Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, Volume I and II

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 335

The APHA Committee on Environment^4 proposed the fol-

lowing program areas and also the planning considerations,

and methods to implement programs.

Environmental Program Area

Wastes

1) Air

2) Sewage and liquid

3) Solid

Water Supply

Housing and Residential Environment

Food and Drugs

Radiation

Noise

Accidents

Occupational and Institutional Hazards

Vectors

Recreation

Planning Considerations

Health

Economic

Demographic and Land Use

Social

Esthetic

Resource Conservation

(Also manpower, facilities, and services.)

Methods and Technics

Research

Demonstration

Education

Standards

Legislation

Inspection

Enforcement

Planning

Evaluation

Incentives

Systems Analysis

The discussions that follow will briefl y review and intro-

duce some of the major program areas listed above. Detailed

treatment of some of the subject matter can be found in other

chapters of this Encyclopedia.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND ENGINEERING

PLANNING

The Principle of the Total Environment

The central community or city is dependent upon the

surrounding areas for its human resources and its economic

survival. The surrounding areas are dependent in whole or

in part on the central community or city for employment,

cultural and other needs. Increasing urbanization is erasing

the boundary between the two except for the governmental

jurisdictions involved and even these are being blended. The

health, welfare, library, police, transportation, recreation,

drainage, water, sewerage, and superimposed school sys-

tems are examples of combined services now provided in

some areas. It is self-evident that regional problems require

regional solutions even though operationally individual

control may be temporarily required as a political expedi-

ent until mutual confi dence is established between adjoining

governmental units. This emphasizes however the necessity

of interim comprehensive planning so that adjoining govern-

mental units may capitalize on improvements and services

provided to the long term mutual benefi t of their residents.

For no one lives in a vacuum and the interdependency of

governmental units must be recognized as a fact of life.

Planning and the Planning Process

It is important that environmental health and engineering

planning take place within the context of comprehensive

regional or area wide planning. It is equally important how-

ever that comprehensive community planning fully recog-

nize the environmental health and engineering functions and

needs of the area. As used here, the term planning means the

systematic process by which goals (policies) are established,

facts are gathered and analyzed, alternative proposals and

programs are considered and compared, resources are mea-

sured, priorities are established, and recommendations are

made for the deployment of resources designed to achieve

the established goals.^6

Level of Planning

Types of Planning

Project.

Function.

Gen.

Social

Economic

Physical

B

A

C

Goal

FIGURE 1 Types and levels of planning.

(Applicable to National, State, Regional and

Local planning.) From Joseph A. Salvato, Jr.,

Environmental Engineering and Sanitation,

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY,

1972.

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