Duties and Responsiblities:

• Perform routine compliance inspections of facilities including but not limited to the following: retail, wholesale, mobile and non-profit food establishments and vendors; public, private and charter schools; private, public and institutional child-care facilities; groundwater-sourced public water systems; solid waste facilities; hotels, motels, septic tank systems, vector/ animal disease surveillance, collection and abatement, recreational vehicle parks and mobile home parks; correctional institutions operated by county and city entities; body art parlors; public swimming pools; landfills; recycling centers; underground storage tanks; hazardous waste facilities and other environmental health issues. Document all violations, issue notices of corrective action and ensure future adherence through periodic follow up visits 
• Issue Notices of Violation and/or Cease and Desist orders to illegal food vendors or facilities that require permits and/or illegal dumping suspects; issue Nuisance Abatement orders to persons causing or maintaining conditions that are a public health hazard or environment health nuisance 
• Conduct investigations related to food-borne illness or environmentally acquired diseases referred by the Health District's Epidemiology Office 
• Investigate complaints of health safety violations including bio-terrorism and communicable disease; provide general policy compliance information to architects, owners/operators, contractors, consultants and other independent entities 
• Respond to walk-in and telephone complaints and requests for information on regulations, procedures, systems and precedents relating to assigned program 
• Collect random samples of water, soil, waste, food and animals suspected of contamination; deliver samples to the laboratory for processing and assessment; may assist the Health District's Epidemiology Office as needed 
• Review construction application documents and plans for food establishments, public swimming pools, Child Care facilities, schools, public accommodations, individual sewage disposal facilities, mobile home and RV parks and solid waste facilities; approve or deny applications based on factual evidence; issue permits as appropriate 
• Prepare reports and recommendations for all inspections; maintain records on all inspection sites; update files and continuously monitor sites for health safety compliance and remediation 
• Investigate and compile data for special projects; collect and assemble data and background materials for reports and/or presentations 
• Provide and explain educational materials, regulations, policies and other compliance information to contractors, permit holders, consultants and the general public 
• Conduct educational presentations on food-safety and other regulated topics 
• Testify in judicial and semi judicial proceedings and hearings 
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required
• Salary:
• Environmental Health Specialist Salaries

  Job Title	Salary
  Maricopa County (Arizona) Environmental Health Specialist - Hourly	$27.27/hr
  Georgia Department of Public Health Environmental Health Specialist	$31,461
  Mecklenburg County Health Department Environmental Health Specialist	$49,529

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• Education: Career Requirements

  Degree Level	Bachelor's degree
  Degree Field	Occupational health, safety or a comparable scientific discipline
  Certification	Voluntary certification is available through professional organizations
  Experience	Work experience is important, through internships or otherwise

  Demand for this profession

  Typical Entry-Level Education	Bachelor's degree
  Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
  On-the-job Training	None
  Number of Jobs, 2014	94,600
  Job Outlook, 2014-24	11% (Faster than average)
  Employment Change, 2014-24	10,200

  
• I would not want to become one because its boring