New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 8 - HEALTH › Chapter 52 - PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH IN NEW JERSEY › Subchapter 7A - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Section 8:52-7A.2 - Environmental health services

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) Each local health
				agency shall provide a comprehensive environmental health program that is developed
				and overseen by a Registered Environmental Health Specialist.
(b) Each local health agency shall provide an
				environmental health program that is developed in accordance with the State Sanitary
				Code and other various codes and regulations as applicable. The local health agency,
				through the activities of a licensed Registered Environmental Health Specialist(s),
				shall assure compliance with said regulations.
(c) A Registered Environmental Health Specialist
				shall be responsible for the performance of all environmental health activities
				specified at 8:52-3.3(a)3.
(d) Each local health agency shall ensure that
				environmental health services provide the core public health functions and the
				delivery of the "10 essential health services" at
				8:52-3.2(a)1  through
				10. These services shall be developed and overseen by a licensed Registered
				Environmental Health Specialist and shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Assessing environmental health risks to and
				influences on humans and the environment;
2. Utilizing discrete data and epidemiological
				methods, as applicable, to determine the etiology of, and recommend corrective
				actions for, diseases spread through humans, animals and the environmental media of
				air, soil, water and food;
3. Providing
				professional and technical support to local, State and Federal agencies on matters
				within their expertise;
4. Developing
				and implementing a proactive environmental health program in an effort to preclude
				health threats to the public;
5.
				Reviewing plans for residential, commercial, and industrial development as necessary
				to ensure health and safety code compliance;
6. Collection of water, food and other specimens
				as needed for laboratory analysis, and interpretation of the results of
				same;
7. Planning and performing routine
				and emergency environmental health inspections and investigations to ensure operator
				or owner conformance with established regulations;
8. Maintaining, updating and analyzing
				environmental health records, inspection findings and other data to ensure proper
				documentation and continuity of environmental health protection;
9. Preparing reports and findings as witness to
				environmental health violations in court cases and hearings;
10. Advocating for local and State policy that
				protects the public's health and safety;
11. Reviewing new environmental health policy and
				implementing the requirements of new policies as necessary;
12. Educating and communicating environmental
				risks to the public, media, and other interested parties;
13. Assisting the public, local health agency
				personnel and other officials with recommendations and resources on various
				environmental health matters per code requirements and suitable abatement
				practices;
14. Investigating foodborne,
				airborne, waterborne and other suspected disease outbreaks as required;
				and
15. Maintaining the most current
				knowledge of environmental health technologies, information systems and technical
				advancements in the field.