Louisiana's National Sanitarian and Environmental Health Specialist Day.

Louisiana recently passed a resolution (see below) to commend NEHA and the Louisiana Environmental Health Association (LEHA) for their achievements in protecting public health. The resolution also designates the fourth Monday in April as National Sanitarian and Environmental Health Specialist Day in Louisiana.

Some background may be of interest here: LEHA cultivated a relationship with the representative and senator who serve on the committees that oversee health and environment issues in the state of Louisiana. The association invited those legislators to speak at its conferences, made them honorary LEHA members, and even had one senator named to receive the NEHA Certificate of Merit from Louisiana this past year.

LEHA thought that having the state legislature declare an annual National Sanitarian and Environmental Health Specialist Day would help the public to better understand the roles that sanitarians and environmental health specialists play in protecting public health and the environment. This occasion can now be used to help spread the word each year to various public groups as LEHA tries to educate them about the environmental health profession.

LEHA encourages other affiliates and members to get their state representatives and senators interested and excited about state environmental health associations, to let them see what good things are being accomplished in the name of public health and the environment, and to work to find common ground.

For more background, please contact LEHA's President-Elect Steve Aguillard by phone at [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Louisiana Senate 

Regular Session, 2005

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 51

By Senator Fontenot

A Concurrent Resolution

To commend the National Environmental Health Association and the Louisiana Environmental Health Association for their achievements in protecting public health and to join the membership of these organizations in celebrating the fourth Monday in April annually as National Sanitarian and Environmental Health Specialist Day in Louisiana.

Whereas, the citizens of the state of Louisiana face potential health hazards in their everyday lives that may result in deleterious effects to their health and environment; and

Whereas, environmental health hazards are a great threat to the health and happiness of not only those persons with easily compromised immune systems, such as the elderly and the young, but also to those of us who are healthy; and

Whereas, the Louisiana Environmental Health Association (LEHA), a state affiliate of the National Environmental Health Association, is dedicated to helping environmental health professionals meet the demands necessary for the effective control of environmental hazards; and

Whereas, LEHA was originally established in 1947 as the Louisiana Association of Sanitarians that served only public health sanitarians. However, due to expanding concerns in the field of environmental control, LEHA supports and promotes continuing professional development, participation in public affairs which render enhanced public health and environmental protection in the community, and the general welfare of the professional sanitarian and environmental professional in the state of Louisiana and the nation; and

Whereas, sanitarians and environmental health specialists strive toward meeting preventative health goals for the public's health; specifically to reduce or eliminate environmental health risk factors that cause human suffering, disease or injuries through consultation, education, inspections, investigations, and enforcement in the areas of food safety, public facilities, drinking water supply, sewage disposal, pest control, solid and hazardous waste, air quality, radiation protection, groundwater and surface water resource protection, toxins, bioterrorism, disaster response and communicable disease; and

Whereas, the fourth Monday in April is National Sanitarian and Environmental Health Specialist Day in the state of Louisiana.

Therefore, be it resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend the National Environmental Health Association and the Louisiana Environmental Health Association for their achievements in protecting public health and join with the membership of these organizations in celebrating the fourth Monday in April as National Sanitarian and Environmental Health Specialist Day in the state of Louisiana.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the executive director of the National Environmental Health Association and the Louisiana Environmental Health Association.