9. What does an Environmental Health Specialist do?

As a member of a local environmental health agency, a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) enforces environmental and public health laws in the community, as well as provides education on environmental health issues. An Environmental Health Specialist may also be called upon to:

RESPOND to public health threats, such as chemical spills or natural disastersINVESTIGATE source and transmission of disease-causing organismsINSPECT regulated businesses, such as a food facility, hazardous waste generatorREVIEW legislation dealing with environmental health issuesENFORCE federal, state and local environmental health regulations