Party Planning For Upcoming Weekend

Party planning for the upcoming July 4^th weekend should include more than a menu and invited guests.  Forgetting about food safety can be a recipe for disaster. A metal-stemmed thermometer is as much a party essential as matching plates and napkins.  According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in six Americans will get sick from food poisoning this year. Following four simple steps – clean, separate, cook and chill – can help keep your family safe. Learn the risks of food poisoning in the fun new web series Recipes for Disaster at http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html.

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) wants you to practice safe food handling by keeping “hot things hot” (greater than 135 degrees Fahrenheit) and “cold things cold” (less than 41 degrees Fahrenheit) to reduce your risk of a food-borne illness. Other safety tips include --

• Thaw frozen meats in the refrigerator.
• Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before and after handling foods.
• Clean all kitchen surfaces before you begin cooking.
• To avoid cross contamination, use separate plates for raw and cooked meats.
• Scrub cutting boards with hot soapy water after preparing food.
• Use a metal stemmed food thermometer to ensure food is cooked to the proper temperature.  Food is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria (see below).
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving time.

 Food-borne illness is preventable.  If you suspect a food-borne illness, contact MCDH at 815-334-4585, Monday through Friday, 8am-4:30 pm.  For after hour emergencies, call 815-344-7421.

Supreme Court Rules Against Limits On Toxic Mercury Pollution

The Supreme Court just handed a huge victory to some of America's biggest polluters—ruling against the first-ever limits on toxic mercury pollution from coal plants.¹
It's one of the biggest public health setbacks we've faced in years—but this fight is far from over.
The Environmental Protection Agency is already getting ready to push forward with revisions that address the Supreme Court's concerns. It's up to us to mobilize strong public support to make sure polluters can't create further weakening or delay these critical rules.
Unbelievably, the Supreme Court claimed that the EPA failed to show that the mercury limits were "necessary and appropriate"—even though they would prevent 11,000 annual deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, 130,000 asthma attacks, and up to $90 billion in health-care costs.²
What could be more "necessary and appropriate" than that?
But the coal industry will spend virtually any amount of money on lawyers and lobbyists to block limits on their mercury pollution—and President Obama doesn't have much time left to get these rules in place.
Make no mistake: People could die because of the Supreme Court decision. We can't back down now.

1. Supreme Court Blocks Obama's Limits on Power Plants, The New York Times, June 29, 2015

2. Healthier Americans, United States Environmental Protection Agency, accessed June 29, 2015