Environmental Health
Meet Our Environmental Health Staff
| Emily Owczarzak | Environmental Health Director | 585.268.9250 | Emily.Owczarzak@alleganyco.gov |
| Dustin Quinn | Public Health Sanitarian | 585.268.9253 | Dustin.Quinn@alleganyco.gov |
| David Spring | Public Health Sanitarian | 585.268.9252 | David.Spring@alleganyco.gov |
| Chelsey Mattison | Public Health Sanitarian | 585.268.9266 | Chelsey.Mattison@alleganyco.gov |
| Bryan Payne | Public Health Sanitarian | 585.268.9717 | Bryan.Payne@alleganyco.gov |
| William Bentley | Public Health Technician | 585.268.9263 | William.Bentley@alleganyco.gov |
| Kimberly Middaugh | Public Health Technician | 585.268.9710 | Kimberly.Middaugh@alleganyco.gov |
| Daniel Reynolds | Emergency Coordinator/Public Health Technician | 585.268.9251 | Daniel.Reynolds@alleganyco.gov |
Facilities in this program area are inspected for general sanitation and safety, and include Children’s Camps, Hotels & Motels (Temporary Residences), Campgrounds, Swimming Pools, Bathing Beaches, Mobile Home Parks, Tattoo/Body Piercing Shops, Tanning Beds/Booths, and Agricultural Fairgrounds. Facilities are inspected annually with the exception of Tanning Beds/Booths, which are inspected once every two years. Owners, Operators, and Users can click on the forms below for more information.
Important Documents
Environmental Health Services Fees
Workers Comp Disabilities Requirements
Tanning Fee Determination Schedule
Tanning Injury and Illness Report Form
Food service establishments are inspected to ensure compliance with New York State regulations aimed at reducing the possibility of food-borne illnesses, and include colleges/universities, restaurants, seasonal food operations, temporary and mobile food service facilities, Office for the Aging facilities/feeding sites, elementary/middle/high school cafeterias, and school sponsored summer feeding sites.
*All temporary food service operations that do not secure a permit to operate at least 10 days prior to the start of the event will be charged an additional $25.00 late fee.
*If a permit is issued on-site due to not properly submitting paperwork at least 10 days prior to the start of the event, a $25.00 late fee will be charged.
- Allegany County Food Service Inspections
All temporary food service operations that do not secure a permit to operate at least 10 days prior to the start of the event will be charged an additional $25.00 late fee.
If a permit is issued on-site due to not properly submitting paperwork at least 10 days prior to the start of the event, a $25.00 late fee will be charged.
How did your favorite restaurant do?
Important Documents
FREE Rabies Vaccination Clinics – Registration Links Coming Soon
Allegany County Department of Health wants to remind all Allegany County residents with possible contact or exposure to a bat to make every attempt to “Catch the Bat!”
Catch the Bat
Catch the Bat video
What is rabies?
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Infected mammals can transmit rabies virus to humans and other mammals. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Fortunately, only a few human cases are reported each year in the United States.
What animals can get rabies?
Rabies is most often seen among wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes, but any mammal can be infected with rabies. Pets and livestock can get rabies if they are not vaccinated to protect them against infection. Among domestic animals, cats are most frequently diagnosed with rabies in New York State.
Some animals almost never get rabies. These include rabbits and small rodents such as squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils and hamsters. It is possible for these animals to get rabies, but only in rare circumstances, such as if they are attacked but not killed by a rabid animal.
Reptiles (such as lizards and snakes), amphibians (like frogs), birds, fish and insects do not get or carry rabies.
What are the signs of rabies in animals?
The first sign of rabies is usually a change in an animal’s behavior. It may become unusually aggressive or tame. The animal may lose its fear of people and natural enemies. A wild animal may appear affectionate and friendly. It may become excited or irritable and attack anything in its path. Staggering, convulsions, choking, frothing at the mouth and paralysis are sometimes seen. Many animals will make very unusual sounds. Infected animals usually die within one week after showing signs of rabies.
How do people become exposed to rabies?
People usually get exposed to the rabies virus when an infected animal bites them. Exposure may also occur if saliva from a rabid animal enters an open cut or mucous membrane (eyes, nose or mouth).
Important Documents
Allegany County wants you and your family to be tick free!
Ticks can spread disease. However, not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick. Different ticks live in different parts of the country, and transmit different diseases. It is important to learn how to prevent a bite, how to remove a tick, and what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne disease. Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in New York but there are other serious diseases spread by ticks.
Diseases Spread by Ticks
- Lyme Disease Fact Sheet – https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/lyme/fact_sheet.htm
- Anaplasmosis (cdc.gov)– http://www.cdc.gov/anaplasmosis/
- Ehrlichiosis (cdc.gov)– http://www.cdc.gov/ehrlichiosis/
- Babesiosis (cdc.gov)– http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/
- Powassan Virus (cdc.gov)- https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/index.html
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (cdc.gov)– http://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/
Protection and Prevention
Ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground.
In tick-infested areas, your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself:
- Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
- Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
- Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
- Consider using insect repellent. More information regarding tick repellant products can be found here: https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2749/
- Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
- Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
- Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
- Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.
PDF: Tick Bite What to Do: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/pdfs/FS_TickBite-508.pdf
Safe Tick Removal
- Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by
- Putting it in alcohol,
- Placing it in a sealed bag/container,
- Wrapping it tightly in tape, or
- Flushing it down the toilet.
Avoid remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. The goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible, not waiting for it to detach.
Follow-Up
If you are bitten by a tick, consult your doctor:
- Tell the doctor about your recent tick bite,
- When the bite occurred, and
- Where you most likely acquired the tick.
Tick Laboratory Testing
If you have been bitten by a tick, or suspect you may have been, you can send the tick to be tested by a laboratory to determine if the tick is carrying the pathogens that lead to tick-borne illnesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get sick from a tick that is crawling on me but has not yet attached?
Ticks must bite you to spread their germs. Once they attach to you, they will feed on your blood and can spread germs. A tick that is crawling on you but not attached could not have spread germs. However, if you have found a tick crawling on you, it’s a sign there may be others: do a careful tick check
How long does a tick need to be attached before it can spread infection?
Depending on the type of tick and germ, a tick needs to be attached to you for different amounts of time (minutes to days) to infect you with that germ. Your risk for Lyme disease is very low if a tick has been attached for fewer than 24 hours. Check for ticks daily and remove them as soon as possible
Do ticks jump or fly?
Ticks don’t jump or fly. Instead, they crawl up low brush or grass to find a host. Then, they clasp on with their back legs and reach their front legs out to grab onto a passing animal or human. This process is called questing. Sometimes, they even drop from their perch and free fall onto a passing host.
Where do ticks like to bite their host?
Warm, moist areas are ideal spots for ticks to latch. If a tick manages to get on you, or your pets, they will look for a place like your groin, armpit, or hair. While most bugs will bite and leave, ticks will attach to your body and feed. They can feed off a host for up to ten days, but likely, you will spot them as they bloat when engorged.
What does a tick bite look like?
The most obvious sign of a tick bite is the tick itself, latched onto or burrowed beneath the skin. Although not always present, the most recognizable sign is an expanding “bull’s-eye” rash, which indicates Lyme disease.
Do ticks die after the first frost?
No. Some species, like the American dog tick and Lone Star tick, are just not very active in the fall and winter. Others, like the Blacklegged (deer) tick can remain active in their adult stage from fall to spring as long as the temperature is above freezing.
Can I identify the type of tick that bit me by the size?
No. Ticks (including deer ticks, dog ticks, Lone star ticks, etc.) come in small, medium and large sizes. The smallest size, called larvae, are nearly microscopic. The middle stage, called nymphs, are medium sized although most people would call them tiny. Nymphs of all ticks are about the size of a pinhead in their unfed state.
Then there are the large size or adult stage ticks. Even the adult stage of Blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks) that transmit Lyme disease are relatively large. In the northeastern United States, the most common “large” tick likely to bite dogs, cats, horses, and humans in the Fall and Winter months is the Blacklegged tick, and it can transmit disease-causing agents including Lyme bacteria. Typically, about 50% of adult Blacklegged ticks are infected with Lyme bacteria.
Your Pets and Tick-borne diseases
Preventing ticks on your pets (cdc.gov)– http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_pets.html
Learn More
Tick Smart Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0BPpw5Ikh4&t=1751s-
Permits are issued for the installation of new or replacement systems, through which department staff design, oversee, and approve the final construction of systems to ensure they meet state sanitary code requirements. Loan surveys are conducted as part of residential real estate transfers in order to check on the functioning of existing septic systems as part of the sales process.
Important Documents
Environmental Health Services Fees
Sanitary Survey (Sewer & Water Inspection) for Property Transaction Application
Septic System Replacement Program Forms/Application
State Septic System Replacement Fund | Program Outline 2022
Septic Program Application Form 2.26.18 Revised
ACDOH Agreement
Public Health Sanitarians from the Allegany County Department of Health can conduct sanitary loan surveys to assess the functionality of septic systems and potability of water in real property transactions. Real Estate Agents, Attorneys and Sellers may find the forms below helpful.
Independent contractors who want to provide sanitary surveys as part of their service must first receive training and pass a test administered by the Environmental Health Department. Training and testing will be held at the Department of Health on Wednesday, March 29th at 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. See the memo below for more information.
Please call 585.268.9251 or 585.268.9263 if interested in the Sanitary Survey Training.
Important Documents
Policies and Procedures for Conducting Sanitary Surveys
Allegany County Sanitary Survey Inspector Training Memo
Sanitary Survey (Sewer & Water Inspection) for Property Transaction Application 08-16-2022
NEW for 2020
Public Water Sample Collection for Coliform and E. coli bacteria analysis.
The Allegany County Department of Health is now offering Coliform and E. coli sampling for Municipalities that have Public Water Supplies.
The cost is $30.00/sample
- The fee must be paid ahead of time. You can pay this fee once you pick up your sample bottle.
- You must use our sample bottles
Municipalities can drop the sample(s) off at our accredited lab on the Third Floor at the County Building located at 7 Court Street in Belmont, NY 14813.
Hours are Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
- Results may be available 24 hours later
There were 106 regulated public water supplies in Allegany County in 2013, including 20 municipal systems, 14 community systems, 8 non-transient/non-community systems, and 64 non-community systems. With funding from New York State’s Drinking Water Enhancement Program, the Health Department provides comprehensive oversight and assistance to public and private water systems in Allegany County.
- Drinking Water Testing Labs
Compiled by the Allegany County Department of Health
The lists below are laboratories that provide information, sampling instructions and containers, and analyses for private or public water supplies in our area. All analyses needed to comply with any regulation (Subpart 67-4 Lead Testing in School Drinking Water) must be performed by a laboratory certified by the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center under the Environmental
Important Documents
Environmental Health Services Fees
Seasonal Public Water Systems Start-Up Procedures
Seasonal Start-Up Certification Form
Sample Site Plan for Total Coliform Bacteria
DOH-4204 Designation Of Water Operator In Charge
DOH-360cuv Water Operation Report
DOH-352 Application For Renewal Of Water Operator Certification
The Environmental Health Division investigates complaints received to determine if a possible public health hazard or threat exists that could negatively impact Allegany County residents. Complaints include everything from public health nuisances (garbage, insects, vermin, etc.), to problems with sewage systems, food service facilities, community sanitation program-related facilities, indoor and outdoor air quality, smoking in prohibited areas, private and public water supplies or any other department of health regulated facility. If you wish to file a formal complaint, please do so by filling out the complaint form below and submit it to our office. Please Note: the complaint form must be signed and dated in order for it to be considered valid.
Important Documents
Lead poising can cause problems with a child’s growth, behavior, and ability to learn. The Allegany County Department of Health provides education, case management, and primary prevention services.
Available Services:
- Environmental Lead Assessment – Provide environmental lead assessments for children identified with elevated blood lead levels.
- Case Management – Public Health nurse working with families to lower high blood lead levels in children
Primary Prevention Services:
- Community Awareness
Click HERE or View list below for Lead Hazard Product Recalls
WE WORK FOR YOUR WELL BEING
Allegany County residents can dispose of their sharps and needles at any of the following Transfer Stations listed below. Allegany County does not distribute sharps containers, they can be supplied from your druggist or supplier of medications. An empty laundry soap tub can also be used – the container is necessary for your safety and the safety of the employees handling the sharps. This service is free.
