Program B: Environmental Health Services

Program Authorization: R.S. 40:1, et. seq., 4(A)(2)(6), 5.601.et. seq., 1141-48, 2701-19

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The mission of the Environmental Health Services Program is to provide laboratory analysis to tie together inspection and correction of conditions that may cause disease or disorder to Louisiana citizens or those who buy goods produced in Louisiana and provide on-site evaluation of all qualified labs for the purpose of certification under State and Federal regulations in the specialities of water, milk and dairy products, and/or seafood testing.

The goal of the Environmental Health Services Program is to promote control of and a reduction of infectious and chronic disease morbidity and mortality through the promulgation and implementation of the State Sanitary Code.

The Environmental Health Services Program is needed because the services provided by this program are unique to official public health agencies and, if they are not provided by the program, Louisianians will do without them and forego the benefits they could provide.

The Environmental Health Services Program includes the following activities: Building and Premises, Food and Drug Control, Seafood Sanitation, Infectious Waste Control, Milk and Dairy, Individual Sewerage, Molluscan Shellfish, Retail Food, Safe Drinking Water, Operator Training, Community Sewerage, and Laboratory.

OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

1. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Building and Premise activity, will inspect 100 percent of state institutional facilities, including prisons (semi-annually), hospitals and nursing homes, group homes, day care centers and schools.

2. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Building and Premises activity, will inspect 100% of complaints of unsanitary conditions in places of public accommodation and private premises that may be detrimental to community health.

1 Reports filed related to non-response to citizen complaints.

3. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Building and Premises activity, will perform environmental investigations on 100% of all childhood lead poisoning cases, Class IIB and higher.

1 A single case usually incurs two or more environmental investigations

2 Cases of lead poisoning less than expected.

4. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Seafood and Sanitation activity, will inspect duly permitted food, drug and cosmetic manufactures, processors, packers or repackers four times and duly permitted food, drug, and cosmetic wholesalers and warehouses and skin tanning facilities two times.

5. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Seafood Sanitation activity, will inspect on a quarterly basis, a minimum of 90% of the state's permitted seafood processors and achieve a compliance rate of 90% or better.

6. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Infectious Waste Control activity, will inspect and permit all infectious waste storage and treatment facilities and transporters.

7. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Milk and Dairy activity, will conduct the FDA/State Certification and Monitoring Program on 100% of all dairy farms and milk processing plants that request certification as interstate milk shippers.

8. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Individual Sewerage activity, will have 95% of all applications issued result in the installation of approved sewage disposal systems and 90% of all Notice of Violations issued result in the replacement of an unapproved, existing sewage disposal system with an approved sewerage disposal system.

9. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Molluscan Shellfish activity, will collect 10 bacteriological water samples per year from 90% of Louisiana shellfish growing areas.

1 Complete sanitary survey re-write completed for shellfish growing areas

10. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Retail Food activity, will inspect 100% of the permitted facilities an average of 1.5 times.

11. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Retail Food activity, will achieve a 75% compliance rate among permitted retail food establishments.

12. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Safe Drinking Water activity, will inspect at least 20% of public water supply systems to obtain a compliance rate 85% with the bacteriological maximum contaminate level (MCL).

13. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Operator Training activity, will minimize the occurrence of adverse public health effects and the incidence of waterborne disease by providing two operator training opportunities per month, and achieve a 75% certification rate of all operators tested.

14. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Community Sewerage activity, will inspect and give technical assistance for 100% of the complaints received regarding community sewage systems and review 100% of submitted reports.

15. In FY 1998-99, the Environmental Health Services Program, through its Laboratory activity, will complete 98% of the analyses and reports on valid and authorized specimens submitted to the lab.

SOURCE OF FUNDING

This program is funded with general fund, interagency transfers, self-generated revenue, statutory dedications and federal funds. Interagency transfers consist of funds from the Department of Education for inspection of food preparation facilities for the Summer Feeding Program for Children as well as funds from the Department of Environmental Quality for Laboratory tests performed on surface waters. Self-generated revenues are comprised from fees derived as follows: Inspections of Commercial Seafood Outlets, Food and Drug Product monitoring; Milk and Dairy Inspections, Public Water System Operator Certifications, Retail Food Outlet Inspections; Sewerage Permits, Oysters Harvesters' Licenses; Infectious Waste Haulers' Licenses, and Private Water Well Inspections. A portion of local funds generated by parish millage or contributions for parish health units is also utilized in the program. Statutory dedications are from the Oyster Sanitation Fund. (Per R.S.39:32B.(8), see table below for a listing of expenditures out of each statutory dedicated fund.) Federal funds include a grant to supplement state efforts in the Safe Drinking Water Program, and to execute a cooperative agreement with the Federal Government for certain food and product inspections.

ANALYSIS OF RECOMMENDATION

The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 125.3% of the existing operating budget. It represents 52.4% of the total request ($36,428,954) for this program. The major changes between the existing operating budget and the amount recommended reflect the funding for the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Fund required Set Asides.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

OTHER CHARGES

ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS