Part 1: EPA and Environmental Disasters

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a regulatory body whose main purpose is to ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn, and work. The EPA accomplishes this by establishing labs to identify and solve environmental problems, enforcing policies, funding grants, and collaborating with other agencies.

Review the Environmental Protection Agency Web site at the following link:

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (n.d.).http://www.epa.gov/

Based on your review of the Web site, select one of the ten regions of the EPA to evaluate its collaboration with other agencies in the event of an environmental disaster. Then, respond to the following:

• Briefly describe an environmental disaster that has occurred in the region you selected. Include an example of how the EPA collaborated with another agency or agencies in the response.

• Evaluate the success of the collaboration.

• Examine the response for any deficiencies.

• Recommend strategies to improve the environmental disaster response.

Support your statements with appropriate examples and scholarly references.

Part 2: Implications of a Global Environmental Disaster

In addition to the environmental impacts of a natural disaster, the toll on the mental health of the affected population is enormous. The earthquake that occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011, resulted in mass casualties and structural damage beyond our imagination. In such events, the mental healthcare response is crucial for meeting the needs of the people affected.

Review the following journal article:

• Takeda, M. (2011). Mental health care and East Japan Great Earthquake.Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, 65(3), 207-212. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2011.02220.x (Web of Science Accession Number: WOS:000289740400001)

Using the readings for this week, as well as the above journal article, respond to the following:

• Which mental health agencies responded immediately to the Japanese earthquake?
• What were the barriers that prevented an immediate and effective response?
• Which long-term needs of the people have been affected by the earthquake?
• What resources are in place to address their mental health needs?

Support your statements with appropriate examples and scholarly references.