Environmental Services

 

Brian Griffin REHS - Director

Office phone: 740-472-1677, Ext. 5
e-mail:
brian.griffin@monroecountyohio.com

Scottie Crooks REHS

Office phone:  740-472-1677, Ext. 14
e-mail:
scottie.crooks@monroeocountyohio.com


Environmental Services Include:

2. Water Well- well inspections, water hauler license, water testing, oil and gas baseline water testing

Private Water Systems Rules

Well Permit Application

 

 
Environmental Health Fees

Food Fees
Sewage Program Fees
Private Water System Fees
Campground Fees
Pool Fees

Please call the office for a list of Installers, Haulers, etc. 

 

 The E. coli O157 bacterium is blamed for roughly 73,000 infections and 61 deaths in the United States each year, according to the CDC.  Most illnesses from E. coli O157 are associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, making it important to cook hamburgers to an internal temperature of at least 160 °F. Use a meat thermometer to be sure, as contaminated meat looks and smells normal and can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed.

  •  Wash hands thoroughly* before eating, preparing food, after using the bathroom, changing diapers or after contact with animals.
  • Cook all ground beef thoroughly, until juices are no longer pink. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it is cooked to 160 °F.
  • Wash meat thermometers between uses.
  • Wash counters and utensils with hot, soapy water after coming in contact with raw meat.
  • When cooking outdoors, use separate plates for raw meat and cooked meat.
  • Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods.
  • When ordering hamburger at a restaurant, cut the patty at its thickest part to make certain the center is not still pink. If it is pink, return it for further cooking and ask for a new bun and plate.
  • Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming.
  • People and children suffering from diarrhea should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths and preparing food.

* Thorough hand washing is defined as using warm water and washing with soap for at least 30 seconds. In public restrooms, use your arm or a paper towel to turn off the faucet and, if available, use the automatic door opener to exit the bathroom.

 

Grilling Safety

It’s safe to picnic and grill in the summer, but it’s especially important to be vigilant about food preparation.  We encourage our residents to:

  • Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Take out only the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill.
  • When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun and place it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a separate cooler.
  • Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 180 °F; breasts, 170 °F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 °F; ground poultry, 165 °F. Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 °F. All cuts of pork should reach 160 °F.
  • NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.
  • After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served - at 140 °F or warmer.
  • Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven (approximately 200 °F), in a chafing dish or slow cooker or on a warming tray.
  • When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.
  • In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should never sit out for more than one hour.
  • Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than two hours (one hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).
  • Never leave a grill unattended.