There are a number of stakeholders that have a role in environmental public health. The federal government is actively monitoring and assessing environmental hazards and their effects on health through various agencies and programs. It is leading national outreach programs to communicate to the public about how to protect their health from specific environmental hazards, while also supporting state and local government efforts.

State and local governments are doing this work on a regional level. They identify issues specific to their communities based on monitoring and trends, research local hazards to better understand their health effects, respond to citizen environmental health concerns, and implement outreach programs to minimize the effect of known environmental risks.

Health and environmental groups large and small are conducting their own research; lobbying elected officials for tighter regulations and new laws that protect citizens from hazards; and leading communication outreach programs to educate people about specific hazards and health effects. The American Cancer Society, Coalition to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning, Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club, National Center for Healthy Homes, and Children’s Environmental Health Network are just a few examples of groups studying the links between the environment and health.