Environmental Public Health is a part of the Malheur County Health Department, run as part of our Modernization workplan to strengthen the public health system as a whole. Along with the county Environmental Health and Emergency Management departments, and our Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, we coordinate on efforts to prepare for hazards that may impact people’s health through the environment. This includes fire, earthquakes, drought, extreme heat, air quality, and infectious disease.

Environmental Public Health is different from Environmental Health, which is a stand-alone department in Malheur County. They issue on-site septic system permits, run the Licensed Facility Program, and Drinking Water Program, and are in charge of the County Solid Waste Program. The Environmental Health staff focus on health and safety through the relationships they build monitoring food, pool, and lodging entities in Malheur county. Environmental Public Health is non-regulatory and focused on the relationships between departments and community partners that make the comprehensive public health system stronger.

We want to help families, businesses, healthcare providers, and law enforcement when they need support in times of need. Community engagement and communication are key to our preparedness and our Climate Adaptation Plan is part of our comprehensive public health strategy, including concurrent All Hazards and Health Equity Plans.

Recent environmental public health emergencies in Oregon and around the world have raised concerns about environmental health and how resilient our communities are to adverse weather events and other disasters. Through Environmental Public Health, we can work together as a system and a community to take practical steps to prevent disasters and be ready to respond if disaster strikes. In Malheur County, the Health Department, Emergency Management, and Environmental Health are part of the same public health system that helps keep everyone healthy across nearly 10,000 square acres.

Learn More:

• Oregon Health Authority – Climate Change and Public Health
• Climate Effects on Health