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MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br />March 4, 2004 <br />Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 3 March 4, 2004 <br />of Health since the Board has proposed environmental education in the past as <br />well and has expressed interest and concern over water quality issues for many <br />years. The CFE has also looked at issues of air quality, greenhouse emission <br />standards, exhaust from cars coming through, and what can be done to improve <br />the air quality. Orange County is in one of the high ozone areas in the state. <br /> <br />Included for the Board’s review was the last educational plan that was presented <br />to commissioners in 2000-2001 from the Health Department and not funded. <br />This plan has been updated to include an environmental education component <br />for local residents who have both septic tanks and wells. <br /> <br />Alan Rimer suggested that the Board of Health establish where the Board stands <br />on whether this position belongs in the Environment and Resource Conservation <br />Department or Health Department. Alan recommended this issue be put on the <br />agenda for discussion at the next ACEH meeting and a recommendation <br />presented at the March Board of Health Meeting. <br /> <br />B. Oak Grove Community Biosolids Update <br /> <br />Ron Holdway reported that staff has been working with the Oak Grove <br />Community to facilitate answers to their questions regarding biosolids and <br />whether they pose a health risk to the community. Environmental health has <br />conducted water sampling of individual wells in the community at owner’s <br />requests and OWASA has cooperated by conducting surface water analysis as <br />well. The biosolids are from the city of Burlington. The area lies within one-half <br />mile of the Cane Creek watershed. <br /> <br />A meeting was held by local residents and attended by Ron Holdway of the <br />Environmental Health Services Division of the Orange County Health Department, <br />representatives of the City of Burlington, OWASA, and the State. The biosolids <br />application is contracted out to a private company who also was represented. <br /> <br />The Health Department offered to do a water quality study in that immediate area <br />as well as surface water. Dr. Summers has contacted the North Carolina Cancer <br />Registry and they have agreed to consider doing a statistical or GIS study of the <br />area the Department is awaiting. <br /> <br />Alan Rimer reported that all biosolids face rigorous state mandated testing on a <br />daily basis and especially prior to land application for heavy metals and other <br />harmful contaminants. <br /> <br />Board members agreed to formulate their recommendations on biosolids <br />application standards for the county and forward this as a decision to the <br />Division of Water Quality and the EPA or forward the same recommendations to <br />the Board of County Commissioners and ask that the Commissioners join the <br />Board of Health in advocating for those things to happen. <br /> <br />C. Board Vacancy <br /> <br />The Board currently has a vacancy in an at-large position. The Nominating <br />Committee met with two highly qualified candidates last week to prepare to make <br />a recommendation on one of these individuals to be forwarded to the Board of <br />Commissioners for consideration.