Public/Private Partnerships in EH

Environmental health has grown into a multi-million dollar industry, funded by both the private and public sector. The identification of risks, development of rules, and administration of programs are performed by the public sector. But it is the private sector that implements these programs.

The standards required to meet health and safety requirements for environmental projects has created a private sector environmental public health workforce, comprised of engineers, sanitarians, public health personnel and other highly skilled individuals that implement the EH requirements mandated by state, federal and local decision makers. This workforce has the insight and knowledge of the best practices to meet the public health goals of each EH policy, yet too often are not engaged in the development and promotion of EH.

Graphic:ictnhcdiagnostics.blogspot.com

It is these rules, codes and policies that have created the EH industry. Without these EH requirements, this industry and the millions it employs not exist. It is very much in the EH industry's interest to be active in promoting the industry, before the state and federal rule making agencies, before the general public, and foremostly before Congress, the state legislatures and city and county councils that adopt EH requirements. This industry will not grow but instead decline without an active approach in promoting the economic benefits of a robust EH program. This session will discuss efforts to encourage the private sector in promoting the federal, state and local EH workforce.