7H 5. Environmental Health Parasitic and infectious diseases are among the mos problems in the Marshall Islands. Gastroenteritis, serious health ebiasis, other dysenteries, parasitic infestation, and other gastro-intesfinal disorders, when classified as a unit, are one of the leading causes mortality. @f morbidity and While there is not enough data to directly aftribute all the above conditions to poor environmental sanitation, it is reagonable to assume that improvements in environmental sanitation would ha an impact on improving the health status of the people of the Marshall IBlands. Due to the importance of environmental health in preventlive medicine the Environmental Health Division operates as an independent Department of Health Services. with general Hivision of the The Environmental Health Division is charged sanitation and public health responsibilitids served as an arm of the U.S. and also has Environmental Protection Adency to enforce regulations which are related to pollution control. The major responsibilities of the Environmental Health[ Division are: - Monitoring of public drinking water quality - Monitoring of sewage disposal practices - Monitoring of solid waste disposal - Monitoring of lagoon water quality - Issuance of dredging permits - Enforcement of regulations regarding oi! spillage ad other harbor pollutants - Ship inspection - Village inspections - School and other public facility inspections (camps, theBtres, prisons, etc.) - Issuance of building permits (for water supply and waste] water only) Inspection of restaurants, bars, bakeries, grocery stores, and the fish market Rodent and insect control Advice to citizens regarding private water supplies, sewage and solid waste disposal, personal and home hygiene, etc. Public environmental health education All the above responsibilities of the Environmental] Health Division are governed by Trust Territory laws, rules, regulations and @odes which were developed and administered by the Trust Territory Environmpntal Protection