Environmental Health Division

Supervisor: Hank Schreifels

Staff:

Ross Detert  Household Hazardous Waste
Troy Freihammer  Solid Waste
Jennifer Kaminskie  Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems
Jane Knott  Food, Beverage & Lodging
Mark Latterell  Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems
Lowell Rushmeyer  Food, Beverage & Lodging
John Tracy  Food, Beverage & Lodging

Food, Beverage & Lodging

Stearns County began administering the Food, Beverage & Lodging program in 1984. The County has a delegation agreement with the Minnesota Department of Health, which gives the County authority to administer these programs. County staff issue licenses, conduct plan reviews of facilities, and perform yearly inspections of each facility located in the County. Those facilities located in the City of St Cloud are the responsibility of the City Health Department. County staff also investigate any reported food-borne illnesses that may occur in the County, with the assistance of the Public Health Division of the Human Services Department.

Jane Knott Lowell Rushmeyer John Tracy
 Albany  Brooten  Avon
 Farming  Clearwater  Belgrade
 Greenwald  Cold Spring  Freeport‡
 Padua  Eden Valley  Holdingford
 Sauk Centre  Elrosa  Melrose
 St. Augusta  Freeport†  Paynesville‡
 St. Joseph  Kimball  Richmond
 Waite Park•  Luxemburg  Sartell
 New Munich  St. Martin
 Paynesville
 Rockville
 Roscoe
 South Haven
 St. Stephen
 Waite Park†

• Jane Knott covers Waite Park south of Division Street.
† Lowell Rushmeyer covers the Community Center and the Church\School in Freeport and Waite Park north of Division Street.
‡ John Tracy covers Ackies, Charlies, Corner Pub in Freeport and Hilltop in Paynesville.

Certified Food Manager Information

Do I need a Food Manager Certification and how do I obtain it?
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/fmc/index.html#type

Certified Food Manager Application
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/fmc/applications.html

Where can I find a Certified Food Manager class?
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/fmc_training/index.cfm

Food Safety

REPORTING A FOODBORNE ILLNESS
To report a suspected foodborne illness from eating in a restaurant or any public food service, please call the foodborne illness hotline at the MN Department of Health 1-877-FOOD-ILL (1-877-366-3455).
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/foodborne/reporting.html

General information on Foodborne Illness
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/foodborne/

Household Hazardous Waste

In 1996, a Mobile Household Hazardous Waste program was implemented in Stearns County. A mobile unit was purchased and collection sites were set up throughout the County. The program has been expanded to handle communities that are outside Stearns County. Collections have been held in Benton, Mille Lacs, Morrison and Sherburne Counties.

Lead

Stearns County is responsible for conducting lead risk assessments for cases of elevated blood lead levels in all areas of Stearns County except the City of St. Cloud as required by Minnesota Statues 144.9501 - 144.9509.

Contact Dave Knafla for more information.

Solid Waste

Stearns County is responsible for the proper collection, transportation, and disposal of all solid waste that is generated in the County. County staff issue licenses to and contract with solid waste haulers, administer the SCORE funding program, and the burn barrel program.

Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems

Stearns County began administering the Sewage Treatment program in 1972 through the adoption and implementation of the State Rules. It wasn’t until 1984, when the County became the Public Health Authority via MN Statute 145A, that full jurisdiction over septic systems was gained.  Later, in 1998, Stearns County adopted Ordinance #198 regulating sewage treatment within the County, and in doing so also adopted by reference MN Rules, Chapter 7080, and successor rules.

With the newly adopted revisions to the State Rules that govern the regulations concerning SSTS, Stearns County has updated Ordinance #422 to reflect needed changes to stay in compliance with the State Rule.  Adoption and implementation of the new ordinance became effective on April 13, 2010. 

Currently county staff conduct soil verifications during the design process with designers, review plans submitted for permitting, issue permits, and conduct as-built inspections of new installations.

SSTS designs, compliance inspections, and information requests may be submitted electronically via this email Stearns County SSTS.

View Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Program annual reports.

 Read the latest copy of the ESD SSTS newsletter Looking Down the Pipe.