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Benton County Environmental Health Division

Environmental Health

The Environmental Health Division is responsible for:

• Septic System Permits and Records
• Public and Private Water Systems
• Restaurant, Motel and Pool Licensing
• Food Handler Card and Food Handler Training ONLINE
• Daycare Inspections
• Solid Waste Management
• Health Hazards, Environmental Exposure, Communicable Diseases
• Animal Bite Investigations

The practice of Environmental Health refers to: Protection against environmental factors that may adversely impact human health or the ecological balances essential to long-term human health and environmental quality, whether in the natural or man-made environment.

Benton County Environmental Health issues food establishment licenses, inspects and monitors restaurants, temporary restaurants and mobile food units. We also inspect and monitor school food service operations, travel accommodations, public swimming pools, spas, and daycares.

Environmental Health offers food worker classes for obtaining Food Handler's Permit/Card. We have many educational brochures available; in addition to our own quarterly newsletter, Food Safety Focus, for all Benton County food-service establishments.

Environmental Health monitors the Coffin Butte landfill, in conjunction with the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (a group of professionals from various areas of our County who volunteer their time).

Environmental Health also issues septic permits. As part of approving a septic permit, the Environmental Health Specialists go out to the site to test soils and survey properties for the feasibility of installing your septic system. Inspections are conducted on a newly installed and/or repaired septic systems within the County; including making a determination if a health hazard exists during a septic system failure.

In addition, we track and investigate animal bites, foodborne illnesses, communicable diseases, and public water systems (that serve a population less than 3300) outside Corvallis City limits and within the Benton County.