Proceedings for EPA Environmental and Human Health Indicators Symposium
In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the EPA Environmental and Human Health Indicators Community of Practice (EHHI CoP) with members from across the agency. The purpose of the community has been to advance environmental and human health indicator[1] development and use across EPA programs and regions. In 2023, the EHHI CoP planned the Symposium to gather EPA indicator practitioners to discuss the use of indicators (e.g., to show progress and build support for programs) and explore the current landscape of indicators across EPA programs. The Symposium aimed to grow EPA’s capacity to use environmental and human health indicators in EPA national programs, regions, and other geographic programs.
The Symposium was held on October 2 and 3, 2023, with participants eager to spark interest, collaborate, and share new ideas on relevant topics to advance indicators in environmental health and protection at EPA. The meeting offered an opportunity to learn more about environmental and human health indicators, including their usefulness and what data or knowledge gaps exist.
The outcomes from the Symposium included establishing a greater network of practitioners ready to collaborate and engage in cross-agency indicator development, coordination, and use. The following is a summary of the Symposium sessions and discussions.
[1] In this context, an indicator is a simple measure that tracks the state of the environment and human health over time (Source: EPA Report on the Environment [ROE]).