North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51. (Effective until May 1, 2024) Definitions
The words and phrases defined below shall when used in this Article have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) “Board” means the Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners.
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- Board: means the Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners. See North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- Certificate of registration: means a document issued by the Board as evidence of registration and qualification to practice as a registered environmental health specialist or a registered environmental health specialist intern under this Article. See North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- Environmental health practice: means the provision of environmental health services, including administration, organization, management, education, enforcement, and consultation regarding environmental health services provided to or for the public. See North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- Environmental health specialist: means a public health professional who meets the educational requirements under this Article and has attained specialized training and acceptable environmental health field experience effectively to plan, organize, manage, provide, execute, and evaluate one or more of the many diverse elements comprising the field of environmental health practice. See North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Registered environmental health specialist: means an environmental health specialist registered in accordance with the provisions of this Article. See North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- Registered environmental health specialist intern: means a person who possesses the necessary educational qualifications as prescribed in N. See North Carolina General Statutes 90A-51
- seal: shall be construed to include an impression of such official seal, made upon the paper alone, as well as an impression made by means of a wafer or of wax affixed thereto. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
(2) “Certificate of registration” means a document issued by the Board as evidence of registration and qualification to practice as a registered environmental health specialist or a registered environmental health specialist intern under this Article. The certificate shall bear the designation “Registered Environmental Health Specialist” or “Registered Environmental Health Specialist Intern” and show the name of the person, date of issue, serial number, seal, and signatures of the members of the Board.
(2a) “Environmental health practice” means the provision of environmental health services, including administration, organization, management, education, enforcement, and consultation regarding environmental health services provided to or for the public. These services are offered to prevent environmental hazards and promote and protect the health of the public in the following areas: food, lodging, and institutional sanitation; on-site wastewater treatment and disposal; public swimming pool sanitation; childhood lead poisoning prevention; well permitting and inspection; tattoo parlor sanitation; and all other areas of environmental health requiring the delegation of authority by the Division of Public Health of the Department of Health and Human Services to State and local environmental health professionals to enforce rules adopted by the Commission for Public Health. The definition also includes local environmental health professionals enforcing rules of local boards of health for on-site wastewater systems and wells.
(2b) “Environmental health specialist” means a public health professional who meets the educational requirements under this Article and has attained specialized training and acceptable environmental health field experience effectively to plan, organize, manage, provide, execute, and evaluate one or more of the many diverse elements comprising the field of environmental health practice.
(3) Repealed by Session Laws 2009-443, s. 2, effective August 7, 2009.
(4) “Registered environmental health specialist” means an environmental health specialist registered in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
For purposes of this Article the following are not included within the definition of “registered environmental health specialist” unless the person is working as an environmental health specialist:
a. A person teaching, lecturing, or engaging in research.
b. A person who is a sanitary engineer, public health engineer, public health engineering assistant, registered professional engineer, industrial hygienist, health physicist, chemist, epidemiologist, toxicologist, geologist, hydrogeologist, waste management specialist, or soil scientist.
c. A public health officer or public health department director.
d. A person who holds a North Carolina license to practice medicine, veterinary medicine, or nursing.
e. Laboratory personnel when performing or supervising the performance of sanitation related laboratory functions.
(5) “Registered environmental health specialist intern” means a person who possesses the necessary educational qualifications as prescribed in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90A-53, but who has not completed the experience and specialized training requirements in the field of public health sanitation as required for registration. (1959, c. 1271, s. 1; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1274, s. 2; 1989, c. 545, s. 1; 2009-443, s. 2; 2011-145, s. 13.3(ii).)
§ 90A-51. (Effective May 1, 2024) Definitions.
The words and phrases defined below shall when used in this Article have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Board. – The Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners.
(2) Certificate of registration. – A document issued by the Board as evidence of registration and qualification to practice as a registered environmental health specialist or a registered environmental health specialist intern under this Article. The certificate shall bear the designation “Registered Environmental Health Specialist” or “Registered Environmental Health Specialist Intern” and show the name of the person, date of issue, serial number, seal, and signatures of the members of the Board.
(2a) Environmental health associate. – A public health professional who meets the educational requirements under this Article, has attained specialized training, and reports directly to a registered environmental health specialist.
(2b) Environmental health practice. – The provision of environmental health services, including administration, organization, management, education, enforcement, and consultation regarding environmental health services provided to or for the public. These services are offered to prevent environmental hazards and promote and protect the health of the public in the following areas: food, lodging, and institutional sanitation; on-site wastewater treatment and disposal; public swimming pool sanitation; childhood lead poisoning prevention; well permitting and inspection; tattoo parlor sanitation; and all other areas of environmental health requiring the delegation of authority by the Division of Public Health of the Department of Health and Human Services to State and local environmental health professionals to enforce rules adopted by the Commission for Public Health. The definition also includes local environmental health professionals enforcing rules of local boards of health for on-site wastewater systems and wells.
(2c) Environmental health specialist. – A public health professional who meets the educational requirements under this Article and has attained specialized training and acceptable environmental health field experience effectively to plan, organize, manage, provide, execute, and evaluate one or more of the many diverse elements comprising the field of environmental health practice.
(2d) Registered environmental health associate. – An environmental health associate registered in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
(3) Repealed by Session Laws 2009-443, s. 2, effective August 7, 2009.
(4) Registered environmental health specialist. – An environmental health specialist registered in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
For purposes of this Article the following are not included within the definition of “registered environmental health specialist” unless the person is working as an environmental health specialist:
a. A person teaching, lecturing, or engaging in research.
b. A person who is a sanitary engineer, public health engineer, public health engineering assistant, registered professional engineer, industrial hygienist, health physicist, chemist, epidemiologist, toxicologist, geologist, hydrogeologist, waste management specialist, or soil scientist.
c. A public health officer or public health department director.
d. A person who holds a North Carolina license to practice medicine, veterinary medicine, or nursing.
e. Laboratory personnel when performing or supervising the performance of sanitation related laboratory functions.
(5) Registered environmental health specialist intern. – A person who possesses the necessary educational qualifications as prescribed in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90A-53, but who has not completed the experience and specialized training requirements in the field of public health sanitation as required for registration. (1959, c. 1271, s. 1; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1274, s. 2; 1989, c. 545, s. 1; 2009-443, s. 2; 2011-145, s. 13.3(ii); 2023-90, s. 10.1(a), (b).)