YOUR ASSOCIATION
NEHA NEWS
NEHA Policy Statements One of the responsibilities of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) is to speak up on issues of concern to our members and the profession through the adoption of policy state- ments. These statements have been vetted by our team and adopted by our Board of Directors as ocial statements of the association. Each statement sets forth our beliefs on a specific subject related to environmental health and is shared with state, local, and federal policymakers, as well as relevant environmental and public health boards. The policies remain active for 5 years. Several of our policy statements were updated and approved by our board in July 2023. The following is a list of the updated statements: • Policy Statement on Climate Change: We recognize climate change as a global environmental health problem that has health and safety impacts on individuals and communities. We support building the capacity of environmental health profes- sionals to address the health impacts of climate change with risk assessment, adaptation, and mitigation planning. We sup- port federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions in developing policies, using frameworks, and implementing plans to address climate and health, including technical assis- tance and training. • Policy Statement on Enrollment and Conformance With the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Stan- dards of the Food and Drug Administration: We recommend all federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governmental agencies to enroll in the Voluntary National Retail Food Regu- latory Program Standards to implement current national stan- dards that outline a process of program self-assessment and continuous improvement of existing regulatory program mea- sures to help reduce foodborne illness risk factors. Enrollment and conformance ensure the safety and security of the food supply at the retail level. • Policy Statement on Food Safety Related to Consumable Can- nabis Products: We support the implementation of regulations related to consumable cannabis products that contain sucient authority to prevent illness and encourage the inclusion of poli- cies and actions to ensure food safety. • Policy Statement on Raw Milk: We have long supported pre- ventive measures to protect the safety of food for the public. Further, we acknowledge the importance of milk as a source of nutrition and are concerned about the safety of milk and milk products. Our position regarding raw milk is consistent with sound, science-based, preventive public health measures. • Policy Statement on Recreational Waters and the Model Aquatic Health Code: We support national, state, and local poli- cies, regulations, research, and resources that will enhance the abilities of environmental health professionals to ensure aquatic venue safety and to protect public health.
• Policy Statement on the Need for Data Modernization and Informatics in Environmental Health Programs: We support investments, regulations, and requirements as appropriate for standardization of data structures, data dictionaries, data shar- ing laws and policies, and messaging systems. Standardized system structures will support cross-jurisdictional data shar- ing; data collection, analysis, and visualization (DAV) systems; and research that aids decision support systems for policy and practice implementation. We also advocate for advanced train- ing of the environmental health workforce in informatics and DAV systems. Thank you to our committee members, board, and sta for their work on updating these policy statements. The updated state- ments, along with our other current statements, can be viewed at www.neha.org/policy. NEHA Position Statements Position statements reflect our position on certain concerns and actions that we will undertake as an association. These statements have been vetted by our sta and adopted by our Board of Directors as ocial actions or directions of the association. These statements set forth our beliefs on a specific subject related to environmental health. These positions remain active for 1 year. We have recently posted two new position statements: • Position Statement on Natural Disasters • Role of Environmental Health in Addressing Environmental Justice Thank you to our committee members, board, and sta for their work on updating or drafting these policy statements. View all of our position statements at www.neha.org/positions. NEHA Sunsets Three Credentials Our Board of Directors voted in July 2023 to discontinue three of our credentials:
• Certified Food Outbreak Investigator (CFOI) • Certified in Food Safety Supplier Audits (CFSSA) • Registered Food Safety Auditor (RFSA)
While we will no longer be able to certify new individuals for these credentials, they continue to be a mark of distinction. We will continue to stand behind the credentials and encourage cur- rent credential holders to keep their credentials up-to-date by maintaining the necessary continuing education contact hours. This change will allow us to focus our limited resources on our three premier credentials: • Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitar- ian (REHS/RS) • Certified Professional–Food Safety (CP-FS) • Certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS) Learn more about our credentials at www.neha.org/credentials.
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Volume 86 • Number 3
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