Table 1.

Categorization of environmental health concerns.^a

Discussion items
Pests	Weather & geology	Built environment	Waste and emissions	Transportation	Other
Stray dogs		Abandoned houses	Septic tanks leakage & improper sewage control	Road maintenance, logging trucks	No community places for seniors, kids, groceries
Mosquitoes & bees		Burning houses/over grown lots	Unclean drinking water – taste, smell chlorine	Speeding	Papermills: lack regulations enforcement & workplace safety
		Youth: need curfew & place to play	Pollution from industry (papermill)		Noise – cars, clubs, people
		No water access – wells dry	Air pollution: cars		Insufficient fire dept, trucks, hydrants
			Air Pollution: plants Dumping & garbage Sewer issues Fertilizer		Lack youth support Drugs Crime
List itemsa
Pests	Weather & Geology	Built environment	Waste & emissions	Transport	Other
Rats, snakes, & other pests	Tornados & other natural disasters	Abandoned houses overgrown lots	Pollution in local streams or lakes	Train derailments or truck accidents involving dangerous chemicals	Unsafe working conditions
Mosquitoes, ticks, & other insects	Summer heat	House fires	Dangerous chemicals in the soil	Abandoned cars	Terrorism
Dog poop	Winter cold Radon Flooding	Lead paint Mould	Landfills/dumps Unsafe drinking water Air pollution Garbage piling up Litter Smog	Too much traffic	Noise Graffiti

^aFor analysis, the potential concerns on the list were collapsed into broad groups as shown here, but were listed in a randomized order without categorization when distributed to focus group participants. Participants were able to write in additional priorities not listed. Rural residents wrote in stray animals (n = 2), factory fumes (1), children in the streets (1), drunk drivers (1), bad roads (1), and old city pipes (1). Urban residents wrote in bad road conditions (1), speeding (1), bad sewer (1), and drugs (1).