Western Upper Peninsula Health Department Considering Proposed Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Codes

The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department hopes to move forward on the proposed Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code soon. The department is seeking to approve the same proposal already adopted by several other Upper Peninsula health departments. WUPHD last updated environmental health codes for the western Upper Peninsula back in 1997. Health Officer Kate Beer says the proposed codes will take into account new technologies, and public health strategies that have been developed over the past twenty years.

“So I think the language in the code is a little more transparent than the last code. Like I said, there is some less restrictive isolation distances. So that will be helpful to local residents. One of the things, that by passing this updated health code, we keep it local. So, if we don’t have a code locally, then we have to follow the state requirements. And I think it’s a lot better for our communities. It’s a lot more constructive for us to be able to handle permitting locally.” – Kate Beer, Executive Health Officer, Western Upper Peninsula Health Department

Beer says that the new environmental health codes have taken out confusing and unnecessary language and updates the codes for regulating private businesses’ septic fields. The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department will hold a public hearing next Monday at 5:30 pm, at their office headquarters in Hancock.For those interested in learning more about the updated Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code proposal, you can find more information on the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department’s website.