Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee

Welcome to the web site for the Environmental Health Officers (EHO) category of the Commissioned Corps, United States Public Health Service (PHS). This website and the EHO listserv, maintained by the Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee (EHOPAC), serve as the primary communication tools to keep EHOs informed about career development, EHOPAC activities, news and important information, and updates on changes within the PHS. I encourage all of you to frequently use these tools to keep current with our categorical issues.

I continue to be impressed with the caliber and professionalism exhibited by EHOs in so many different and varied assignments. As of December 2009, there were 386 active duty EHOs assigned/detailed to various PHS agencies and programs at hundreds of different duty-stations throughout the country; striving to advance and protect the nation's health. Every year we also add another 30-35 EHO COSTEP's as a way to recruit new Environmental Health professionals into the USPHS. The PHS EHOs of today are the best educated and trained professionals our category has ever had and they continue to gain extraordinary expertise and skills by serving in a varied number of assignment opportunities.

The work we do each day is important in the protection and improvement of the public health of our Nation. EHO's work in a wide array of assignments and are detailed to a multitude of different agencies. Our work touches the lives of every American as we provide technical and preventative health services in food protection, safe water supplies, wastewater disposal, solid waste disposal, vector control, radiological health, assessment of public facilities, safe medical devices, worker safety, community based injury programs, disaster response and emergency preparedness. The work that Environmental Health professionals perform is vital to the continuum of public health service at the local, state, regional, national and international levels.

EHOs in the USPHS should be prepared to deploy and respond on short notice to any natural or man-made disaster that may adversely impact the United States as well as other countries throughout the world. In recent years, EHO's have responded nationally and internationally to natural and man-made disasters, including; terrorists attacks/events (bombing, anthrax,) droughts, tsunami, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, ice storm, etc. We have also deployed and provided support at special events, including; Olympics, GOP inauguration, and the National Boy Scout Jamborees. Similarly, we have responded to and stand ready to respond to unforeseen vector, food and water-borne disease outbreaks.

Currently, 95% of EHOs meet the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD) Basic Readiness Standard. As a category we have made great strides in our readiness for deployment. Our preparedness level was recently recognized by the Office of the Surgeon General as the highest among all categories. I continue to encourage all EHOs to meet the Basic Readiness Standards.

The EHOPAC is made-up of EHO's representing your agency/program. I encourage you to contact your representative and communicate your issues/concerns to them. The EHOPAC website information is continually updated so please visit on a routine basis. If you have any thoughts or ideas you want to share with me, feel free to email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at 602-364-5059. Thank you for your work and commitment to the improvement of public health. It is an honor to represent all of you and I look forward to working with you to advance the EHO category, the Commissioned Corps and the health and safety of the nation.

CAPT Michael M. Welch, RS, MSEH
Chief Environmental Health Officer
US Public Health Service