Health department introduces new environmental health inspector after cluster of elevated lead tests

The Board introduced Melissa, a new environmental health staff member hired from Davis County two to four months earlier, and staff credited her with quickly supporting elevated blood lead investigations and water and pool-sampling work.

Why it matters: County staff said Melissa brought lead inspection certification and practical experience the department had lacked. Staff described a recent increase in elevated blood-lead results in the Lehi area (noted in meeting as an observation), and said Melissa’s arrival helped the department identify exposures and begin coordination with responsible organizations and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to pursue remediation.

At the meeting, Melissa described her background (born and raised in Davis County; Utah State University graduate) and said her portfolio includes pool inspections, water sampling, day-to-day water-lab coordination and managing elevated blood-lead follow-up under a state grant. Environmental-health staff said they had struggled to recruit a lead-certified inspector previously and that Melissa’s certification allowed the department to move more quickly on recent investigations.

Directors said they will be sensitive in public communications while investigations are ongoing; they said staff will identify specific exposure sources to affected families and work with DEQ on remediation plans. No specific remediation actions or timelines were announced at the meeting.

Ending: Board members thanked Melissa and staff for rapid response and noted that investigators are working with DEQ and other responsible parties to determine exposure sources and remediation steps.