The

March 2020

 

 

See page 8

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

See pages 4, 5, 6 & 11

IEHA Conferences

Postponed

The

Cardinal

 

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE

ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL

HEALTH ASSOCIATION

 

2

The purposes of the Illinois Environmental Health Association are: To maintain and improve the environmental health protection of the public by fostering and encouraging research, education and the dissemination of information; To promote the highest degree of skill, efficiency and professional competence among sanitarians and others practicing in the various environmental health disci-plines through the mutual exchange of knowledge and experience; To publish, or cause to be published, technical and other useful information relating to environmental health; In both the public and private sectors, to promote the administration of environmental health programs for the maximum public benefit; To foster cooperation of the various branches and departments of government at all levels in activities directed toward the improvement of health and comfort of the public; To engage in other lawful activities which are appropriate for a professional association; Provided, that the Association shall not function as a collective bargaining agent for the purpose of fixing the compensation or conditions of employment for any of its members; provided further, that the Association shall not endorse or sanction the endorsement by any of its members of products or services of a commercial nature. Illinois Environmental Health Association, PO Box 7505, Rockford, Illinois 61126, Telephone (815) 977-5884, Fax (866) 760-6873. Email: iehaoffice@gmail.com, Web Site: http://www.iehaonline.org

Editorial Policy Goal - The Cardinal is to provide useful and profitable information to members and to act as a forum for member opinions and ideas.

Circulation - The Cardinal is the official publication of the Illinois Environmental Health Association. The Cardinal is published 4 times a year and is mailed or emailed free of charge to Association members.

Address changes - IEHA, PO Box 7505, Rockford, Illinois 61126, Telephone (815) 977-5884, Fax (866) 760-6873 Email: iehaoffice@gmail.com.

Manuscripts - Authors alone are responsible for opinions and views stated in their articles. FAX articles to (866) 760-6873. Email them to iehaoffice@gmail.com. Email submissions in electronic format are preferred. Mail paper or disk copies to IEHA, ATTN: Newsletter, Box 7505, Rockford, Illinois 61126. Articles and letters submitted may be edited for clarity or space.

Deadlines - All materials must be submitted to The Cardinal by the first working day of March, June, September and November. The next deadline for materials is June 1, 2020.

Advertising - Advertising copy must be submitted to the Advertising Manager in a form that is suitable for reproduction within the dimensions of the selected space. The copy may be submitted as original or good quality photo static reproductions. No plates are required. Computer graphics files in JPEG format are preferred. Note: Advertising rates have changed. Call (815) 977-5884 for details.

The Cardinal Staff Chairman, Publications Committee: Lenore Killam Editor: Paul Chase Circulation: Paul Chase Advertising: Paul Chase Production: Paul Chase

Volume 50 Number 1 // March 2020

 

   

 

 

IN THIS ISSUE

Message from the President ............................................................................... 4

By Justin Dwyer

Tidbits of Knowledge and Advice ................................................................... 5 By Lenore Killam

Interim Guidance for Business Pandemic Plans ................................ 5 By Michelle Colby

Mark Your Calendar ………………………………………….…..………….…..…. 6

Congratulations Dave! ........................................................................................... 6

EPA Registered Bleaches - Educating your food establishments to do more than “whiten, brighten, and deodorize” their food contact surfaces ………………………………………………………………………………….…… 7 By Corine Peplinski

A Message from our Friends at the Illinois Environmental Council …………………………………………………………..……………………….…… 9 By Jen Walling

A Request to Hear From You …………………………………………............ 10 By Ron Holifield

Join IEHA …………………………………………………...…………...............,........... 11

Electronic Edition Extra .............................................................................. 12

The Cardinal // March 2020

3 

 

Greetings IEHA Members,

As all of you know, we are in the midst of a Pandemic that has increased many of our workloads and required us to change our normal day to day actives. After much discussion, IEHA board has made the decision to postpone all IEHA conferences and in person meetings scheduled prior to May 1 due to the current COVID 19 situation. IEHA board will continue to monitor the situation and review updates provided by Illinois Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many of you have already registered for North Chapter Conference, which was to be held at Elgin Community College on April 7 & 8. This conference is now postponed. I know Kathi Landow, North Chapter VP, spent hours working on this conference, and for that I am grateful. Anyone who has registered for North Chapter Conference, your spot will be held and IEHA will release a new conference date and agenda as soon as possible. If you are unable to attend, IEHA will issue a full refund.

Additionally, Central Chapter Conference will also need to be postponed. New dates and the agenda will be release as soon as possible. Kevin Atchason, Central Chapter VP, has also worked diligently to put together this conference. Thank you, Kevin, for your hard work.

I will do my best to provide as much information as possible on our Facebook Page and though IEHA e-mail. Please watch for guidance from Illinois Department of Public health, The Center for Disease Control, and Local Health Departments. Earlier, on our Facebook page, I posted the IDPH Siren for Executive Order 2020-07, which covers the closure of restaurants and bars. If you have information that you feel membership needs, please send it to the IEHA office for distribution.

I hope everyone stays safe as this situation develops.

#Flattenthecurve #COVID19 #Stayathome #SocialDistancing

Best Wishes,

Justin Dwyer, IEHA President

4

Message from the President

Illinois Environmental Health Association

PO Box 7505, Rockford, IL 61126 Phone: 815-977-5884 Fax: 866-760-6873

Email: iehaoffice@gmail.com Web site: http://www.iehaonline.org Paul K Chase, MA, LEHP, Office Manager

As a new requirement for the Environmental Health Practitioner license renewal, you must have completed the Continuing Educa-tion (CE) 1-hr Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, as required by new legislation. This CE may be taken at any approved CE provider for any profession. This CE requirement only applies to individual licensees and does not apply to licensed businesses, or to licensees under the Division of Professional Regulation renewing for the first time. In addition, ONLY licensees who are required to do CE as a condition of the renewal of their license are required to complete the CE 1-hr Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. Please refer to the following links for additional information. Division of Professional Regulation: https://www.idfpr.com/FAQ/DPR/DPR%20Sexual%20harassment%20prevention%20CE.pdf Public Act: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=100-0762&GA=100 Rules: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/068011300E04000R.html  

The Cardinal // March 2020

5

1) In the age of sustainability, we need to be more clever than ever with use of our natural resources: https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro/why-do-restaurants-waste-so-much-water-defrosting-food

2) The National Restaurant Association states that the average cost of recruiting/training a new employee is $1,994/hire. They are promoting a training program to help. https://servsuccess.com/ 3) We chuckle at stories of ostriches on planes, but the presence of service animals is an issue for many of the facilities that look to us for advice. Tulane University has some introductory materials to help us better understand the issues. Introducing Service, Emotional Support, and Therapy Animals: Benefits, Legal, and Ethical Considerations: https://lms.southcentralpartnership.org/login/index.php If you are not familiar with Tulane’s resources, the link takes you to a no-cost registration page that allows access to a treasure trove of free web-based training and information. 4) In the current world of Covid-19 panic, we get to remind people that the familiar diseases have not gone away. These people got sick with infections that came from food or animal contact. Watch or read their stories to learn how they were sickened and what they’re doing now to stay safe. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/patient‐stories.html

Tidbits of Knowledge and Advice By Lenore Killam, IEHA Publications Chair

A Message from the Northwest Municipal Conference 

Interim Guidance for Business Pandemic Plans From: Colby, Michelle - OHS, Washington, DC [mailto:michelle.colby@usda.gov] Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 3:08 PM Subject: CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020 We are redistributing information on the availability of CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Re-spond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fguidance-business-response.html

We want to make sure that all our members are aware of this guidance and consider implementing practices in this interim guidance as appropriate.

Congratulations Dave! Immediate Past President David Banaszynski was picked by NEHA to be a subject matter expert in regards to the REHS exam. He and twelve other credential holders from across the country spent three days in Denver going over the job task analysis. For those that may be taking the exam in 12 -18 months, expect to see questions on body art, cannabis, tobacco, vectors and shellfish along with all the other "normal" aspects of our jobs.

David also won a free trip to Atlanta for the InFORM conference. Every two years the Integrated Foodborne Outbreak Response and Management (InFORM) Conference brings together public health officials charged with response to foodborne and enteric disease outbreaks. Public health laboratory scientists, epidemiolo-gists, environmental health specialists and health communicators will find sessions of interest at this meeting. InFORM is jointly sponsored by APHL, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Envi-ronmental Diseases (DFWED), the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and the Council of State and Territo-rial Epidemiologists (CSTE).

Being a past president of IEHA has its privileges!

6

Mark Your Calendar

September 14 ‐ 15, 2020 Loca on TBA Marion, Illinois

Mark your calendar!  

November 2 –3, 2020 Starved Rock Lodge U ca, Illinois

Mark your calendar! 

Due to the current situation in Illinois and the COVID19 Pandemic, IHEA Board has postponed all IEHA Conferences scheduled prior to May 1. This includes North and Central Chapter Conferences. New dates and an agenda will be re-leased as soon as possible. Anyone who has already registered for North Chapter Conference will remain registered for the new dates. If you are unable to attend, IEHA will issue a full refund at your request. I hope everyone stays safe as this situation develops. #Flattenthecurve #COVID19 #Stayathome #SocialDistancing Best Wishes, Justin Dwyer, IEHA President

The Cardinal // March 2020

7

EPA Registered Bleaches- Educating your food establishments to do more than “whiten, brighten, and deodorize” their food contact surfaces. By Corine Peplinski, LEHP, REHA/RS, Environmental Health Training Specialist, Peoria City/County Health Department

When I was a young Sanitarian, fresh out of the classroom, I can distinctly remember a day when one of my earliest mentors was training me to do a food inspection at a local high school. She picked up the bottle of bleach from under the three compartment sink and told me that all bleaches used for sanitizing have to be EPA registered. In fact, according to the EPA fact sheet on cleaning products, in order to make a claim on the bottle label that the bleach “kills germs” or “sanitizes” it must be tested and registered with the EPA as a pesticide.

At that time, the only non-EPA registered bleaches that we were aware of were scented bleaches. However, that list has grown considerably in the last several years. A recent trip down my local Big Box Store bleach aisle revealed that there were exactly TWO EPA registered bleaches. Gone are the days of bleach being synonymous with germ killing power and instead it has been replaced with bleaches that do nothing more than “whiten, brighten, and deodorize.” Scented, splashless, environmentally friendly, and all-around cheaper (by about a dollar per gallon) bleaches are all non-EPA registered.

Having so many non-EPA registered bleaches available for pur-chase caused a major uptick in the number of times these bleach-es were being found during routine inspections and temporary food events. When discussed with the Person In Charge, it was always found that they had no knowledge that there was a differ-ence in types of bleach. They either accepted it in a delivery, picked it for its scent, or selected the cheapest bleach possible. With so many bad options available, how do you help your food establishments know what to look for?

Train your staff

This may seem simple, but it is none-the-less important. Make sure your staff is aware that not all bleaches are EPA registered and make it a habit to check bleach labels during inspections.

Educate your establishments

Educational handouts, Facebook, and face to face education dur-ing inspections are all great ways to get the word out there about using an EPA registered bleach. Include a slide during food safe-ty presentations with pictures of chemicals that aren’t approved sanitizers. Carry a picture of what an EPA registration number looks like on your phone to show managers. Add a statement about bleaches to your plan review and temporary vendor appli-cation forms. Any way you can get the word out will help your establishments.

Inform the public

The bleach manufactures aren’t necessarily making it clear to the public that most of their products won’t kill germs in the home. Social media is a great way to educate the public and get people talking about this issue. Make sure you have a clear message and tell the reader what to look for when purchasing a bleach. A re-

cent post about EPA registered bleaches by PCCHD reached nearly 1400 people.

Work with your restaurant supply companies

One of the most beneficial actions that we took to help our res-taurants and temporary food vendors was to work with a local restaurant supply company. During a routine inspection of the restaurant supply company, it was found that they also were us-ing a non-EPA registered bleach to “sanitize” in their three com-partment sink even though they sell both EPA and non-EPA reg-istered bleaches at the establishment. A quick review of the store shelves showed that both bleaches looked exactly the same but one was labeled as “germicidal.” In fact, both bleaches were in-termingled on the store shelves because the employees did not realize there was a difference. A conversation and some educa-tion with the store manager quickly lead to a commitment to edu-cate all staff about the difference, including the sales people help-ing restaurants place orders, and clear labels on the store shelves stating which bleach was for use on food contact surfaces and which was appropriate for laundry.

See Bleach Continued on page 9

8

The Cardinal // March 2020

EPA Registered Non-EPA Registered

Proactively working with your food establishments will help them learn what to look for in an appropriate sanitizer for food contact surfaces and protect the public from any lingering food-borne illness causing bacteria and viruses.

Bleach Continued from page 7

A Message from our Friends at the Illinois Environmental Council

Today, Gov. Pritzker released his FY21 Budget Proposal in an address to the Gen-eral Assembly. While the governor’s ad-dress was primarily focused on education and human services, he emphasized the need to prioritize clean water and clean air as essential functions of state government. We certainly agree that those are important priorities that must be reflected in the state budget.

Over the last few decades, we have seen budget cuts to agencies and environmental programs that resulted in significant staff-ing reductions and fewer enforcement ac-tions. Even when funds were appropriated, in some cases they were never released to the programs or agencies for which they were earmarked.

Our initial review of the FY21 budget is overall positive, but this is certainly a maintenance budget for environment and conservation. Programs received level or increased funding and federal/capital fund-ing is sufficiently appropriated. The real litmus test will be the hiring of staff by agencies, the full use of funding, and the ability of each agency to take on new pro-grams that address current issues. Of course, we’ll continue to review the overall budget more in depth as it proceeds to-wards passage.

The governor’s budget highlighted a few environmental and conservation items, including:

· $50 million for enactment of the coal ash pollution prevention act.

· $651.5 million in new loans for munici-pal water programs and another $400 mil-lion reappropriation of capital funding for transportation electrification as well as drinking and storm water. $221 million for capital projects related to conservation.

· Full appropriation of the VW settlement funding.

· Full funding of operations of all state parks and campgrounds.

· Some appropriations for the Brandon Road project to combat Asian carp in Lake Michigan.

While the governor’s budget outlines spending for FY2021, we also hope that the governor’s office will prioritize fund-ing the following:

· Replacement of lead service lines through passage of legislation requiring an inventory and full replacement of lead ser-vice lines.

· Efforts to drastically reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture and wastewater treatment.

· Land conservation stewardship and ac-quisition funding.

Clean Energy

Gov. Pritzker underlined the need to reach 100% renewable energy in Illinois, satisfy

his commitment to the US Climate Alli-ance and fight climate change in his ad-dress. His proposed budget reflects that commitment:

· $50 million is appropriated from the Renewable Energy Resources Fund for the Illinois Solar for All program.

· $4 million for the Office of Energy to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy programming targeted from the Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund.

· $89 million in appropriated and re-appropriated VW settlement funding; IEC will advocate that transportation electrifi-cation opportunities are priorities.

Sustainable Agriculture and Local Food

· Soil and Water Conservation Districts is at $8.2 million, which is similar to FY20. This amount will fully fund staffing, but not programs at SWCDs.

· The cover crop insurance discount pro-gram was doubled to $600k.

Natural Resources

· The Department of Natural Resources budget is equal to FY20.

· OSLAD, NAAF, and OLT are all appro-priated towards open space programs.

· DNR headcount remains level.

See IEC Continued on page 10

10

· $2.5 M to initiate pre-construction engineering and design of the Brandon Road Project to combat the continued threat of Asian carp and aquatic invasive species.

Environmental Protection

· IEPA is once again slated to have 768 employees in its head-count for FY2021, up from 677 estimated in FY20 and 617 in FY19. This number still comes up short, given previous head-counts of up to 900 only five years ago and over 1,200 15 years ago.

· $5 million is appropriated from the Alternate Fuels rebate pro-gram for a grant program.

· $660 million in new appropriation authority for drinking, storm and wastewater low interest loans to local governments.

· The IEPA recycling office received increased funding from Solid Waste Management Funding.

· $50 million for coal ash pollution prevention and clean-up.

The budget introduced today is just the first step in this process. IEC and our affiliates will continue to advocate for our priorities and monitor the budgetary progress over the next few months, while also focusing on our community’s priorities for a capital infrastructure budget.

As always, you can count on us to provide a timely and accessi-ble breakdown of major policy proposals at the State Capitol, so stay tuned for our analysis throughout this legislative session.

Thank you, Jen Walling Executive Director, IEC  

IEC Continued from page 9

A Request to Hear from You By Ron Holifield

We received this e-mail from Ron Holifield

of Government Resource Specialists ask-

ing for input from practitioners about how

government works. Mr. Holifield served

almost two decades in City Management

before he moved to Government Relations

Specialists, a strategic marketing consul-

tation corporation.

From: Ron Holifield

[mailto:ron@governmentresource.com]

Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2020

5:13 PM

Subject: Off the wall idea and request

from Ron Holifield

Civic ignorance is raging among citizens

and as Frank Zappa said “Someone has got

to do something and it is just incredibly

pathetic that it has to be us.” According-

ly, I have decided to try and do something

to help local governments raise the bar on

civic understanding.

My goal is to produce a series of “how

local government works” animated videos

that would be housed on YouTube that

local governments could link to for free to

help educate their citizens (and elected

officials!). We have a production compa-

ny lined up and are prepared to move for-

ward as soon as we establish the list of

topics we should cover.

It is envisioned that these would be 90-120

second videos around a single very specif-

ic topic such as “how do you decide where

a stop sign goes“, or “how do water towers

work”, or “what happens when I call

911”, or “what is a bond rating and why

does it matter”, etc. In other words, there

are hundreds of very specific questions

that citizens often have but there is not an

easy way to educate them.

The video that I came across that inspired

my thinking answers the question “why

are bathroom stall doors so short”. You

can view it here (I hope you will forgive

me for the topic but it is the best example

of a “how it works” animated video that I

have been able to find.

https://digg.com/video/why-the-doors-of-

public-restrooms-dont-reach-the-floor?

utm_source=digg&utm_medium=email

In your role, I know that you have great

insight into citizen dynamics. As a result,

I would really appreciate it if you wouldn’t

mind taking about 5 minutes and just

shooting me a list of any topics you think

would lend themselves to this type of a

project. Think in terms of frequent ques-

tions you get, or ones you have thought

about on your own and said “I wonder

why…”

I know this is a bit of an off the wall re-

quest, but you can help me make a differ-

ence with it by sharing some of your wis-

dom and insights with me.

Thanks so much in advance for taking a

few moments to help me move this project

towards reality.

Warmest regards,

Ron

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The Cardinal // March 2020

Illinois Environmental Health Association

2020 Membership Application Instruc ons: New members please complete the en re form. Renewing members, please enter your name and any other informa on that has changed. Members who are renewing with no changes, please enter your name only. You can also join or renew online at: h p://ieha.coffeecup.com/membership2.html 

New Member Renewing Member Renewing Member - No Changes

Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Employer: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________________________________________________________

This is my home address This is my work address

Phone: __________________________________ Fax: __________________________________ Email: __________________________________________________________________________ IEHA tracks your CEUs. Please print your license number below: _______________________________________________________________________________

Please mark your membership class: Active - $55.00 Retired - $15.00 *Student - $5.00 *Students: please submit proof of your current full-time college or university student status

All applicants: Please return your completed application and check payable to IEHA to: Illinois Environmental Health Association ATTN: Membership P.O. Box 7505 Rockford, Illinois 61126

Questions? Contact the IEHA office: Phone: (815) 977-5884 Fax: (866) 760-6873 Email: iehaoffice@gmail.com

For Office Use Only:

Date Received: _________________ Check Number: _____________________ Amount: $__________________

Notes:

Once again, there is nothing for the Extra this issue. I would like to use this space instead to talk about COVID-19. On March 11 the World Health Organization designated COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Public health agencies at the international, federal, state, and local level have provided information, statistics and guidance for what is clearly a serious public health threat. Below I’ve provided some links that provide up-to-date information about COVID-19. I’m sure many of you are already checking these sites already, but I thought I’d post them anyway in case some of you are not: World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen U.S. Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/ U.S. Food & Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-issues/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19 Illinois Department of Public Health: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus   

Here’s a good source of statistical information about the outbreak: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/  

Finally, I need to advise IEHA mem-bers the voicemail for the IEHA phone line is down due to the activi-ties of my four year old grandson. For the time being, the best way to reach the office is via email.  

Stay safe out there!

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ELECTRONIC EDITION By Paul Chase, IEHA Office Manager