By JEANETTE WOLFBERG
HUDSON–Columbia County is developing a Sanitary Code, the County Health Department announced at the Board of Supervisors Health and Human Services Committee meeting November 19, where Demba Keita, MD, gave a presentation about it. Dr. Keita is on a two year fellowship at the Health Department.
New York State has a Sanitary Code, but several counties have their own code in addition, tailored to local conditions. Some parts of the counties’ codes are stricter than the corresponding part of the state code.
Dr. Keita, in his presentation, identified nine “public health and environmental challenges” facing Columbia County today. He divided these into six main and three additional issues. The main ones were:
•Water Quality and Well Contamination, especially since “many residents rely on private wells”
•Sewage, especially since rural area septic systems are “aging” and can leak into groundwater
•Tick-borne Diseases
•Air Quality
•Access to Healthcare, hindered by “transportation challenges”
•Food Security, Nutrition, and “nutrition-related health issues, such as obesity and diabetes.” “Limited access to grocery stores and fresh produce” does not help.
The additional issues were:
•Substance Use and Mental Health
•Environmental Hazards Related to Climate Change, such as flooding
•The aging population and chronic diseases.
A sanitary code that confronts these challenges, Dr. Keita anticipates, could affect homeowners by “ensuring compliance with new wastewater and housing regulations.” It could affect renters, because of “better enforcement of housing standards.” And it could affect businesses, because of “stricter requirements for waste management and sanitary operations.”
The idea for a County Sanitary Code arose in a meeting “about a year ago” between Chairman Matt Murell (Stockport) of the County Board of Supervisors, County Director of Public Health Victoria McGahan, Supervisor Ron Knott (Stuyvesant), and County Engineer Ray Jurkowski, Chairman Murell reported November 21. Subsequently, Dr. Zeita got the assignment of putting together a preliminary proposal. The department has the remainder of his term to develop the proposal and pass it on to the Board of Supervisors and other stakeholders for discussion, suggestions, and modifications.
