NEW JERSEY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
The mission of the New Jersey Environmental Health Association is to support the professional growth of environmental health specialists, provide a unified and informed voice in the development of public health practice and policy, and enhance the ability of members to aptly promote environmental and public health locally, regionally and globally.

News / Current Events
  • Staff and funding cuts at state public health agencies may lead to closure of NJ shellfish harvest
     According to a recent article in the NJ Star-Ledger, the FDA may close the NJ mollusk harvest this summer due to concerns about the state's ability to maintain compliance in their shellfish program. Inadequate inspections at plants that process shellfish, and inadequate patrols of coastal waters may lead to poaching and illegal sale of contaminated shellfish. The FDA is obligated to suspend shellfish shipments from any state that fails to correct deficiencies in their shellfish program.


  • NEHA Announces Position on Offshore Oil Drilling
    NEHA’s board of directors just released a position paper on offshore oil drilling. Some of the board’s recommendations include the following:

    Support legislation to require an accurate, comprehensive, and reviewed contingency plan for worst-case scenario prior to the issuance of any new drilling permit.
    Support legislation that improves and increases a disaster relief fund such as the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF). For this and future disasters, the fund should have government oversight but be funded by the oil companies and managed by a neutral third party. Any and all fines levied on offshore drilling rigs should be put into this fund.
    Support legislation to reorganize the Minerals Management Service, and move it from the Department of the Interior to U.S. EPA. This will separate the inspection and regulatory staff from revenue collection and development staff and place them in a separate federal agency.


  • NJEHA 2011 Conference - Call for Abstracts
     The New Jersey Environmental Health Association is calling for abstracts for verbal presentations at its upcoming 7th Annual Education Conference, March 6 - 8, 2011 at the Tropicana Resort and Casino, Atlantic City, NJ. Please click here for more information, including how to submit your abstract.


  • "Dump and Fill" Pools Prohibited at Day Care Centers
    The NJ Department of Children and Families has observed that in some municipalities, "dump and fill" pools have been approved for use at licensed Day Care Centers by the local health department. These types of pools are prohibited at any Public Recreational Bathing facility. They do not meet the definition of a swimming pool as defined at "N.J.A.C. 8:26-1.3 Definitions."

    A swimming pool means "a watertight structure of concrete, masonry, or other approved materials, located either indoors or outdoors, used for bathing or swimming and filled with a filtered and disinfected water supply,..." All Day Care Center swimming pools must meet the definition and be licensed/permitted by the local health authority. In addition, the construction of a swimming pool must meet the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23, which "dump and fill" pools do not. These types of pools are a significant potential source for the spread of Recreational Water-borne Illnesses.

    If you are aware of any Day Care Center under your jurisdiction that utilizes a "dump and fill" pool, please immediately visit that facility and prohibit its use. Please contact Loel Muetter, NJDHSS Public Health Sanitation and Safety Program at either 609-826-4941 or Loel.Muetter@doh.state.nj.us if you have any further questions.


  • Missed the 2010 NEHA AEC and Exhibition in Albuquerque?
    Experience it virtually instead! You can access videos from your computer for over 30 educational sessions; download speaker presentations and other materials; connect and hold discussions with other environmental health professionals, conference speakers, and exhibitors; and get up to 30 hours of continuing education credits! To register for access to the virtual conference, click here.


  • Job Losses Threaten Environmental Health Services
    Results from NACCHO’s NACCHO’s Job Loss and Program Cuts Survey, released in May, show that local health departments (LHDs) lost 23,000 jobs from 2008–2009. Across the country, 9% of LHDs had to make cuts to food safety programs and 17% had to make cuts to other environmental health services, such as septic system inspection or lead exposure assessments and remediation.


  • National Public Health Week
    On March 11, 2010, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (NM) and U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) introduced to the U.S. Congress resolutions recognizing National Public Health Week, to be held April 5-11, 2010. National Public Health Week, sponsored by the American Public Health Association, seeks to educate the public, policy-makers and public health professionals about issues important to improving public health. See how you can get involved and help spread the word on by going to the National Public Health Week website. Please click here to see the full press release, and be sure to watch the video below.



     

site updated 07/23/2010