The State of North Carolina requires individuals who practice environmental health in the state to register with the NC State Board of Registered Environmental Health Specialists Board. Once an individual is employed in a position described above, they must (1) submit a completed registration
application, (2) pay the registration fee, and (3) arrange for university/college to send official transcripts directly to the board office either electronically (preferred) or via USPS.
Per North Carolina § 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. 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.
21.NCAC 62 charges the North Carolina State Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners with the following responsibilities:
- Registration of environmental health specialist interns and environmental health specialists;
- Approving continuing education for environmental health specialists and environmental health specialists in training;
- Administering examinations prescribed by 21 NCAC 62 .0403;
- Reviewing educational criteria required under section 21 NCAC 62 .0402; and
- Any other matters in the regulation of environmental health specialists and environmental
health specialists in training.