OHA partners with health inspectors, care providers and parents to raise awareness of the impact of environment on children.

Environmental Health

The Environmental Health Workgroup champions issues related to environmental health and has been working to build organizational capacity in this field since the 1970s. The workgroup is currently focused on such issues as:

  • Air quality and climate change;
  • Children’s health and the environment;
  • Water quality (drinking/recreational/source water protection);
  • Environment and cancer;
  • Energy and health
The workgroup seeks to influence government policy and programs, supports and advocates for other organizations working on environmental health issues, and connects its members and similarly focused organizations with each other and with current developments in environmental health.

Environmental Health Workgroup in Action

The Environmental Health Workgroup has recently undertaken a number of initiatives designed to further its progress in current areas of focus. These include:

  • Participation in CPCHE’s National Child Health and Environment Policy Consultation Series in order to develop a Children's Health and Environment Vision and Strategy for Canada.
  • Release of the “School Buses, Air Pollution and Children’s Health: Improving Children’s Health and Local Air Quality by Reducing School Bus Emissions” report in 2005. This report exposes negative health impacts associated with diesel-fuelled school buses and our children.
  • Responses to a number of provincial and national regulatory and policy proposals including:
    • Bill 43 – An Act to Protect Existing and Future Sources of Drinking Water – Presentation to Standing Committee with alPHa
    • Submitted comments on amendments for the CEPA Five-Year Review Process
    • Environmental Bill of Rights Posting on the development of a regulation on source protection committees made under the Clean Water Act, 2006
    • Letter to the Hon. Dwight Duncan re: electricity supply mix and public health considerations.
    • Participated on the Healthy Indoor Air Partnership Roundtable and the development of a Buyer’s Guide on air filters

Impacts:

  • Received a two-year Trillium Grant that will enable the group to facilitate train-the-trainer sessions with 40 children's environmental health Champions in 5 regions. This will enhance the ability of local community groups and service providers to deliver high quality children’s environmental health programming in their communities.
  • Representatives of the workgroup participated in the Ontario Ministry of Environment Roundtable Consultation on Clean Air and Climate Change, which lead to the government’s climate change policies.
  • Our position paper, Fish Consumption, With Respect To Methyl mercury Content, By Pregnant Women, Women Of Childbearing Age And Young Children [PDF], has resulted in the formation of workgroup comprised of various Public Health professionals who are developing common messages.