10 ensuring people use the environment responsibly.” As the bureau and the region changed, EHB grew to specialize in the pressing issues of the time. Monterey County’s “sanitarians” helped tackle complicated needs like monitoring water quality and air pollution and controlling vermin throughout the mid-20th century. By the 1970s and 80s, as concerns with our shared natural environment occupied more of citizens’ thoughts and behaviors, a push to use recycled water for agricultural purposes took shape. Former Monterey County EHB representative Walter Wong earned recognition across the state for his forward-thinking conservation efforts that still resonate today. “In any county, the dominant industry must partner with environmental health regulators to assure safety and security for all,” Encarnacion notes. “Decisions regarding water quality, water sustainability, food safety, employee housing, organic waste and many other programs must and will consider the impact that agricultural and tourism practices have on health, the economy, and resources.” As the 21st century began, Monterey County’s EHB rolled out several unique programs to serve the region’s two major industries: agriculture and tourism. Former EHB Director Allen Stroh developed the voluntary Gold Seal food recognition program in the early 2000s. These gold seals still adorn local restaurants and other food service facilities demonstrating “substantial compliance” to the California Retail Food Code, like avoiding contamination and promoting proper employee hygiene. A few years later, the EHB responded to a multi-state E. coli outbreak by creating an inspection program for toilets used by agricultural workers in local fields. This 2005 program, developed by former EHB director John Ramirez, is now considered the industry standard for maintaining health standards among leafy green vegetable growers and shippers. Because Monterey County must juggle significant environmental health demands from the agricultural and tourism economies, the EHB developed its own training and education protocols in 2012. The Monterey County Environmental Health Environmental Health 1960 1956 The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 created the interstate system, inviting peak car culture in the United States. Increased traffic prompts action to address smog, pollution, and other air quality issues 1960s A trend to deinstitutionalize psychiatric patients accelerates nationwide. Monterey County establishes an enduring partnership between MCHD and Interim, Inc to support these people
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