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Public Health Week Profiles from Previous Years

  Working to protect the environment.

Mike Priddy is a environmental health physicist with the Department of Health’s Environmental Radiation Monitoring and Assessment Section (ERMA). ERMA, a section of the Radiation Protection Program, monitors the levels of radiation in the environment near Washington facilities that use radioactive materials.

Facilities using radioactive materials are required to have their own monitoring systems in place. Although these systems do an excellent job, Priddy’s office work alongside them testing some of the same collection points for consistency. Priddy and his team collect air, water and plant samples from a variety of points near the facilities and points further away including areas along 50 miles of the Columbia River. Most of the samples are tested at the state’s Public Health Laboratory.

Priddy’s team monitors areas around facilities in the Eastern Washington. This huge area includes the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and private energy producer Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station.

Priddy’s role includes serving as a liaison to the community, and he works closely with many local organizations from the Hanford Advisory board to tribes to local citizen groups.

“It’s important for us to have a presence – to work together with the facilities and community groups to help prevent instances before they happen. We want people to remember we’re here and ready to help if needed,” said Priddy.

They also investigate reports of possible radiation contamination in other areas of the community.  These can range from a citizen’s concern about discarded materials to larger issues. For example, the ERMA team is currently studying the amount of uranium that enters the Columbia River from agricultural runoff.

Priddy has been with the department since 2002.