Andrew Chaney - BIO

The Black Bear Patented Mining Claim: A Case for Active Enforcement Environmental Health

The presentation will focus on conditions found during the execution of a multi-agency search warrant on December 1, 2010 at this unpermitted ore refining operation in Searchlight Nevada. Case history, respective agencies’ involvement, and ongoing enforcement actions will be discussed.

Tracynda Davis - BIO

Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC)

In the US, all public swimming pool codes are reviewed and approved by state and/or local public health officials. There are no uniform national standards for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of swimming pools and other aquatic venues. Thus, code requirements vary significantly among local and state agencies. A model national code would ensure the best practices for protecting public health are available for adoption by state and local agencies. The CDC has hosted the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), which is intended to be a model code that state and local agencies can adopt in part or in full as code regulations for their jurisdiction. The MAHC is free, easily accessible and based on science. The annex has supporting documents defending positions and statements in code language. The first of the 12 modules to come out for public comment focuses on the pool operator. This module specifies the role and educational levels of operators and topics to cover in operator training courses. Additionally, it addresses which aquatic venues should have pool operators on site. Studies have shown that the number of violations at pools is less when trained operators are working at the facility. This presentation will discuss:

• The MAHC process
• Roles and responsibilities of pool operators
• Implementation and adoption of the module by state and local agencies

Pool & Spa Safety Act

In December 2007, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act became law; however, some public pools are not yet compliant with the federal regulations. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been mandated by Congress to provide education and training on the federal law. This training, which is geared toward health officials, will be provided throughout the U.S. to help to facilitate understanding and to increase compliance with the law. The 3 hour session which includes a PowerPoint presentation and CPSC approved videos, covers the background of the legislation, causes of entrapment, methods of compliance, and how to conduct compliance inspection. Course Outline:

• Overview of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act
• 5 Forms of Entrapment
• Suction Outlets
• Understanding Flow Rate
• Compliance
• State and Local Enforcement: Open Forum
• Question and Answer

Nelson Fabian, Executive Director and CEO of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) - BIO

Keynote: A Daring Look at the Future of
Environmental Health

The Great Recession has led to even further downsizing in environmental health programs. Some wonder if the future of environmental health will be limited to only fee based programs that can economically pay for themselves. This presentation argues that environmental health is indeed changing but that it has promising future applications in a range of contemporary issues including healthy communities, sustainability and even global climate change.

Roger Goodman, Center for Environmental Restoration, Monitoring and Emergency Response - BIO

Radiological Emergency Response in Southern Nevada

The local Radiation and Indoor Environments Laboratory leads the field component of EPA's Radiological Emergency Response Program in Southern Nevada. This lab and its characteristics will be discussed. The Environmental Response Team - West, which focuses on all types of environmental emergencies will also be discussed. An overview of the EPA's response during the emergency in Fukushima, Japan will also be discussed.

Ozone is an efficacious antimicrobial oxidizer that can be safely applied to public swimming venues.  Its function in public recreational water is as a Secondary Disinfection System used in conjunction with chlorine. Water clarity and quality is improved in the pool after ozone’s potent and rapid oxidation (to which microorganisms cannot become immune).

Ozone is effective at reducing chloramines in pool water that when left uncontrolled, 1) will reduce the ability of the pool water to protect itself against human pathogens; 2) contribute to structural/equipment corrosion (primarily as a function of off-gas); 3) potentially exacerbate “swimmer’s asthma”.

Ozone is a potent broad spectrum antimicrobial oxidizer that when properly sized and applied to any swimming venue will; A) control the chloramine levels in the water as well as provide significantly more oxidation than FAC; B) provide a 3 log Cryptosporidium parvum kill in a side-stream applied single pass; and C) provide micro-flocculation which aids filtration; D) allowing residual FAC for continuous in-pool swimmer protection from pathogens.

The discovery and subsequent spread of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus provided a dress rehearsal for a major outbreak of disease in Nevada. Despite early media depictions to the contrary, the virus resulted in a relatively mild influenza season that challenged a number of the assumptions upon which our pre-planned response was based. This talk will highlight the steps taken through Nevada’s response to the outbreak, including the political and scientific challenges, success, and failures.

The threat of terrorist activity against the agriculture and food industries is a concern to stakeholders, regulators and citizens and will be discussed from an investigative standpoint. InfraGard, the FBI’s partnership with the private sector to protect Critical Infrastructure in the United States will also be introduced and discussed.

Green Building History and Future: Indoor Environmental Health Perspectives

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. Mr. Walsh will give an overview of its history, present benefits and challenges and the new International Green Construction Code that is coming out next March (Mr. Walsh is co-author). He will also present the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) approved program entitled 20 Reasons Your Green Building May Not Have Green Indoor Air. This program will address indoor air quality issues, both in Green Buildings and in general, and how they are relevant to environmental health.

ASHRAE Standard 188P: Prevention of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems - Update and Discussion

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has developed a proposed Standard Practice that specifies what is required to prevent legionellosis (“Legionnaires Disease”) associated with building water systems. The proposed Standard Practice was approved in July 2010 for public review publication. The first public review was completed in November 2010. There were many supportive comments posted and also many excellent suggestions to improve the Standard. A revision was produced in response to comments received during the first public review. The second public review opened June 10, 2011 and closed July 25. We will give perspective and background about the new Standard. Also discussed is the relation of the ASHRAE Standard to CTI Standard 159, Legionellosis Related Practices for Evaporative Cooling Water Systems, which is in process and could be public by the time of our presentation.

SNHD Foodborne Disease Investigation Procedures: Past, Present and Future Panel

The Southern Nevada Health District is responsible for conducting surveillance and investigating outbreaks of disease. Some of those disease investigations require resources from various divisions of the health district that can include the Environmental Health Division staff. This presentation will address the development of the current response system, organization of the system, how the decisions are made regarding when to conduct an investigation and some recent investigations conducted by the inter-disciplinary team.