Environmental Health

Projects

Law Mapping: Health Issues in Oil and Gas Development

Advances in extractive technologies (hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling) have enabled a rapid expansion in oil and natural gas production through development of tight shale formations in rural, suburban and urban areas. While there is still little research on the health impacts of oil and gas development (e.g., from toxic air pollutants, ground-level ozone, chemical pollution of potable aquifers, etc.), public concern has prompted regulatory review at all levels of government.
Topic:
Environmental Health
How Does Land-Use Regulation Affect the Built Environment and Crime?

This project will study six Los Angeles neighborhoods to assess the extent to which land-use regulation affects the crime in communities. The study will explore the relationship between crime, the built environment and land-use regulation.

Topic:
Environmental Health
Housing Insecurity, Foreclosures, and Public Health

Americans saw more than 2.8 million foreclosures recent years, and the impacts on public health are largely unknown. The foreclosure process may impact health if it causes stress-related illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, if it forces reallocation of household funds that are otherwise used for health care, if it occasions dislocation that impacts treatment relationships, or if it degrades health-related behaviors such as diet and exercise.
Topic:
Environmental Health
Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities
Does "Risk Management" Result in Safer Alternatives to the Use of Lead?

This project will develop and implement a streamlined alternatives assessment tool appropriate for use in a regulatory context. The alternatives assessment compares alternatives to lead and to one another across a variety of attributes.

Topic:
Environmental Health
Health Policy Making
Housing
Has the Philadelphia Lead Court Reduced Exposure to Environmental Lead?

This project evaluates the effectiveness of the establishment of the Lead Court in November 2002 in the City of Philadelphia to determine if this type of innovative legal strategy was effective in enforcing the existing city health code, which would lead to improvement of children's health (by reducing exposure to lead in individual housing units) and improvement of the environment (by decreasing the number of properties with lead hazards).
Topic:
Environmental Health
Housing
Maternal, Infant and Child Health
Do Mixed Use Land Zones Improve Public Health?

This project assesses the extent of the relationship between mixed-use zone comprehensiveness (as gleaned from municipal land use ordinances) and measures of walkability. The primary hypothesis is, controlling for city population size and SES, the higher mixed-use zone comprehensiveness (i.e. adherence to the American Planning Association’s model mixed-use zone), the higher its walkability. The unit of analysis is approximately 180 Mixed Land Use Zones in 25 California cities (with populations of 50,000 or above).

Topic:
Environmental Health
Injury and Violence Prevention
Has the Federal Lead and Copper Rule Improved Public Health?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The revisions will help reduce the public health problems caused by unsafe or toxic levels of lead in drinking water. This study will help identify gaps in existing policies on water sampling to measure lead levels, replacement of water lines that contain lead, and public education aimed at reducing exposure to lead.
Topic:
Environmental Health
Health Policy Making
Housing
Injury and Violence Prevention
The Effect of Peak-Shaving Regulations on the Activity, Toxic Emissions, and Health Impacts of Local Power Plants

This project aims to study whether laws that target reducing emissions from local polluting activities have distinguishable health impacts: What federal, state, and local regulations can reduce or shift electricity demand in New York City away from peak hours; how will local New York City power plants respond to that changing demand; and will those plant-specific responses have any significant health impacts for local populations?

Topic:
Environmental Health

Law, Data, & Maps

Complete Streets Dataset

Roads in the United States are rarely developed with consideration for users other than motorists. This can result in dangerous conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists and users of public transit. Complete Streets policies seek to create safer roads by designing them to balance the needs and priorities of all users. These users typically include motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users. Complete Streets are often implemented through state or local transportation policies, state laws and regulations, or city ordinances.
Product Type:
Legal Maps
Disclosure of Environmental Conditions Laws

This legal map identifies disclosure requirements for environmental conditions in home sales in the United States.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
Soil Vapor Intrusion Laws

This map identifies and displays a cross-sectinal dataset of key features of how states address the volatilization of chemicals of concern from subsurface soils to indoor air during the soil vapor intrusion pathway across all 50 states and the District of Columbia as of August 1, 2017.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
State Radon Laws

Radon is a radioactive, colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas found naturally occurring in the environment. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking. To protect the public, many states have developed laws and regulations governing radon disclosure, radon certification and mitigation. Some states have also developed mandatory radon testing provisions in schools and homes in certain contexts.
Product Type:
Legal Maps
Regulation of Oil & Gas Wastes Containing TENORM

This dataset explores how states handle the disposal of TENORM and/or NORM waste from oil and gas operations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia in effect as of December 1, 2016.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
King County, Washington Healthy Housing Policies Map

This dataset includes nearly 80 components of ordinances that govern the maintenance and inspection of existing housing, including provisions for habitability, injury, mold and pest prevention, air quality and lead and other toxins, including tobacco smoke, in the home. The ordinances presented here cover unincorporated King County, and all 39 municipalities therein.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
Air Quality Laws Pertaining to Oil and Gas Development Map

This comparative dataset focuses on some of the most important law for controlling VOCs, HAPs, and methane, and only examines laws pertaining to air quality for operations and equipment on the well pad site.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
Mold Remediation & Certification Laws Map

This dataset explores state mold remediation laws and the training and certification laws for mold remediation workers.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
Natural Gas Use and the Clean Power Plan Map

This page explores the effects the proposed Clean Power Plan regulation will have on the demand for natural gas in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Product Type:
Legal Maps
King County, Washington School District Tobacco Policies Map

This dataset examines school district policies regarding tobacco use in King County, Washington.

Product Type:
Legal Maps

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Projects

Law Mapping: Health Issues in Oil and Gas Development

How Does Land-Use Regulation Affect the Built Environment and Crime?

Housing Insecurity, Foreclosures, and Public Health

Does "Risk Management" Result in Safer Alternatives to the Use of Lead?

Has the Philadelphia Lead Court Reduced Exposure to Environmental Lead?

Do Mixed Use Land Zones Improve Public Health?

Has the Federal Lead and Copper Rule Improved Public Health?

The Effect of Peak-Shaving Regulations on the Activity, Toxic Emissions, and Health Impacts of Local Power Plants

Law, Data, & Maps

Complete Streets Dataset

Disclosure of Environmental Conditions Laws

Soil Vapor Intrusion Laws

State Radon Laws

Regulation of Oil & Gas Wastes Containing TENORM

King County, Washington Healthy Housing Policies Map

Air Quality Laws Pertaining to Oil and Gas Development Map

Mold Remediation & Certification Laws Map

Natural Gas Use and the Clean Power Plan Map

King County, Washington School District Tobacco Policies Map

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User menu