The 2002 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century, reaffirmed the importance of local and state health agencies to strengthen their capacity to successfully identify and manage environmental problems through the understanding and use of the 10 Essential Public Health Services. The Essential Services of Environmental Health follow:

1. Monitor environmental and health status to identify and solve community environmental health problems
2. Diagnose and investigate environmental health problems and health hazards in the community
3. Inform, educate and empower people about environmental health issues
4. Mobilize community partnerships and actions to identify and solve environmental health problems
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community environmental health efforts
6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect environmental health and ensure safety
7. Link people to needed personal environmental health services and assure the provision of healthcare when otherwise unavailable
8. Assure competent environmental health and personal healthcare workforce
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population based environmental health services
10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to environmental health problems

See also: Essential Services of Environmental Health Training CD-ROM