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MEMORANDUM
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Gary Pace, M.D., Interim Public Health Officer
DATE: August 21, 2018
SUBJECT: 9:10 A.M. - (a) Consideration of Continuing a Proclamation of a Local Health Emergency by the Lake County Health Officer due to the Mendocino Complex Fire
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
California Health and Safety Code section 101040 authorizes the local health officer to take any preventive measures that may be necessary to protect and preserve public health from any public hazard during an emergency. The Health Officer of Lake County finds that the Mendocino Complex Fire that started in Mendocino County on July 27, 2018, and spread to Lake County on July 28, 2018 meet the criteria for a Public Health Proclamation. The concurrent fire events have created an imminent threat to public health in Lake County in the form of severely compromised air quality, potential risk to drinking water supply, and potential for contaminated debris from household hazardous waste and materials and structural debris resulting from the potential destruction of structures and this hazardous waste debris poses a substantial present or potential hazard to human health and the environment unless its removal and disposal is performed in a manner that will protect the public health and safety.
Because, as the result of a schedule conflict, I am unable to attend the Board of Supervisors session in person on August 21, 2018, this memo serves as my formal recommendation to continue the Public Health Proclamation.
Lake County Health Services Department Director, Denise Pomeroy, and Environmental Health Director, Jasjit Kang, will be available to field questions on the status of the incident and clean-up activities.
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The County Public Health Officer, respectfully requests that your Board continue the Proclamation of a Local Health Emergency by the Lake County Health Officer due to the Mendocino Complex Fire.