Monmouth County Health Dept. Newsletter: August/September 2017

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Follow these recommendations to protect yourself and your family.

Shade: Reduce your risk of skin damage and skin cancer by seeking shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter before you need relief from the sun.

Clothing: Where possible, long-sleeved shirts, long pants and skirts can provide protection from UV rays.

Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure.

Sunscreen: Put on broad spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15 before going outside, even on slightly cloudy days. Be sure to check the sunscreen’s expiration date: sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August highlighting the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. NIAM encourages people to make sure they are up to date on the vaccines recommended for them.

The Monmouth County Health Department (MCHD) provides childhood immunizations free to children from birth to 18 years old, who are uninsured and live in a participating town with the Monmouth County Board of Health. With parental permission, the children will be entered into a statewide immunization registry, which encourages timely and age appropriate immunizations. 

Services for children are provided at the Monmouth County Social Services Building, 3000 Kozloski Rd. Freehold, NJ 07728. To make an appointment, call 732-294-5458. Year round clinic days are Mondays, from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1:30-3:30 p.m.

For Adults (18 and over) Influenza, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis, Hepatitis A and B, and Meningococcal immunizations are available. To make arrangements, call 732-431-7456.

The Monmouth County Board of Health has recently passed two ordinances to help protect the health and well-being of residents in our participating municipalities.

The “Well Approval Ordinance” was approved to ensure proper well drilling methods and locations are being observed. The Ordinance requires a minimum set back distance of 10 feet to a property line. Distances to all sewage system components, wetlands/conservation easements, adjacent wells and underground storage tanks must be indicated on the application. Water Treatment Device approval is also required in the ordinance.  The well driller must obtain Health Department approval before drilling. 

The goal of the Ordinance is to further protect drinking water supplies for residents and businesses served by individual wells. 

The “Sampling Areas within Tobacco Retail Establishments Ordinance” was enacted to address a provision in the NJ Smoke Free Air Act that permits prospective customers to sample tobacco products indoors. The ordinance would prevent these allowable sampling areas from becoming a lounge or area where customers would spend a significant amount of time smoking indoors. Sampling areas are limited to 120 square feet and must be provided with a separate ventilation system and filters. No food or beverages are allowed to be served and furnishings such as couches or lounge chairs are not permitted. This ordinance was passed to prevent prolonged indoor tobacco product use, protect the employees and customers from undo exposure to tobacco smoke and to protect the occupants of adjacent residences and business from exposure to tobacco smoke through shared ventilation or adjacent windows.

In New Jersey there is a specific regulation written to oversee the approval, construction and operation of individual sewage disposal systems - AKA septic systems.  Compliance with this regulation may sometimes affect owners trying to sell their properties. 

For example, the sale of properties with cesspools is prohibited.  A cesspool is a covered pit with open jointed lining which allows untreated sewage to discharge into the surrounding soil and must be upgraded prior to sale.  This involves hiring an engineer, having plans approved by the Health Department and having the new system installed. 

This is a time-consuming and costly undertaking so owners of older properties or owners who have no idea what they have should investigate to see if this will affect them before attempting to sell the property. 

The current code also includes protocols for septic systems inspections performed by either the buyer or seller.  Inspectors hired by either buyer or seller must comply with inspection protocols and are required to provide a copy of any unsatisfactory report to the Health Department.  A common issue found during these inspections is homes with more “bedrooms” than the system was designed to handle. This could happen when an owner renovates a dwelling or finishes a basement to include a space meeting the definition of a bedroom. In many cases, this will require a system upgrade. Other common problems may include faulty septic tank baffles and flooded systems/system overflows. Owners are advised to contact the Health Department upon receiving any report listing unsatisfactory findings.

Commercial properties on septic systems are usually designed on type of use and may be subject to additional regulations.  Any change in use must be certified by an engineer or upgraded to current standards. Commercial landlords are advised to consult the Health Department before moving in new tenants.

Property sellers are also advised to contact their municipality regarding specific ordinance requirements for septic system sales or rentals in their town. Some towns require health department certification and others do not. Sellers should be aware that Health Department certification can sometimes involve a time delay and/or system upgrades, as the Department cannot certify a non-compliant system.