Chemical Planning and Response Section (CPRS)

Gerald Tiernan – Section Manager – 517-388-7471

The Chemical Planning and Response Section carries out much of the community level work for the Environmental Health Bureau (EHB). EHB, including environmental health emergency response and stabilization, vapor intrusion assessment and response, environmental sampling and environmental health navigation.  In addition to community level work, the section also operates the Public Health Drinking Water Program.  Overall, the section provides response support to local, state, and federal partners in the event of public environmental health disasters, like oil spills and other hazardous chemical releases.

The section is composed of the following units:

Community Services Unit

Laura Gossiaux – Unit Manager – 517-284-4802

The Community Services Unit plans for and implements community services in response to environmental health concerns. The unit works in conjunction with EHB and DHHS program/project teams and/or unified command structures to provide logistical, operational, and/or direct support to communicate and implement necessary intervention actions directly to individuals or small groups, particularly during emergency or time critical response needs. This includes filter distribution and temporary housing relocation, whenever needed.

Drinking Water and Environmental Sampling Unit

Ken Bowen – Unit Manager – 517-599-8379

The Drinking Water and Environmental Sampling Unit though the management of functions to assistance to the Public Health Drinking Water Program and/or unified command structures to investigate health concerns associated with various environmental contamination with a focus on drinking water. The Unit also supports EHB research and emergency response efforts.

Most of the unit’s work focuses on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) testing and lead and copper testing.  

The unit’s work includes but is not limited to:

• Scheduling and sampling drinking water supply sites.
• Assisting with the development and distribution of educational materials and outreach for both public and private drinking water supplies.
• Following-up with regulatory agencies to determine public health impact of required corrective measures at sites of contamination.
• Drafting reports on the hydraulic and hydrologic phases of affected watersheds at sites of contamination.
• Reviewing data as part of the Public Health Drinking Water Program to assist in the determination of the need for and appropriateness of responses needing to be or have been completed to protect public health.

Vapor Intrusion and Stabilization Unit

Lisa Quiggle – Unit Manager – 517-284-4812

The Vapor Intrusion and Stabilization Unit conducts several major functions:

• Along with other state and federal partners the unit analyzes information from sites with a potential for vapor intrusion to determine if there are any threats to public health.
  • If vapor intrusion is occurring, the unit assesses the data to determine human health risk.
  • The unit may relocate occupants until the risk is mitigated. Mitigation is often in the form of a vapor intrusion mitigation system installed by partner agencies or a responsible party.
  • After a mitigation system is installed, the unit tracks the ongoing operation and maintenance of the system.
• The unit supports the initial assessment of regulatory environmental health notices to the State of Michigan. Including regulatory notices of potential or actual ongoing emergency environmental health situations. This is accomplished though the review and classification of incoming notices and forwarding to appropriate program staff and/or activation of the EHB Internal Response Framework.
• The unit also supports EHB in response to environmental public health emergencies by serving within or supporting the operation of incident management/unified management structures. Members of the unit are trained in emergency response though the implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

Response Planning Unit

Matthew Bursley – Unit Manager – 517-243-9812

Response Planning Unit (RPU) serves as a resource to coordinate EHB’s incident preparedness and response activities to environmental, chemical, and physical hazards, The unit collaborates with local, state, and federal agencies to assure hazards are identified, investigated and interventions are in place to mitigate or remediate hazards for the people of Michigan including those most vulnerable.

The unit serves as the EHB’s focal point towards sustaining and increasing the Bureau's capabilities for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities through implementation of the NIMS Framework and works in collaboration with the MDHHS Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, E.M.S. and Systems of Care (BEPESoC).