An Environmental Crimes Task Force has been set up by TriCounty Health Department. The task force has active participation from local law enforcement, the EPA, DEQ and the Uintah County Attorney’s Office. In 2016, TriCounty Health asked representatives from the Salt Lake Environmental Crimes Task Force about the need of a task force and how to get it started. In January the task force was formed and started holding monthly meetings. In April, Melissa Olsen from the Uintah County Attorney’s Office attended Environmental Crimes training and in May the task force sponsored an officer training in Uintah, Duchesne, and Daggett County. “One of the things that we did,” explains Environmental Health Director Darrin Brown, “was create a booklet to hand out to road officers. When [officers] see environmental issues they can contact us or have the information to handle it themselves.” An example of this was an officer who came across a home with dead animals by the house. The officer was able to refer to the booklet and take care of it by himself. Another officer was able to issue a citation to someone who was dumping sewage on the ground. The public can assist as the eyes and ears when environmental issues come up. Call Central Dispatch and let the experts on the Environmental Crimes Task Force handle it.
