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County Shifting to Full Scale Health Department

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA — Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett, chair of the Public Health Advisory Task Force announced on Aug. 6 the Task Force is recommending the county create a Director of Environmental Health position as an important step in transitioning from a county Public Health Services office to a full-service County Department of Health. 

As a result of an increase in resident population, the county must convert from a partial health service county to a full health service district, pursuant to NY Public Health Law Article 340. This conversion requires the addition of an environmental services unit, as these services will no longer be provided by the New York State Department of Health. Saratoga County is working directly with the New York State Department of Health during this transition process. 

“The creation of a Director of Environmental Health is a critical step in the process, as this person will play an important role in creating and implementing environmental health programs, which are an integral part of building out the full-scale health department,” Barrett said, in a statement.

The measure will be up for vote by the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors at their Aug. 17 meeting. If approved, the recruitment process will begin to fill the position. Under the general supervision of the Saratoga County Health Commissioner, the Director of Environmental Health will plan, direct, supervise and execute all environmental health programs throughout the county. 

The Environmental Health Services Department within the County Department of Health will administer public health programs related to air pollution, water supplies and purification, sewage disposal, stream pollution, sanitary control of restaurants and public eating places, camps, hotels, rabies, lead, toxins, lodging houses, boarding houses, swimming pools, general sanitation, hazardous and solid wastes and enforce relevant provisions of the New York State Public Health Law and Sanitary Code and related local laws. 

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