Environmental public health means the ways the environment can impact people’s health. This includes past, present and potential pollution and waste. 

EPA is responsible for environmental public health in Victoria: 

• We give advice about environmental public health risks. 
• We help people access complex scientific information about environmental public health. 
• We respond to health queries about pollution and waste. 

Some environmental public health issues we deal with include: 

• impacts of airborne dust 
• contaminated land and groundwater
• smoke and air quality 
• asbestos waste
• use of recreational waters (Beach Report, Yarra Watch)
• noise from a premises
• odour from commercial and industrial sources
• pollution incidents and emergency management.

We also give advice to environmental health experts, including to councils overseeing clean up of illegal drug lab sites.

We don’t provide information about human diseases and other health matters. That’s the role of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).