Seminar Presentations

2024 Seminars

MEHA 2024 Food for Thought: Environmental Health Topics: NEARS Reporting

"Lets Talk About NEARS"
Meghan Holst, CDC and Adam Kramer, CDC and Nichol Smith, MassDPH.

NEARS Manual

NEARS Instrument

MEHA 2024 Annual Seminar

"Back to Life" Addiction and the Adolescent Brain
Dr. Joseph Shrand & Drug Story Theater

Food Inspections: How Did You Debit That?

Pamela Ross-Kung, M.S., R.S., President of Safe Food Management

Making the Most of Opioid Abatement Monies: Natick's Community-Informed Process for Preventing and Reducing Opioid Use Disorder

Katie Sugarman, MA, CPS & Elizabeth Chalfin, MSW, MPH

Tobacco Control Efforts and Trends in Massachusetts

Nikysha Harding, MPH, Boston Public Health Commission Tobacco Control Program &
Cheryl Sbarra, Esq., Executive Director, MA Association of Health Boards

Outreach: Trauma-Informed Connections from a Pretreatment Perspective

Jay Levy, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Social Worker Eliot CHS-Homeless Services, PATH Program Manager 

February: Title 5 Seminar

Pipe Cameras: Appropriate usage to assist with a Title 5 Inspection

Andy Curtis, Title 5 Inspector Curtis Septic Service

Understanding Nitrogen Loading and Credit Land

Clare Golden, Environmental Engineer IV, MassDEP, Northeast Regional Office

Total Coliform Sampling

James Starbard, Regional Director, RCAP Solutions

Viruses and Septic System Design and Wastewater Reuse Options– What You Should Know

George Heufelder, Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MassTC)

 

2023 Seminars

September: 61st Annual Yankee Conference

Wednesday, 09/20/23 - Friday, 09/22/23

Wednesday Presentations

The New England Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases, NEWVEC (Stephen Rich, Executive Director & Andrew Lover, Deputy Director)

MA State & Local Health Partnerships - Responding to Natural Disasters in 2011 & Today (Charlie Kaniecki, District Health Officer, Retired)

Why We Inspect Septic Systems (Jeff Polhemus, RS, Environmental Health Institute of CT)

Thursday Presentations

Board of Health Considerations of Innovative/Alternative On-Site Wastewater Systems (Alyssa Rusiecki, UMass/YOWA)

An Overview of Harm Reduction Services in Metro West MA (Aron Thiim & Kelsey Rodrigues)

Nail Salons, Schools, and COVID, Oh My! - Indoor Air Quality in 3 Contexts (Paul Shoemaker, Boston Public Health Commission)

The ABCs of A/I (Claire Golden, MassDEP)

New England Public Health Training Center and MA Local Public Health Training Institute (Patricia Janulewicz, NEPHTC & Madeleine Scammell, MLPHTI)

Operation & Maintenance of I/A Onsite Wastewater Systems (Steve Nelson, Clearwater Recovery)

Going Smoke Free (Including Cannabis) in Condos and Rental Properties (Chris Banthin, Program Director, Public Health Advocacy Institute)

Public Water Systems for Public Health Officials (Jim Starbard & Matt Cassedy, RCAP Solutions)

Yankee Conference Keynote Address (Tom Butts, NEHA President)

Friday Presentations

Mercury Spill in a Residential Home & The Public Health Response, New Britain, CT (Caleb Cowles, MPH, RS)

Community Interventions for Excessive Clutter & Hoarding (Lynn Faust, Metro Community Development Corporation)

An Update on Current Cannabis Laws (Cheryl Sbarra, JD, Executive Director & Senior Staff Attorney, MAHB)

May: 75th Annual Seminar

Wednesday, 05/24/23

Suggested Sustainability & Culinary Cues (Bridget Sweet, Amtrak Food Safety Director)

All Things Legal - What's Coming Down the Pike? (Cheryl Sbarra, Director, MAHB)

The Isthmus - (Keynote Speaker, Dr. David Dyjack, Executive Director, NEHA)

Food Safety Systems - The Future of Retail Food Safety (Tom Nerney, FDA Retail Food Safety Specialist)

Health, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice (Jillian Wilson-Martin, Director of Sustainability for the Town of Natick, and Barry Keppar, MAPC)

Future Equity in Housing and New Housing Code Q&A (Paul Halfmann)

March: Title 5 Seminar

Wednesday, 03/01/23

Title 5 Enforcement Procedures (Claire Golden, MassDEP)

MA Soils and Their Hydrolic Movement (Dave Zimmermann, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)

Expanding the Nutrient Reduction Toolbox: Nature Based Approaches and Next Generation Septic on Cape Cod (Emma Gildesgame, The Nature Conservancy & Alexie Rudman, Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center MassTC)

Drip Dispersal of Septic Tank Effluent: Getting the Most out of your Soil Absorption System Area (George Heufelder, Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center MassTC)

OSHA- Safety and Health Review (Peter Barletta, US Department of Labor)

Department of Labor Standards Workplace Safety and Health Program for Public Sector Employees, Now a Massachusetts OSHA State Plan (Steve Dagle, US Department of Labor)

2022 Seminars

September: 60th Annual Yankee Conference

Wednesday, 9/28/22

Partnership Between Industry & Regulators (Andy Husbands, The Smoke Shop BBQ / Massachusetts Restaurant Association)

Climate Change: Simple, Serious, Solvable! (Harvey Leonard)

Local and Regional Public Health Support and Partnership

The Collins Center and Local Environmental and Public Health

Food Safety Outreach and Opportunities in the Community

Inspectors Making a Difference: The Little Things That Save Lives in a Fire (Tim Choate, Town of Sudbury)

Thursday, 9/29/22

Plenary: Indoor Air Quality and COVID: How Environmental Health Responded

Food Track

How to Review HACCP Plans (Pamela Ross-Kung, Safe Food Management)

Current Fermentation Studies and Similar Processes (Amanda Kinchla, UMass Amherst)

Plumbing in Commercial Food Establishments & Residences (Rick Carter, Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 12)

How Refrigeration Units Are Tested and Certified, and Why It Matters (Derek DeLand, NSF)

Retail Program Standards Funding/Grants + Writing Food Inspections and Citing Violations: How to Use the Food Code (Tom Nerney and Christina Applewhite, FDA)

Septic Track

Septic System Plan Review (Claire Golden, MassDEP)

Septic 101 Part 1(Biology & Nutrients), Part 2 (Soils & Septic System Basics), and Part 3 (I/A Systems and O & M) (Rebekah Novak & Andrew Evans, RCAP Solutions)

General Environmental Track

Update on Legislation for Marijuana Social Consumption Establishments (Cheryl Sbarra, Massachusetts Association of Health Boards)

What is the Cannabis Control Commission and What Do They Do? (Bruce Stebbins, Cannabis Control Commission)

Hemp in Massachusetts & Products Derived from Hemp (Taryn LaScola & Jessica Burgess, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources)

Green Means Go: A Cannabis Facility Crash Course (Jessie Moberg, Caveney Architectural Collaborative)

PFAS in Massachusetts: Waste Site Cleanup Program’s Role in Identifying Sources and Pursuing Cleanup (Angela Gallagher, Elizabeth Callahan, and Paul Locke, MassDEP)

Friday, 9/30/22

Outbreaks: Using Collaboration to Identify the Source (Matthew Payne, Connecticut Department of Public Health)

Highlights of the Annual Letter to BOH Drinking Water (Michael Celona, MassDEP)

Natural Solutions: The Essential Neglected Opportunity to Address Climate Change (Dr. William Moomaw, Tufts University)

Tattooing/Body Arts and Personal Services from a Public Health Perspective (Brian Falkner, City of New Britain Health Department)

May: Annual Seminar

March: Current Title 5 Topics

Nitrogen Loading Issues: How Title 5 Addresses Protection of Water Supplies - Claire Golden, MassDEP

I/A Systems: What We've Learned and Where We'd Like to Go - Emily Michele Olmsted, The Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MassTC)

The Buried Truth About Your Septic System - Bob Silva, Septic Preservation Services

Title 5 Inspections & Failure Factors - Dan McIntyre, M.E.S.S. Inc.

Title 5 Fill Material for Soil Absorption Systems - Frederic King, DGT Associates

Proper Application of Drip Irrigation Systems: One Tool in the Toolbox - Seth Lajoie, Seth Lajoie & Associates

2021 Seminars

November: Water, Food, and Housing: Essential Lessons for the Field

Short-Term Rentals and General Housing Questions – Paul Halfmann & Amy Riordan, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Identifying and Assessing Special Processes at Retail – Sean McCormick, Berger Food Safety Consulting, & Nicole Richard, University of Rhode Island

Partners in Food Safety: What’s New on the Horizon? – Steve Nattrass, FDA

Opportunities to Coordinate with Local Boards of Health on Compliance & Enforcement of DLS Asbestos Regulations – Michael Weakley, Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards

Opportunities to Coordinate with Local Boards of Health on Compliance & Enforcement of DEP Asbestos Regulations – Cynthia Baran, MassDEP

Massachusetts Pool Plan Review – Harold Tillson & Jeffrey Scimone, South Shore Gunite Pools & Spa

Outbreaks: Finding the Needle in the Haystack – Catherine Feeney, Rhode Island Department of Health

June: Speaker Series - PFAS: An Upstream Approach

Source Reduction: Removing the Handle from the PFAS Pump - Tiffany Skogstrom, Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTA)

Addressing PFAS Upstream: TURA Program Activities - Liz Harriman & Rachel Massey, Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI)

May: Annual Seminar Part 2

Tears to Motivate Us - Dr. David Dyjack, National Environmental Health Association

Overview: Group 2 Retirement for Health Professionals - Jack Morris

What's Cookin'?: Residential Kitchens & Cottage Foods Operations

May: Annual Seminar Part 1

Promoting Food Donation, Recycling, and Food Scrap Diversion in Health Inspections - Heather Billings, RecyclingWorks

Stressed Out? Moving Forward During a Pandemic - Wendy Botelho & Pam Bolarinho, Child and Family Services

March: Modern Challenges to Onsite Wastewater Systems and Responses Through Title 5

The Tide is High, But I'm Holding On Climate Change Effects on Onsite Wastewater Systems) - Dr. Jose A. Amador and Dr. Alissa Cox

I/A Systems: Boards of Health's Role in the Approval Process - Claire Golden

2020 Seminars

December: Fall Seminar Part 2 - Current Title 5 Topics

A Study on Virus Removal and Groundwater Separation: Progress to Date - George Heufelder

Soil Sieve Analysis & Its Application in the Field - Rick Grady

December: Fall Seminar Part 1 - Current Environmental Health Topics

Housing Court Procedures and Preparation - Chief Justice Timothy F. Sullivan and Paul Halfmann

The Application of Electrolyzed Water as a Cleaner/Sanitizer/Disinfectant - Pamela Ross Kung and Chef Joseph Leonardi

Air Quality Nuisance & Noise Complaints - Michelle Delemarre

October: SAPHE Act - What is it? Why should I care?

SAPHE Act: What is it? Why should I care?

September: Title 5 Webinar

Title 5 Salmagundi - Claire Golden, MassDEP

Septic Systems on Cape Cod: Challenges and Responses - Tim Pasakarnis, Cape Cod Commission

Coliform Sampling - Rebekah Novak & Laurie Stevens, RCAP Solutions

June: Annual Seminar 2020

Considering COVID 19 During Routine Retail Inspections in 2020 and Beyond - Michael Moore

Lodging Facilities & COVID 19 - Paul Halfmann

Operating Campgrounds in Phase 2 - Amy Riordan

EEE 2020 Overview - Catherine Brown

2019 Seminars

September: 57th Annual Yankee Conference

OSHA Update-Silica and Open Trench Requirements - Peter Barletta

Conducting Risk-Based Inspections - Tom Nerney

Shared Use Kitchens: Challenges and Solutions

Public Health Addresses Climate Change - Paul Shoemaker

MassDEP Asbestos Regulation - Michael Elliott

Cannabis and CBD in Massachusetts - Cheryl Sbarra

So You Want to Open a Restaurant - Karen Martin & Pat Maloney

Eco-Friendly Toilet Technologies - Erika Woods

Septic Systems 101 & Mock Plan Review Part 1 - Claire Golden

Septic Systems 101 & Mock Plan Review Part 2 - Claire Golden

Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards - Michael Flanagan

Breathe Easy at Home - Eugene Barros & Darris Jordan

HACCP-Based Specialized Processes for Retail Food - Pamela Ross-Kung

Using pH and Water Activity Meters for Establishing Food Safety Control - Amanda Kinchla

Pool Safety - Steven Hughes et al

May: Annual Seminar 2019

Funding Opportunities: What Is Available and How Can It Be Accessed? - Eric Weiss

As the Stomach Turns: Foodborne Illness Investigation of a Wedding Outbreak and other stories from the field - Charles Alpren

Nail Salons: Hidden Dangers - Protecting Clients and Nail Technicians - Paul Shoemaker

Community Sanitation: Condemnations, New Short-Term Rental Statute, Camps, Pools, and Public Health Open Q & A - Paul Halfmann & Amy Riordan

February: Using the New Food Code

Regulatory Updates to 105 CMR 590 - Lisa Berger & Pamela Ross-Kung

February: Title 5 Updates: Where Research Meets Practice

MassDEP's Evolving Role for Local BOHs and the General Public - Claire Golden

Nitrogen Removal in Onsite Septic Systems and Their Application in Nitrogen-Sensitives Areas - George Heufelder

Phosphorus remoal in the Onsite Septic System - George Heufelder

Pharmaceuticals and Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Domestic Wastewater and Their Effects on Septic Systems - Dr. David Reckhow

Tracking the Performance of Innovative Alternative Septic Systems in Your Town - Emily Michele Olmsted

2018 Seminars

December: Water, E-Cigarettes, Marijuana, & New Food Regulations

Vaping - DJ Wilson

New MA Food Code - Diane Bernazzani & Jen Robertson

Medical & Adult Use Marijuana - Cheryl Sbarra

Lead Service Lines - Stephen Estes-Smargiassi

PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water - Mark Wetzel

Water Main Breaks - Phil Guerin

May: Annual Seminar 2018

Float Tanks: Sanitation, Research, and Regulation - Ashkahn Jahromi & Graham Talley

Special Food Processing Requirements - Amanda Kinchla

Radiofrequency Safety Overview - Kevin McManus

New Trends Impacting Retail Food Establishments' Food Safety - Lisa Berger

March: Onsite Wastewater for Local Environmental Health Officials

Title 5 & Mass DEP Updates - Claire Golden

Title 5 Issues That Don't Go Away - Claire Golden

Malfunction Analysis, Prevention, and Correction - Dave Lentz

Green Building with Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems: A Comparison of O&M Energy Use and Carbon Generation - Jon Kaiser

Construction Inspections for the Inexperienced Inspector - Dave Doucette

2017 Seminars

November: Food Sanitation, Food Inspection Tools and Regulating Cannabis Foods

Cleaning - Disinfection - Dr. Powitz

Instrumentation Workshop - Dr. Powitz

Regulating Cannabis Foods in Denver Colorado - Kara Lavaux

October: 55th Annual Yankee Conference on Environmental Health in Newport Rhode Island

Big Blue Bug, Cockroaches: 350,000,000 and Still Going Strong! - Tony De Jesus

2016 Seminars

November

Food Protection Questions - Diane Bernazzani, REHS / RS, CP-FS

Food Protection Questions - Wiping Cloths

2015 Seminars

March: Waste Water

How Secondary Treatment Units Can Be Used for New Construction and Upgrades - Claire Golden

How Local Upgrade Approvals & Variances Are Handled Under Title 5 - Claire Golden

MassDEP Updates - Claire Golden

2014 Seminars

March: Waste Water

The Effect of Pre-Treatment on the Removal of Nitrogen in Soil Absorption Systems of Onsite Septic Systems - George Heufelder

MASS DEP'S STU Standard Conditions for Remedial Use Approval - Daniel Ottenheimer

The Removal of Selected Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products by Two Shallow-Placed Soil Dispersal Systems - George Heufelder

2013 Seminars

November: Air Quality

Air Quality Nuisance Complaints: Odor, Dust and Noise - Michelle Delemarre

2012 Seminars

November: West Nile Virus (WNV)/Eastern Encephalitis (EE)

Massachusetts Arbovirus Surveillance and Response Plan - Catherine Brown

WNV Overview - Local and Country Wide - David Henley

EEE Overview - Local and Country Wide - Doug Bidlack

Emerging Disease and Mosquitoes - Ellen Bidlack

Interventions - Controlling Arboviruses - Priscilla Matton

May

Anaerobic Digestion - Craig S. Coker

Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report of Independent Expert Panel - James Manwell, Sheryl Grace, Wendy Heiger-Bernays

Backyard Chicken Farming - Ed Hegeman

Emergency Preparedness/Response: Meeting the Emergency & Disaster Needs of People with Disabilities - Sue Wolf-Fordham

Onsite Wastewater Systems & Title 5 Rules: Basic Concepts - Daniel Ottenheimer

MassDEP, Groundwater Permit Program Overview and Requirements - Alan Slater

A Green Approach to Campground Wastewater Improvements - Jeremy Cigal

2011 Seminars

Public Health Response to Mercury Spills Part 1 - Brendan Boyle

Public Health Response to Mercury Spills Part 2 - Brendan Boyle

Public Health Response to Mercury Spills Part 3 - Brendan Boyle

Second Hand Smoke Exposure:The Real Truth - Timothy R. McAuley

Environmental Noise - prepared by Cynara Cannatella, presented by John Hovsepian

Rat Control, an Issue for Food Establishments, Residents and Municipalities - Don Rivard

Managing Animal Waste in Public Parks & Conservation Land - Randy Mickley

2010 Seminars

PCBs in the Indoor Environment: An Emerging Public Health Issue - James Viano

Lead-based Paint: Rennovation, Repair, Painting

Basic Housing Inspections, Hoarding and Abandoned Properties Expand Communicating Your Message to the Public and Media - Bob Howard

2009 Seminars

MA Cert Of Death: Data and Public Health Uses - Jane Purtill

Standardized Pandemic H1N1 Flu Public Health Perspective - MDPH

2007 Seminars

Polyethylene Tanks Onsite Wastewater Treatment - Joseph Brown

Regional Summary Of Outdoor Wood Boilers Activities - James Doucett