Toxicology Consulting and Human Health Risk Assessment

Health Impact Assessment / NEPA, Sample Projects

Presentations:

• Sharon Quiring, Jenifer Heath, William Ruoff and Laura Scheffler. 2011. Use of Quantitative and Qualitative Health Analysis: Lessons from a Proposed Coal-Fired Electrical Plant Health Impact Assessment. Poster presented at the Third Annual HIA of the Americas Conference, Oakland, CA, October.

• Sharon Quiring, Jenifer Heath, William Ruoff, and Laura Scheffler. 2012. Re-Imagining the Past: How Current Practice Could Have Streamlined an Accidental Power Plant Health Impact Assessment. Poster presented at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Annual Meeting, San Diego, June.

• Patel-Coleman, Kanan, Usha Vedagiri, Sharon Quiring, and Jenifer Heath. Health Impact Assessment: You Take the Lead – Dock City Cargo Expansion. An interactive learning program facilitated at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Annual Meeting, San Diego, June.

Health Impact Assessment, Sample Experience

Familiar with HIA guidance documents from the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, ICMM, WHO, North American HIA Practice Standards Working Group and the U.S. National Research Council.

Contributed to the Health Impact Assessment for a proposed expansion and upgrade of a coal transfer facility by developing a framework to present information and evaluate data, including selection from among appropriate guidance documents of information to be included in summary tables. Also peer reviewed the document.

Developed responses to health-related comments on two draft Environmental Assessment on newly developed agricultural product.

Developed technical basis for responses to health-related comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Health Impact Assessment (HIA) for a proposed coal-fired power plant, especially related to tribal concerns that Plant operations might increase the incidence of diabetes, asthma, sudden infant deaths, autism, and cancer. Project included researching information about current incidence of these effects in the area of the power plant as well as research into assumptions of association of these effects with power plants/emissions.

Public Health, Sample Experience

Has been employed by a state department of health in the U.S., where she contributed to solutions to public health problems such as childhood lead poisoning, mercury, selenium and dioxins in fish, and storage of spent nuclear fuel. As a Public Health Toxicologist, interacted on a daily basis with members of the public (one on one as well as in public meetings), regulators, and the news media.

Interacted with community members face-to-face in public health contexts including childhood lead poisoning, violence prevention and response, drinking water concerns, and exposure to chemicals released to the environment.

Long history of involvement, as a volunteer and financial supporter, with non-profits engaged in providing culturally appropriate and locally sustainable access to safe water and sanitation, as well as medical supplies to underfunded clinics and hospitals outside the U.S. Supervises volunteers as they inventory medical supplies collected for shipment to under-resourced hospitals and clinics outside the U.S.

Door to door communications with residents, local elected and appointed officials, and local industry and union management to understand their health-related interests and concerns.

Door to door communications with residents to provide education related to sources of lead in the home, and sources of volatile organic chemicals (solvents and petroleum-based) in the home.

Door-to-door health surveys with teams sampling for environmental contaminants (e.g. potential sources of lead, benzene).

Collection of biological samples (i.e., human blood).

Mediation, arbitration, and facilitation of neighborhood disputes.

Evaluation of risk to livestock of various metals in feed, forage and water, as well as implications to humans ingesting meat or milk.

Developed and provided training to local police on appropriate procedures in cases of rape and sexual assault.

Nursing case management and teaching of patients with chronic health issues (especially kidney failure and diabetes).