Melissa Kranz, MPH

Environmental Epidemiology Program

National Toxic Substance Incidents Program (NTSIP)

• Three-year partnership with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

• Multi-component program to collect, analyze, and utilize information about toxic substance incidents

• Goal: Reduce the morbidity and mortality from toxic substance incidents

• Maximize coordination among federal, state, and local agencies involved in toxic substance activities– Production– Storage – Use– Transportation– Release

Getting Started

• Maximize coordination among federal, state, and local agencies involved in toxic substance activities– Production– Storage – Use– Transportation– Release

Data Sources

E-Plan

• Maximize coordination among federal, state, and local agencies involved in toxic substance activities– Production– Storage – Use– Transportation– Release

Data Sources

Railway

• Maximize coordination among federal, state, and local agencies involved in toxic substance activities– Production– Storage – Use– Transportation– Release

Data Sources

TEMA, TDEC, TPC, NRC, Breaking Media News, DHS, DOT, and Google Alerts

Collecting Data

• Be informed no later than 48 hours of any hazardous substance incident

• Be informed immediately of a hazardous substance incident of public health concern

• Conduct public health investigations on significant incidents

Analyzing Data

• Analyze and map data to determine – The frequency and location of hazardous

substance releases– The substances most frequently involved in a

release– The factors contributing to hazardous

substance releases– The rate of hazardous substance releases per

census population– The evacuation capabilities of the area

Interpreting Data

• Identify and prioritize vulnerabilities in industry and transportation

• Identify and prioritize high risk areas involving vulnerable populations

• Identify and prioritize areas lacking the capacity to handle large health emergencies

Hazardous Chemical Releases by Region January 1 - March 31, 2010

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

CHR ETR JMR KKR MCR MSR NDR NER SCR SER SUL UCR WTR

Fixed Facility Transportation

Nu

mb

er

Sodium Hydroxide

Propane

Sulfuric Acid

1

3

1

3

3

1

1

1

1 1

Numbers represent death, injury, or illness.

Human Error

Equipment Failure

Reporting Data

• Share information gathered and lessons learned with the public, partnering agencies, and key organizations– Fact Sheets– Summary Reports– Educational Presentations

Proactive Prevention

• Provide data to help train emergency responders and improve emergency response planning

• Promote strategies that could prevent future incidents

• Mitigate the public health consequences when a release does occur

• Improve patient care through enhanced knowledge of short-term and long-term health effects associated with chemical exposures

Contact

Melissa K. Kranz, MPHEnvironmental Epidemiologist

Tennessee Department of Health425 5th Avenue North

1st Floor Cordell Hull Bldg, CEDSNashville, TN 37243

Office: (615)253-1396Fax: (615)741-3857

Email: melissa.kranz@tn.gov