RFQ 27PRF77A0128 APPLETREE Environmental Health Assessment APPLETREE Information Packet.pdf

ATSDR’s Partnership to Promote Local Efforts

To Reduce Environmental Exposure

(APPLETREE)

Information Packet

June 23, 2020

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Welcome to APPLETREE!

Welcome to ATSDR’s Partnership to Promote Local Efforts to Reduce Environmental Exposures

(APPLETREE). This information packet defines various aspects of the program, including reporting requirements, and lists useful resources.

ATSDR is awarding $11.8 million annually through APPLETREE to 28 state health departments for fiscal years 2020–2023. Award recipients will use this funding to evaluate past and present exposures to environmental hazards and to prevent future exposures.

APPLETREE provides resources and guidance to assist recipients in the following activities:

• Identifying exposure pathways at specific sites

• Reviewing environmental and health data to identify potential health risks from exposures

• Making recommendations to prevent exposures

• Educating affected communities and local health professionals about site contamination and potential health effects at sites

APPLETREE recipients also help protect children from environmental hazards. They do this through

ATSDR’s Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE) program. CSPECE activities include, among other things, reviews of the following:

• Former uses of a site (buildings and land) that might have left harmful substances on the property

• Possible movement of harmful substances onto the site from nearby properties or activities

• Naturally occurring harmful substances on-site

• Access to safe drinking water at the site

At this time, ATSDR is combining its two Divisions and reorganizing into four offices. The Division of

Community Health Investigations and Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences are now the

• Office of Associate Director (OAD),

• Office of Innovation and Analytics (OIA),

• Office of Community Health and Hazard Assessment (OCHHA), and

• Office of Capacity Development and Applied Prevention Science (OCDAPS).

APPLETREE will be coordinated from within the Program Services Section in OCDAPS. APPLETREE will continue to use our Notice of Funding Opportunity and your Notice of Award as our guiding documents. APPLETREE is critical to accomplishing our mission to protect people’s health. We’re glad you are on board, and we look forward to working with you!

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Packet Contents

Technical Project Team and Key APPLETREE Roles

APPLETREE Products

Meetings

Document Reminders

Program Evaluation

APPLETREE Reporting

Resources

Tips/Reminders

NOTE: The information in this packet does not cover all APPLETREE topics or requirements. Please contact your technical project officer (TPO) if you have any questions.

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Technical Project Team and Key APPLETREE Roles

Technical Project Team

The ATSDR Technical Project Team (TPT) includes your health assessment technical project officer

(TPO), regional representatives, and a Health Studies Section staff member. TPOs lead the TPT. TPOs work collaboratively with the TPT and other essential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC)/ATSDR staff, including the cooperative agreement team lead, subject matter experts, petition coordinator, and grants management specialist. More details are provided below.

➢ Health assessment TPO is the recipient’s primary contact at ATSDR. TPOs monitor

APPLETREE’s programmatic (i.e., work plan) requirements. TPOs coordinate site scoping activities and help with clearance of certified documents.

➢ Regional offices work closely with communities and partners to prevent and reduce hazardous waste exposures. They can also provide connections with federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, private organizations, community groups, and individuals.

➢ Health Studies Section staff provide epidemiological guidance and consultation to

APPLETREE state programs. Health Studies Section staff review certified documents and health outcome data. They also can provide other subject matter expertise as requested by the

APPLETREE state program.

Other Key APPLETREE Roles

➢ Cooperative agreement team lead (acting) (Trent LeCoultre, tll7@cdc.gov) is the lead project officer for APPLETREE. The lead person manages the overall APPLETREE program and represents it to internal and external stakeholders. This person also manages the TPOs to carry out all required monitoring and management duties.

➢ Associate director for science (ADS) serves as the principal advisor on scientific matters. The

ADS reviews certified public health assessments (PHAs) and health consultations (HCs). ADS staff review documents for accuracy, scientific merit, and adherence to ATSDR policies.

➢ Grants management specialist (GMS) (Louvern Asante, lha5@cdc.gov) is the primary point of contact for APPLETREE recipients. This person handles business and administrative matters concerning cooperative agreement awards.

➢ Subject matter experts (SMEs) can provide technical assistance on specific topics. Examples include asbestos, lead, vapor intrusion, per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), and

ATSDR’s petition program. Contact your TPO first if you need technical assistance. The TPO will arrange discussions with SMEs, as needed.

https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/CAP/SitePages/TPO%20Map.aspx https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/dro/index.html https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/CAP/SitePages/TPO%20Map.aspx mailto:tll7@cdc.gov mailto:lha5@cdc.gov

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APPLETREE Products

Health Assessment

Health assessment products are the primary technical activities funded by APPLETREE. These products include public health assessments, health consultations, and technical assistance reports.

➢ Public Health Assessment

A PHA examines hazardous substances, health outcomes and community concerns at a hazardous waste site to determine whether people could be harmed from coming into contact with those substances.

➢ Health Consultation

A health consultation (document or letter) reviews information or data to respond to a specific, targeted public health issue.

➢ Technical assistance response

A technical assistance (TA) response is provided at the request of a community member or other entity.

The response can be as simple as a record of a phone conversation. A TA does not contain public health conclusions (health calls) but may contain recommendations. See the APPLETREE

Reporting section for more information about TA reporting.

Health Education, Community Involvement, Engagement, and Outreach

Health education products ensure that community members understand findings of health assessments and, where applicable, adopt behavioral changes to prevent and reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Health education products include, but are not limited to, press releases, fact sheets, community profiles, and community needs assessments. Participation in local, state, and federal health and environmental workshops and community meetings are also required to discuss and respond to questions concerning a particular site’s effects on public health.

PHAs and HCs (standard or letter) are certified or non-certified. Certified and non-certified documents adhere to ATSDR guidance.

o Certified documents complete the entire ATSDR review and clearance process and are published on ATSDR’s website.

o Non-certified (state-release) documents do not complete the ATSDR review process.

APPLETREE states share a copy on our SharePoint site and publish and distribute these reports.

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/index.asp https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/CAP/SitePages/Non-Certified%20Documents.aspx

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Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education

ATSDR’s Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE) program helps prevent new early care and education locations from being sited in potentially harmful locations. It does that through licensing, landscape assessment, partnership building, data gathering, screening, education, and response actions. CSPECE reporting is required. Development of specific CSPECE products are at the discretion of the state program. Some of the innovative products developed include voluntary facility checklists, brochures, and geographic information system tools. Check ATSDR’s CSPECE website for additional information and tools.

APPLETREE TAs, health education, and CSPECE products are non-certified.

Meetings

Technical Project Team/State Monthly Meetings

Monthly conference calls with the Technical Project Team are required under our Notice of Funding

Opportunity (NOFO). The TPO schedules the conference calls and sets the agenda.

Example Agenda

• Administrative updates

• Site/Health education/Choose Safe Places activities

• Other discussion

• Wrap-up/Action items

Site Scoping Meetings

Site scoping meetings are required before writing a certified PHA or HC. During this meeting, the team discusses the site, proposes next steps (e.g., a PHA or HC), and provides resources and guidance that will help evaluate the public health implications of harmful chemical exposures at the site.

TPOs do not schedule site scoping calls for non-certified documents. However, we encourage a similar discussion approach within the state team.

What information are needed to have a site scoping call?

In advance

About 1–2 weeks before the proposed site scoping call, discuss the site with your TPT and provide a draft scoping document with the following information (see chart) to your TPO. This allows time to review and possibly revise the scoping materials. After scoping materials are complete, your health https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/safeplacesforECE/index.html

APPLETREE Information Packet - June 23, 2020 6 | P a g e assessment TPO will schedule the site scoping meeting. The state site lead covers the information below during the call.

Section Contents*

Site Overview and History

• Describe the site, contaminant source, and (potentially) exposed populations

• Give a timeline of key activities (source release, regulatory investigations, remedial actions)

Statement of Purpose

• Identify stakeholders and their rolls. Include the petition or

National Priorities List information and any of our prior involvement.

• Identify proposed method of response (PHA, HC, exposure investigation, technical assistance, or health education)

• Provide target completion date

Potential Exposure Pathways

• Provide exposure pathway analysis tables for all contaminated media and exposed populations

• State whether exposures are complete, potential, or incomplete

• Include past, current, and future exposure scenarios (e.g., resident, trespasser, utility worker)

Data Screening and Analysis

Approach

• Provide the following to allow a useful discussion of the data’s adequacy for assessing exposures

• A summary of the available data (screened with comparison values from the Public Health Assessment Site Tool (PHAST) or state screening values if more conservative)

• Sampling data tables or, if too lengthy, excerpts of the data with highest exposure potential (include sample date, depth, aquifer, and sample collection methods relevant to exposure)

• Maps showing sample locations and areas of potential exposure

(work with Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services

Program (GRASP) if necessary)

• Data limitations, uncertainty, or concerns

Community Concerns

• Share community concerns from meetings, social media, or correspondence.

Planned Pre-Clearance

Timeframe

• Planned pre-clearance timeframe: 0–6 months, 6–12 months, >12 months (includes document development and pre-clearance reviews; TPO, region, SME, ADS)

* Modified from ADSs’ and team managers’ one-page scoping outline.

Site-scoping call participants typically include the state TPT and ATSDR staff. ATSDR staff typically includes the TPO, ADS, section chief, SME (if needed), and regional director or representative.

The TPO may provide a summary of the call and any decision points. TPO and other ATSDR participants will discuss the site with the state TPT and follow-up on any identified action items or resources.

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Ad-hoc Meetings

Ad-hoc meetings might be needed to discuss other administrative or technical needs. Let your TPO know if you need assistance. Your TPO can contact or arrange meetings with SMEs, as needed.

Document Reminders

How can you help improve the timely clearance of your certified document?

Document clearance goes quicker if you aim for high quality in your products and use the best available science. Review the DCHI eClearance Reviewer Responsibilities and Checklist (April 2020) for details that reviewers look for in your documents. Additional tips to help improve the clearance of your documents include the following:

General tips

➢ Keep the site name consistent throughout the document.

➢ Develop documents with Section 508 compliance in mind.

➢ Include a current and properly formatted summary.

➢ Include a certified or noncertified disclaimer.

➢ Develop health-based conclusions using ATSDR’s hazardous category language.

➢ Use the Public Health Assessment Site Tool (PHAST) to screen comparison values and calculate doses and cancer risks.

➢ Spell-check your work and ensure tables and maps are complete and would make sense as stand-alone documents.

➢ Ensure that hyperlinks work.

➢ Make sure your references are accurate, complete, and formatted correctly.

➢ Check your documents for completeness before sending them for review.

Review process reminders

➢ Complete state internal reviews and address comments before submitting your document to

ATSDR.

Authors can share the draft document with entities that provided site information or data for the PHA or HC. This is done before submitting your document to ATSDR.

Remember to remind entities that information in the report is subject to change during

ATSDR’s clearance process. Any change made to the document after ATSDR review and clearance will require re-review at ATSDR before the document can be released.

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➢ Email your TPO the document in Microsoft Word and other supporting information such as

PHAST outputs, spreadsheets, and calculations to begin ATSDR’s review (i.e., preClearance and eClearance).

➢ Know the following review comment levels (L1, L2, and L3) so you can respond appropriately to comments:

o Level 1 (L1): Change is required.

o Level 2 (L2): Issue or statement needs more analysis. If the data or information support this fact, include it in the response to comments along with supporting evidence.

o Level 3 (L3): The suggestion, comment, or question is optional, and any response is at the discretion of the authors.

➢ Address reviewer comments by responding to each comment and tracking your changes. Create a clean file with no comments or track changes shown. Email your files (track changes and clean) to your TPO for review.

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation is the “the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about the program, improve program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future program development” (Patton, 1997). It helps us understand more about how our program is working and ultimately makes our program better for the public.

It helps us to invest our resources and meet the public’s needs.

Performance Measurement

Performance measurement is the ongoing process that monitors and reports on a program’s progress using measures (or indicators) of accomplishment. Performance measurement tells us how we are doing. It doesn’t tell us why we see particular results, but it can direct program evaluation efforts if we see areas we want to investigate further. Program evaluation provides a more in-depth examination on specific questions we want answered and helps explain why we see particular results. Performance measurement can integrate and support program evaluation.

Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan

An evaluation and performance measurement plan (EPMP) is a written document that describes how a state will monitor and evaluate its program for improvement and decision making. It details the steps to assess the processes and outcomes of a program. An EPMP is a living document. Although not required, EPMPs should be updated continually as programs learn from evaluation findings and as programs and priorities change. You are encouraged to use the CDC Evaluation Framework to create your state’s detailed EPMP. The CDC Evaluation Framework includes six steps:

1. Engage stakeholders: Identify key players invested in the program and/or evaluation, recognize what matters to them, and plan how and when to engage them throughout the evaluation process.

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2. Describe the program: Describe the program being evaluated, including what the program does (activities) and intends to change (outcomes). Programs are usually described visually with a logic model that shows the underlying logic of how an activity leads to an outcome.

3. Focus evaluation design: Scope the evaluation down to a feasible number of evaluation questions that can be answered through the evaluation and an appropriate design. Evaluation questions are specific questions that ask about the key information you want to learn about your program.

4. Gather credible evidence: Determine indicators that will help answer evaluation question(s).

Indicators are measurable information. They provide a marker of the status of program implementation or outcomes. Determine data collection methods and data sources.

5. Justify conclusions: Determine data analysis methods and criteria by which to interpret data.

6. Ensure use and share lessons learned: Plan to use data for continuous program improvement and/or decision making. Assure that data are shared in a meaningful way for stakeholders.

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APPLETREE Reporting Reporting

Requirement

When to use/complete Access Link Due Dates

Detailed

Evaluation and

Performance

Measurement Plan

(EPMP)

Draft an extended version of the applicant EPMP once to describe plan for monitoring and evaluating performance over the grant cycle.

EPMPs may be updated throughout the cycle as plans evolve, but updates are not required to be submitted.

Guidance and template October 1, 2020

Annual

Performance

Report (APR) and

Final Performance

Report

Complete annually and at the end of the cycle to show the state’s performance. Include progress on evaluation projects specified on the

EPMP, results on performance measures specified in the EPMP, and any other performance evidence the state would like to provide for the reporting period.

Form pending Office of

Management and Budget

(OMB) approval; states will be notified when form is available

APR: December 2020*

APR: December 2021*

APR: December 2023*

Final: March 31, 2023

CSPECE

Quantitative

Reporting Form

Complete to accompany annual and final performance report to provide quantitative performance data on CSPECE.

Form pending OMB approval; states will be notified when form is available

APR: December 2020*

APR: December 2021*

APR: December 2023*

Final: March 31, 2023

CSPECE

Qualitative

Narrative Form

Complete to accompany annual and final performance report to provide descriptive narrative data on CSPECE.

Form pending OMB approval; states will be notified when form is available

APR: December 2020*

APR: December 2021*

APR: December 2023*

Final: March 31, 2023

Workplan The workplan was completed before applying, but it needs to be consistently updated throughout the cycle to assign tasks, manage workflow, and track the various components and milestone deadlines.

APR: December 2020*

APR: December 2021*

APR: December 2023*

Final: March 31, 2023

Site Impact

Assessment (SIA)

Complete for each certified or non-certified public health assessment

(PHA), health consultation (HC), letter health consultation (LHC), exposure investigation, or public comment version of those document types.

SharePoint SIA October 1 of each year for previous fiscal year† https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/reports/Lists/Site%20Impact%20Assessment%20FY14/AllItems.aspx?viewpath=%2Fsites%2FNCEH%2FATSDR%2FDCHI%2Freports%2FLists%2FSite%20Impact%20Assessment%20FY14%2FAllItems.aspx

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Reporting

Requirement

When to use/complete Access Link Due Dates

Non-certified: When the document is ready to be released.

Certified: When submitted to eClearance.

Recommendation

Follow-up Form

Complete once annually per public health assessment document that includes recommendations to prevent, reduce, or eliminate exposure for public health assessment documents (PHAs, HCs, LHCs).

Form pending OMB approval; states will be notified when form is available

Once annually per document on the document release date anniversary (until recommendations are implemented).

Technical

Assistance (TA)

Form

Complete for any technical assistance your state provides for NOFO activities.

SharePoint TA October 1 of each year for previous fiscal year†

Tip: Submit quarterly or more frequently.

Health Education

Activity Tracking

(HEAT)

Complete for any health education activities your state completes for

NOFO activities.

SharePoint HEAT October 1 of each year for previous fiscal year†

Tip: Submit quarterly or more frequently.

Success Story Complete to highlight any significant successes and accomplishments of your state’s choice in narrative form. Success stories can highlight any NOFO activities.

SharePoint Success Story January 1, April 1, July

1, and October 1 of each year

(1 due per quarter) soilSHOP Event

Summary

Complete to capture activities and outputs from a soilSHOP event.

soilSHOPs are optional activities; however, if the activity is completed, reporting is required.

Form pending OMB approval; states will be notified when form is available

Within 1 month after the event.

*APRs are usually due near the beginning of December. The Office of Grant Services will provide the exact deadline in the fall.

† Due October 1 for work completed during the previous fiscal year (e.g., work completed October 1, 2020–September 30, 2021 is due into the system by

October 1, 2021).

https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/reports/Lists/TA%20Forms/AllItems.aspx?viewpath=%2Fsites%2FNCEH%2FATSDR%2FDCHI%2Freports%2FLists%2FTA%20Forms%2FAllItems.aspx https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/reports/Lists/HEAT%20Database/AllItems.aspx?viewpath=%2Fsites%2FNCEH%2FATSDR%2FDCHI%2Freports%2FLists%2FHEAT%20Database%2FAllItems.aspx https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI/reports/Lists/Success%20Stories%20New/AllItems.aspx?viewpath=%2Fsites%2FNCEH%2FATSDR%2FDCHI%2Freports%2FLists%2FSuccess%20Stories%20New%2FAllItems.aspx

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Resources

CDC/ATSDR

o ATSDR o APPLETREE o APPLETREE COOP Directory o SharePoint

Various program reporting documents are completed in SharePoint. See the

APPLETREE Reporting section for more details. Non-certified documents are posted here, too. Contact your TPO if you have questions.

o Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education (CSPECE) o soilSHOP Toolkit o Public Health Assessment Site Tool (PHAST)

The latest technical guidance is in the Resources section of PHAST.

o Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual o Public Health Assessment Training o Toxicological Profiles o Published (ATSDR/APPLETREE Certified) PHAs/HCs o Land Reuse Health Program o Clear Communication Index o Clear Writing o Environmental Health Thesaurus o Everyday Words

Other o EPA Exposure Factors Handbook o EPA Regional Screening Levels o EPA Superfund: National Priorities List (NPL) o Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) o Children’s Environmental Health Network o Plainlanguage.gov o GrantSolutions

Most grants and business reporting is completed in GrantSolutions. See your

Notice of Award for grant related requirements. Contact your grants management specialist and your TPO if you have questions.

Ask your TPO about other available CDC/ATSDR resources, including

APPLETREE listserv, Science Support, GRASP, and Writer-Editor Services.

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/index.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/states/index.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/states/states.html https://cdcpartners.sharepoint.com/sites/NCEH/ATSDR/DCHI https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/safeplacesforECE/index.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/soilshop/ https://csams.cdc.gov/PHAST/Home/Index https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/PHAManual/toc.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/training/pha-training-section1.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiledocs/index.html https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/index.asp https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brownfields/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/clearwriting/ https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/clearwriting/thesaurus/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/everydaywords/ https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/risk/recordisplay.cfm?deid=236252 https://www.epa.gov/risk/regional-screening-levels-rsls-generic-tables https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl https://www.pehsu.net/ https://cehn.org/ https://www.plainlanguage.gov/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/

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Reference

Patton MQ. Utilization-focused evaluation: the new century text. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage Publications, 1997.