North Wake News

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has acknowledged the crucial role of environmental health programs in safeguarding residents on Earth Day. According to NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai, these programs are vital for protecting families from numerous environmental hazards, such as contaminated water, excessive heat, foodborne illnesses, and heavy metals in soil.

Environmental health is essential in North Carolina, where a quarter of the population relies on private wells for drinking water. Programs like the NCDHHS Private Well and Health program assist families in understanding water test results and treatment options. They are also developing tools to identify contaminant-prone areas.

However, due to staffing cuts at federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, many necessary programs face the risk of discontinuation. Some crucial initiatives already face suspension or uncertainty due to the reduction in federal support.

Significant environmental health activities in North Carolina benefit from federal funding. These include extreme heat alert systems that track emergency visits for heat-related illnesses and issue local warnings when temperatures are dangerous. NCDHHS monitored 4,688 emergency visits in 2024 and issued over 1,200 alerts. Other efforts focus on childhood lead exposure prevention, foodborne illness outbreak investigations, environmental health data provision, and protection from pesticide and industrial pollution.

Dr. Kelly Kimple, Interim State Health Director and NCDHHS Chief Medical Officer, stated, “These programs often operate quietly in the background—but they’re essential to everyday health and safety." She emphasized the need for sustained investment, especially because of increasing environmental threats like hurricanes and heatwaves in North Carolina.