HATFIELD:
As director of a county program, you're also a member of the California
Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH). Can you
explain for our students the purpose and function of this group?
ERBECK:
I'll do my best. The California Conference of Directors of Environmental
Health (CCDEH) was established in 1956. It was a natural evolution that
provided structure and purpose to the collaborations of environmental
health directors who had been meeting at periodic intervals on a local and
regional basis. These meetings concerned common problems, discussions of
public policy issues relating to the enforcement of public health statues
and regulations.
CCDEH's membership consists of directors of environmental health
programs in every local jurisdiction throughout the state of California and
associate members representing environmental health program managers.
The purpose and mission of the organization is to serve the citizens of
California by improving the quality and scope of environmental health
programs throughout the state and by promoting uniformity of such
programs. The Conference strives to achieve these objectives by serving
in advisory and resource capacity to the California State Association of
Counties, League of California Cities and appropriate other organizations
and associations. The day to day affairs of CCDEH are attended to by an
executive director and a manager. The governing board is known as the
executive committee and consists of a president, president elect,
treasurer/secretary, immediate past president, and the chairs of each
geographic region of the Conference described below.
Geographically, CCDEH divides its membership in the state into four
regions. Region I, Northern California; Region II, Bay Area; Region III,
Central California; and Region IV, Southern California. The regions meet
individually on a periodic basis to discuss local issues, hear reports
from their members of various policy committees, receive reports from
various state agencies and to keep the lines of communication open between
the directors and policy chiefs of the various state agencies including
the Department of Health Services, California Integrated Waste
Management Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control. All
the regions meet together once a year at the CCDEH Conference in
September to review policy issues, the past year's accomplishments and to
adopt goals and objectives for the next year.
HATFIELD:
What is the relationship between the CCDEH and the CAEHA?
ERBECK:
CCDEH has established an organization known as the California
Association of Environmental Health Administrators (CAEHA) as the legal
entity to enter into contracts, manage the contracts and perform advocacy
on behalf of CCDEH. CAEHA also provides environmental health
management, training and information services to its members, other
environmental health professionals and the public.
HATFIELD:
With so many issues in environmental health today, how is the
CCDEH organized to address these issues?
ERBECK:
CCDEH addresses important public policy issues through its seven policy
committees:
1. Food Policy Committee
2. Hazardous Waste/Materials Policy Committee
3. Housing and Occupational Health Policy Committee
4. Land Use Policy Committee
5. Recreational Health Policy Committee
6. Solid Waste Policy Committee
7. Data Management Policy Committee
CCDEH policy committees will work on a number of pertinent issues during
the course of the year. Each policy committee consists of two
environmental health directors from each region. The Solid Waste Policy
Committee has two associate members as well. The committees meet on a
periodic basis (usually in Sacramento) to review legislation, meet with
state policy makers and discuss policy issues related to their particular
committee. The policy committees work directly with the heads of many
state agencies to accomplish their goals and objectives. Each year the
policy committees are charged with a set of tasks to accomplish in the
ensuing year. These task elements help to guide each committee as they
perform the vital task of reviewing and commenting on important pieces of
legislation that work their way through the California legislature each
year. Committee chairs are often called upon to articulate the
Conference's polition at legislative committee hearings as bills work
their way through the process. Each policy committee publishes an annual
report describing their work and sometimes presenting program guidelines
for adoption at the annual Conference.
There are six technical advisory committees (TACs) that provide technical
review and staff input to the policy committees. The TACs are staffed by
local environmental health program REHSs. The six TACs are:
1. Food
2. Recreational Health
3. Land Use
4. Housing
5. Solid Waste
6. Hazardous Waste/Materials
HATFIELD:
Can you give us some examples of projects completed by the conference?
ERBECK:
Recent projects of CCDEH include a document titled: Model Local
Environmental Health Program Plan. This publication provides the basis
for and describes the elements of program plans for the major
environmental health programs conducted by local environmental health
agencies in California. The most recent, and most popular Conference
publication to date is the Disaster Field Manual. This is a 4x8 spiral
bound field manual designed to assist REHSs in the field during local
environmental health agency disaster response. During the floods last
winter it proved to be a valuable resource throughout California for REHSs
assisting in community disaster response efforts. Both publications would
be excellent for use in the CSUN environmental health course work.
HATFIELD:
Coming from Northridge, I'd be very interested in obtaining these
documents! Thanks again for agreeing to talk with us about this important
organization.
ERBECK:
I hope that this has provided you with an overview of CCDEH. I am
available on an individual basis to answer any questions people may have
about specific committee work or policy issues.