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I enclose a set of good practice guidelines drawn up by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) based on its experience of advising on the health impact of air pollution.

The guidelines set out a five-stage process for investigating the impact of local air pollution from industrial sources. The guidelines are aimed primarily at public health departments of health authorities, but will also be of assistance to Environmental Health Officers working in local authorities and to staff in the Environment Agency who are responsible for regulating emissions from these sources.

The guidelines highlight the need for :

• high quality information that is shared between all the agencies involved;
• close liaison between those agencies and
• the process of investigations to be transparent and to keep the public regularly well informed

They also contain other useful sources of information and further reading, as well as contact points.

They are not meant to be a blueprint for action, but will assist agencies in carrying out good quality investigations, and lead to the gathering of better quality environmental data at a regional level. While the public is, quite rightly, concerned about the possible effect which current and past industrial enterprises might be having on their health and the environment, the guidelines are not meant to be simply a response to their concerns. Agencies will also need to become much more proactive in future about identifying potential environmental hazards which may affect people's health in the absence of complaints and in assessing the extent of the risk to health of local populations.

For further information please contact:

Professor Robert Maynard
Room 658C
Skipton House
80 London Road
LONDON SE1 6LW
Tel: 020 7972 5118

Further copies of the guidelines may be obtained from:
Department of Health
PO Box 777
London SE1 6XH
Fax: 01623 724 524
Email: doh@prologistics.co.uk

This guidance supplements related guidance in HSG(93)56 Public health: responsibilities of the NHS and the roles of others and HSG(93)38 Arrangements to deal with health aspects of chemical contamination incidents.

Professor Liam Donaldson
Chief Medical Officer

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copyright: © | last updated 17 July 2002

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