Division of Environmental Health

Prevents and mitigates illness and injury caused by environmental health hazards.

Bureau of Child Care
Regulates group child care services per NYC Health Code Article 47, and enforces health and safety standards in a variety of other care settings, including family day care, group family day care and school-age child care, which are governed by New York State Social Service Law.

Bureau of Environmental Disease Prevention
Works to assess and minimize environmental and occupational health risks in the city. The Bureau includes the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, the Environmental and Occupational Disease Epidemiology Program, and the Emergency Preparedness Unit.

Bureau of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Investigates, assesses and mitigates public health threats from hazardous materials, ionizing radiation and food-borne illness. The Bureau also licenses and registers all radioactive materials and radiation equipment in NYC, monitors the quality and safety of drinking water and recreational water, and shares responsibility with other state and city agencies for managing sewage.

Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy
Enhances environmental surveillance efforts, coordinates environmental health policy and increases public awareness of environmental health issues. The Bureau oversees NYC’s CDC-funded Environmental Public Health Tracking Program and Network (EPHTN) and responds to public inquiries on environmental issues.

Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation
Regulates, issues permits and inspects food service establishments and mobile vending carts, and educates the public about food-borne illnesses. The Bureau also enforces regulations designed to safeguard children from window falls and day camp hazards, while protecting adults in single-room-occupancy hotels and NYC correctional facilities.

Bureau of Veterinary and Pest Control Services
Protects the public from diseases, hazards and nuisances associated with animals and mosquitoes or other potential disease vectors. Responds to more than 22,000 rodent complaints a year.

Health Academy
Provides safety training and certification for food service workers. Trains Health Department personnel in the principles of food safety and environmental sciences.

Poison Control Center
Provides emergency toxicology services to hospitals, households and individual physicians. The Center also monitors poisoning incidence citywide and conducts community education to prevent poisonings; it receives more than 70,000 calls annually.