive a Certificate of Completion in EHLR from the National Environmental Health Association. The schedule of the recorded presentations is included below. The files and resources cited in the presentations are available in the “Attachments” tab.

The Environmental Health and Land Reuse Certificate Program (EHLR) is co-produced by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). It was created to provide environmental or health professionals the information, procedures, and resources needed to identify, cleanup, and redevelop land reuse sites with a goal of improving a community's overall health. During this hybrid collection of “live” virtual sessions combined with self-learning modules, participants will complete a 5-module EHLR training, which will include exercises in community engagement tools, “mock” environmental site assessment, message mapping to communicate environmental or health risks, healthy community design, and evaluation of environment and health change. A training team was on-hand for live delivery and for office hours to provide support during the TLEF:VG 2020 offering.

This special version of the Environmental Health and Land Reuse (EHLR) Certificate is designed specifically for tribal environmental professionals who have an interest in cleanup and reuse of contaminated sites (land reuse sites). Whether new to land reuse or seasoned professionals that want to refresh their environmental health skills, the training aims to support environmental professionals as they face challenging environmental cleanup problems. Participants will gain skills in 1. Community Engagement; 2. Assessment of Environmental and Health Risks; 3. Risk Communication; 4 Healthy Community Design; and 5. Measuring Environmental and Health Change. Case examples and learning materials are based on tribal environmental projects.

The training team includes environmental professionals from ATSDR, NEHA, and University of Illinois at Chicago (student participants), along with invited guest lecturers. This year, we are honored to have an expert health educator (Sue Casteel) and a communications expert (Loretta Asbury) join the team. In addition, an instructional design team from NEHA (Sharon Unkart and Santiago Ezurra) are welcome members to our team. 

0:00:00 - 0:14:05 “EHLE Training Overview: Introduction and Five Modules presented by Laurel Berman, Leann Bing, Sue Casteel, and Loretta Asbury, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

0:14:05 -  0:24:22 Module 1 Pre-competency Test

0:24:22 - 1:51:48 Module 1: Engaging with Your Community presented by Laurel Berman, Leann Bing, Sue Casteel, Loretta Asbury, Yeyzy Vargas, and Celine Wysgalla, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and Perry H. Charley and Neilroy Singer, Dine’ College, Navajo Nation

1:51:48 - 2:30:17 Module 1 Post Test Review

2:30:17 - 2:39:14 Module 2 Pre-competency Test

2:39:14 - 3:30:04 Module 2: Evaluating Environmental and Health Risks presented by Laurel Berman, Leann Bing, Sue Casteel, Yeyzy Vargas, and Celine Wysgalla, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

3:30:04 - 4:17:57 Module 2 continued: Phase I Partial Phase II, Navajo Forestry Products Industry 100 Acre Site August 2017 – August 2019 presented by Pam Maples, Remedial Project Manager, Navajo Nation EPA Superfund Division

4:17:57 - 4:24:17 Module 2 continued: Navajo Nation Case Studies presented by Perry H. Charley and Neilroy Singer, Dine’ College, Navajo Nation

4:24:17 - 4:28:46 Module 2 continued: Site Assessment and Public Health Assessment presented by Laurel Berman, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

4:28:46 - 4:46:14 Module 2 continued: Public Health Assessment presented by Leann Bing, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

4:46:14 - 4:53:05 Module 2 Post Test Review

4:53:05 - 4:55:41 ATSDR Training Update

4:55:41 - 4:57:27 Module 3 Pre-competency Test Overview

4:57:27 - 6:36:03 Module 3: Communicating Environment and Health Risks presented by Loretta Asbury, Laurel Berman, and Sue Casteel, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

6:36:03 - 7:00:28 Module 3 Post Test Review

7:00:28 - 7:04:03 Module 4 Pre-competency Test Overview

7:04:03 - 7:14:25 Module 4: Basic Understanding of Site Cleanup Methods presented by Laurel Berman, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

7:14:25 - 7:19:24 Module 4 continued: Community Needs and Visions presented by Leann Bing, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

7:19:24 - 7:39:44 Module 4 continued: Redesigning with Health in Mind: ATSDR Brownfield/Land Reuse Action Model presented by Laurel Berman, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

7:39:44 - 7:53:10 Module 4 continued: New Healthfields Example: Vendor Village – Crafts village with community amenities in Chinle, AZ presented by Randal Bernthal, Antero Group LLC

7:53:10 - 8:14:35 Module 4 continued: Action Model Exercise

8:14:35 - 8:22:54 Module 4 continued: Dine’ College Summer Institute Interns – Examples presented by Neilroy Singer, Dine’ College, Navajo Nation

8:22:54 - 8:30:32 Module 4 Post Test Review

8:30:32 - 8:31:00 Module 5 Pre-competency Test

8:31:00 - 9:10:00 Module 5: Measuring Success: Evaluating Environment and Health Change presented by Laurel Berman, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

9:10:00 - 9:14:54 ATSDR Training Certificate Overview and Indicator Success Discussion

9:14:54 - 9:25:06 Module 5 Post Test Review

9:25:06 - 9:27:09 Closing Remarks