October 2017 Volume 2

BOOK REVIEW:
RESOURCES KIT FOR HIA PRACTITIONERS:

HIA FOR INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS
E. Westwood and M. Orenstein

Context of  resource guide:
The need for the resources guide was identified by having 

19 million US workers employed on industrial projects and the 
work generating 20% of the US gross output in 2014. Only 19 
HIAs with a focus on industrial projects have been published 
by 2016, indicating an area for potential expansion of HIA 
work.

Summary of content:
The resource guide begins by defining the terms of indus-

trial projects and industrial facilities. For the guidebook an 
industrial project must have a contained facility in a physical 
location, experiences or will experience a life cycle of build-
ing, operation and decommissioning; and product generation.

A Project Information Checklist is discusses in the third 
section that provides the HIA practitioner with information 
they may want to gather during the various phases of the 
industrial project. This includes a complete project descrip-
tion, labor force information, traffic and transportation, noise, 
environmental interactions, community interaction and en-
gagement of municipal services and reviewing other technical 
studies.

In section four, links to industrial project activities and nine 
potential effects on human health are presented. This includes 
land acquisition, air emissions, water quantity and quality, 
traffic and transportation, noise, workers and employment, 
taxes and royalties, community investment and accidents and 
malfunctions. The text does note that additional factors may 
link health to a specific industrial project, such as waste man-
agement or project security.

Section five in the guide provides background information 

The guidebook was published in October 2016 by Habitat Health Impact Consulting Corp with support from the 
Health Impact Project a collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. The 
report is available from: https://statc1.squarespace.com/static/56c532fe4b079eaf38b7ed0/t/581100b15016e1a017835a
ff/1477509340274/Resource+Kit+HIA+Industrial+Projects.pdf

on Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) which identifies 
human exposure to chemical substances and how this concept 
compliments the purpose of HIAs. HHRA specifically looks at 
risk from three factors which are from a hazard, a receptor and 
a pathway perspectives.

Section six reviews the Environmental Impact Assessment 
practice in the United States since the passage of the Nation-
al Environmental Policy Act in 1969 and its relationship to 
HIAs. 

The last section provides a framework for organizing the  
health effects. The section diagrams the health links tied to the 
project components, determinants of health and health out-
comes. 

The Appendices list additional resources for industrial 
HIAs and provides information on previous industries focused 
HIAs.
 
Analysis and evaluation of the resource guide:

The Project Information Checklist and potential health fac-
tors noted in section three were especially useful. Questions to 
consider for the nine key health impacts are also well defined 
in section four.

Conclusion:
The Resource Kit for HIA Practitioners: HIA for Industrial 

Projects from Habitat Impact Consulting is a very useful tool 
for HIA practitioners that are new to working in this sector. 
The resource guidebook has specific checklists and suggested 
content to use, as well as links to additional resources and 
previous industries focused HIAs. I would recommend it for 
new and experienced HIA practitioners.

Reviewed by: Cynthia Stone, DrPH, RN, CHIA Editor-in-Chief

62