Work program to meet standards; certification of municipal or regional health agency as authorized local government for performance of environmental health services within its jurisdiction

A county department shall, within 15 months of the promulgation of environmental health performance standards and standards of administrative procedure for county departments of health by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, prepare a work program for meeting the standards throughout the county and shall submit it to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and to each municipality located therein for review. The work program shall provide a detailed description of program objectives, shall delineate responsibilities for its implementation within the county, shall identify the personnel and resources required to meet the program objectives and shall provide a time schedule for achieving full program implementation. Any municipal or regional health agency authorized by P.L.1975, c. 329 (C. 26:3A2-1 et seq.), which is presently providing environmental health services which meet the standards of performance and of procedure and which is willing to coordinate its environmental health programs with those of its neighbors by implementing the work program of the county department, may petition the Commissioner of Environmental Protection for certification and upon certification become the authorized local government for the performance of environmental health services within its jurisdiction. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall certify any municipal or regional health agency as the authorized local government for the performance of environmental health services within its jurisdiction, when he finds that the petitioning health agency provides and will continue to provide a complete program of environmental health services which meet the standards of performance and of procedure as indicated in the work program of the county department. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall periodically review the certification of each such health agency to determine whether or not it should be continued.