About
We are the leading organization supporting environmental health professionals in the US and the world. We represent more than 7,000 governmental, private, academic, and uniformed services sector environmental health professionals in the U.S., its territories, and internationally.
We have an 87-year history of advancing environmental health science and practice, and providing training, education, advocacy, and resources for our members and partners.
We are the profession’s strongest advocate for excellence in the practice of environmental health.
We provide the highest standard practice and testing for our credentialing programs and employ instructional designers and educators to develop our educational materials and events. Environmental health-trained editors publish our peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Health, and our online Community is built specifically to foster networking and career growth.
We are governed by a 14-member board of directors and benefit from committees and technical advisors who serve as subject matter experts.
Our Mission
To build, sustain, and empower an effective environmental health workforce.
Our Vision
Healthy environments. Protected communities. Empowered professionals.
Strategic Direction
We have identified three key priority areas from which to focus our work. They are:
- Constituent Insight: Understand the needs and perceptions of our professional network in a manner that sustainably advances our mission.
- Thought Leadership: Deliver timely, essential, and influential products, services, and communications.
- Operational Excellence: Provide an effective, efficient, and supportive organization that is easy to understand, easy to navigate, and easy to work with.
Our Origin
Our association was first incorporated in California in 1937. The pioneers of the association believed that a standard was necessary if the environmental health field was to grow and take shape as a legitimate and widely respected profession.
This standard, which has come to be known as the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian credential, signifies that an environmental health professional has mastered a body of knowledge (which is verified through the passing of an examination), and has acquired sufficient experience, to satisfactorily perform work responsibilities in the environmental health field.
Defining Environmental Health
Environmental health is the science and practice of preventing human injury and illness and promoting well-being by
- identifying and evaluating environmental sources and hazardous agents and;
- limiting exposures to hazardous physical, chemical, and biological agents in air, water, soil, food, and other environmental media or settings that may adversely affect human health.
Defining Environmental Health Professional
An environmental health professional or specialist is a practitioner with appropriate academic education and training and registration or certification to
- investigate, sample, measure, and assess hazardous environmental agents in various environmental media and settings;
- recommend and apply protective interventions that control hazards to health;
- develop, promote, and enforce guidelines, policies, laws, and regulations;
- develop and provide health communications and educational materials;
- manage and lead environmental health units within organizations;
- perform systems analysis;
- engage community members to understand, address, and resolve problems;
- review construction and land use plans and make recommendations;
- interpret research utilizing science and evidence to understand the relationship between health and environment; and
- interpret data and prepare technical summaries and reports.