The general court finds that protection of the public health and welfare demands a state-wide capacity to assess the nature of and risks to both humans and ecosystems associated with exposure to a variety of environmental contaminants. Recognizing that health risk assessment entails responding to situations where scientific data and exposure standards are often incomplete at best, the general court finds that the success of such a program requires flexible access to medical, scientific, and engineering expertise in all agencies of state government. The general court enacts this chapter in order to provide a mechanism for health risk assessment. The general court intends that the department of health and human services, which has primary state responsibility for protecting the public health, shall be the lead agency for health risk assessment. It further intends that other state agencies shall cooperate fully in making personnel with training experience in the disciplines necessary to accomplish such assessments available to the department of health and human services on a reasonable basis. In establishing this function, the general court intends to provide regulatory decision-makers who shall analyze, assess, and manage public and environmental health risks with the most timely and accurate information and analysis available.