Douglas County environmental health reports air‑monitoring plans, food‑safety and lead‑prevention gains; county health outlines program and legislative updates
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Summary
The county’s Environmental Health Division outlined air‑quality monitoring upgrades, pool and food‑safety work, and lead‑screening gains; the County Health Department reported increased use of a mental‑health platform, vending‑machine distribution of supplies, and tracked legislation including LB203 and LB913.
Eric Bradley, division chief for Douglas County Environmental Health, told the Board of Health that the division is planning an additional PM2.5 monitor along I‑80 to meet federal monitoring requirements tied to Omaha metro population growth and that staff used a Sherwood Foundation grant (about $42,000) to buy an ozone primary standard and carbon‑monoxide analyzer for the monitoring network.
Bradley summarized 2025 accomplishments and 2026 priorities across air quality, sanitation, pool and septic permitting, food safety and lead poisoning prevention. He said staff conducted nearly 700 commercial pool inspections and reviewed more than 300 residential pool plans last year and that the division will move commercial inspections from paper to electronic field entries using new Inspect2Go software the county launched in January.
On food safety, Bradley said the county completed more than 6,200 inspections last year, has rolled out online food‑handler training in English and Spanish (live Jan. 20) and is allowing an education period before training‑related compliance violations are enforced until July 1 to give businesses time to adapt.
Lead‑poisoning prevention was another focus. Bradley said the department screened more than 16,000 children for blood lead levels in the past year (a roughly 14% increase from 2024) and that elevated‑blood‑lead (EBL) cases decreased about 11% from 2024; the division conducted 333 lead inspections and 101 interior home visits and plans to publish consumer product and spice testing results online. Bradley said the department is drafting a dedicated lead ordinance and is soliciting community feedback through a survey.
Board members asked about monitoring in North Omaha near the proposed OPPD power plant. Bradley said the county is pursuing a regulatory PM2.5 monitor and would consider supplemental community “purple air” sensors for situational awareness, while cautioning that purple air data are not regulatory.
A county health department official then reviewed county programs. The official said Credible Mind, the county’s mental‑health resource platform, saw an 8% increase in January to about 643 users; the county is adding two more vending machines that dispense naloxone, condoms and other health supplies without increasing contract costs. The official also highlighted grant activity (Regional Health Transformation / Rural Health Transformation funding) and legislative items the department is tracking, including LB203 (changes to public‑health director authority on community DHMs), LB843 (SNAP benefits) and LB913 (community health worker recognition bill), noting LB203 had passed with limited local impact and LB913 was prioritized in committee.
The department said it is monitoring potential Medicaid changes and is using community health workers to help residents with recertification and access questions; staff asked the board to continue supporting outreach and cross‑agency coordination.
The board heard additional operational details and next steps, including plans to reduce the unpaid permit list (down to about 40 accounts), to pursue drone usage for mosquito surveillance once pilots complete medical clearance, and to finalize an online public posting of food‑safety grades and product testing results.