New MDH website connects health and environment

The Minnesota Department of Health has created a website designed to help people learn about the connections between the environment and public health.

It's the first time the information has been presented in one place, said Jean Johnson, the director of the Minnesota Environmental Public Health Tracking Program.

The site pulls data from different programs and departments, including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Johnson said.

"It brings it all together in one place so it's easier for people to find the data they're looking for," Johnson said. "We also provide links so people can easily go back to the source of the data and can look at that themselves."

The site includes information on cancer, birth defects, drinking water quality and seven other health issues. The data are available down to the county level, and can be sorted in various ways.

The work is being done with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly half of the states are participating in the program.