NATO AJMEDP-4-12 PDF

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

In general, environmental health data will be collected for two types of assessments: An Environmental Health Site Assessment (EHSA) and an Environmental Baseline Study (EBS). An EBS aims to provide a baseline for evaluation of the impacts NATO may have on the environment, and an EHSA is concerned with identifying potential human and animal health effects as a result of environmental exposure. The EBS is not discussed in this document, but the procedures and data collections are similar. For example, water and soil sampling are conducted for both EHSA and EBS, but the focus and interpretation of results will differ. See STANAG 6500/AJEPP-6 for a deeper understanding of the EBS and the differences between the EBS and the EHSA.

The aim of this document is to articulate the policy and procedures for EHSA and environmental health surveillance for NATO led operations and its service members. It is intended as a first general guide for assessments pre deployment and as an aid for evaluation in the field for personnel familiar to, but not experts on the subject. Assessments can be carried out during all phases of deployment but an assessment pre deployment is to be considered a minimum.

The document primarily focuses on the identification, assessment, documentation and surveillance of acute and adverse environmental health hazards and their associated health risks. Chronic (post deployment) long-term effects may also be of concern, but is regarded to be beyond the scope of this document. This subject is hence left to the individual nations as a national responsibility.