-A joint committee can prepare a preliminary report of key factors that in turn can generate discussion among the community members and health professionals. This scan must include all viewpoints, not just the expert’s view.

-National and global realities often have a significant impact on a community’s ability to meet its health challenge. The sustainability of our world and all its communities impacts us all. Therefore an environmental scan must look beyond the community if it is to provide a true picture.

-The environmental scan should identify major threats to health. Among these are environmental pollution and other potential health hazards. For example:
-Is there an industrial park nearby where heavy metal may be improperly stored?
-Is there pig farm up stream with refuse seeping into the drinking water drawn from the river?
-Is there lead in the peeling paint of old homes, or maybe asbestos hidden in the workplace?

The Web now has a scorecard for the major pollution sources in all cities in the United States.