{"id":12,"date":"2016-12-09T20:11:36","date_gmt":"2016-12-09T20:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/crater\/?page_id=12"},"modified":"2025-09-24T15:47:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T19:47:38","slug":"environmental-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/crater\/environmental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What We Do<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/crater\/environmental-health\/environmental-health5\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2023\/07\/Environmental-Health5-1024x512.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"414\" height=\"207\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Environmental Health Services protect the health and safety of Crater Health District residents through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Safe food and water,<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Proper sewage disposal<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Correction of environmental hazards<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Investigation of animal bites\/rabies exposures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Program Areas<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Food Safety<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Environmental Health (EH) professionals evaluate and inspect restaurants, schools, hotels, motels, campgrounds, summer camps, migrant labor camps, adult and child day care centers and vendors at public temporary events for food safety.<\/p>\n<p>Food safety training is extremely important in ensuring that food establishments offer the safest food possible to the public.\u00a0 The Crater Health District strongly recommends that food establishment owners and employees at all levels receive food safety training. Understanding food safety principles can help prevent a food-borne illness\u2014an illness that is related to the consumption of improperly prepared or handled food.<\/p>\n<p>The Crater Health District offers several food safety classes throughout the year for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All levels of food service workers<\/li>\n<li>Food establishment owners<\/li>\n<li>Temporary food vendors (persons preparing and serving foods at public events)<\/li>\n<li>People preparing foods for large crowds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Food safety classes offered include: ServSafe\u00ae Certification and temporary food vendor classes. A proctored exam for ServSafe\u00ae Certification is also offered.\u00a0 Training for groups of food service workers at the requesting facility is available.\u00a0 Educational opportunities for churches and civic organizations who want to learn about food safety are available upon request.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Onsite Sewage and Well Services<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>EH conducts site evaluations for design and permitting of septic systems and private wells. We also review private sector submittals for permit issuance. EH staff perform inspections and investigate reports of raw sewage or other ground water contamination. Staff provide assistance and useful information to the public regarding their sewage disposal systems and private water supplies.<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\">For a list of onsite sewage and well application fees, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2020\/09\/Environmental-Health-New-Onsite-Fees-7_1_19-1.docx\">see this document<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Rabies Control<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>EH works with animal control to investigate animal exposure reports and submits specimens to the state laboratory for rabies testing. We work with pet owners to ensure proper confinement and quarantines are conducted to protect public health and offer outreach and education about rabies to the community.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Other Programs\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Other program areas include annual inspection and complaint investigation on motels\/hotels, campgrounds, summer camps and migrant labor camps. In the City of Hopewell and Petersburg conducts annual inspections on grocery stores and convenience stores.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Applications and Forms<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Application_Food-Establishment-Permit.pdf\">Application Food Establishment Permit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Food-Establishment-Permit-Checklist.pdf\">Food Establishment Permit Checklist<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Food-Safety-Course-Enrollment-Form.pdf\">Food Safety Course Enrollment Form<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Onsite-Sewage-and-Well-Application-Fees.pdf\">Onsite Sewage and Well Application Fees<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Resources for Restaurants<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Food-Prep-Temperature-Chart.pdf\">Food Prep Temperature Chart<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Food-Storage-Chart.pdf\">Food Storage Chart<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2016\/12\/Food-Safety-Guide.pdf\">Food Safety Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Online Resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/inspections.myhealthdepartment.com\/virginia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Restaurant Inspection Reports<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong>View health inspection results conducted by Environmental Health Specialists across Virginia.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/EnvironmentalHealth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Office of Environmental Health Services<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nHomepage for VDH\u2019s Office of Environmental Health Services. Provides information on regulations governing restaurants, tourist establishments (hotels\/motels), swimming pools at tourist establishments, campgrounds, summer camps, migrant labor camps, product recalls and general public health information.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/healthy-swimming\/prevention\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CDC Recreational Water-Associated Illnesses<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nFor information on recreational water-associated illnesses and general public health issues.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>US Food and Drug Administration<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nFor information on food safety, general public health issues and product recalls.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.usda.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>US Department of Agriculture<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nFor information on food safety and product recalls.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/pubs.ext.vt.edu\/category\/food-safety.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Virginia Tech Extension Service<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nFor information on food safety and drinking water protection.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Contact\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Contact your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/crater\/contact\/\">local health department<\/a> for further assistance or to report an environmental health concern.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What We Do Environmental Health Services protect the health and safety of Crater Health District residents through: Safe food and water, Proper sewage disposal Correction of environmental hazards Investigation of animal bites\/rabies exposures Program Areas Food Safety The Environmental Health (EH) professionals evaluate and inspect restaurants, schools, hotels, motels, campgrounds, summer camps, migrant labor camps, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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