Date: 04/09/2014
Final
Local Public Health Issues - Colorado Directors of Environmental Health
COMMITTEE ON JOINT AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
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07:30 AM -- Local Public Health Issues - Colorado Directors of Environmental Health
Representatives of the Colorado Directors of Environmental Health (CDEH) introduced themselves and their affiliations as Aaron Doussett, Director of Colorado Environmental Health Association and also representing Teller County; Tom Gonzales, Director of Environmental Health for El Paso County; and Thomas Butts, representing the Tri-Country Health Department. CDEH represents Environmental Health Directors of local health departments as well as individuals who are responsible for the management of environmental health programs in Colorado's cities, counties, or regions.
Mr. Doussett discussed CDEH's approach to protecting environmental health and environmental health services provided by the CDEH. Mr. Gonzales discussed additional local environmental health services provided including air quality complaint investigations. meth lab clean-up oversight, swimming pool investigations, inspections of confined animal feeding operations, water quality education, landfill and waste cleanups, and pollution prevention. The gentlemen answered questions from the committee regarding the duties and operations of local public health officials and the oversight and regulation of oil and gas development.
Mr. Doussett and Mr. Gonzales discussed recent changes within the environmental health industry such as cottage food regulations including farm-to-table operations, the sale of produce at co-ops, community gardens that contribute to produce used in schools, and the sale of fermented foods at farmers' markets. Mr. Doussett talked about CDEH's involvement with skunk rabies, marijuana edibles, oil and gas development, and the environmental health impacts of wildfires and floods. Mr. Doussett discussed CDEH's efforts to connect citizens to services needed that may be outside the scope of CDEH and Mr. Butts responded to questions from the committee regarding bills related to rabies control and the CDEH's involvement with mold remediation resulting from the September 2013 floods. Mr. Doussett discussed CDEH's wastewater management efforts including graywater reuse and CDEH's governmental and non-governmental partnerships.