CHEC was founded in 2004 under a grant from the Heinz Endowments at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health. Our mission is to improve environmental health in Western Pennsylvania. We take a community-based approach to social as well as physical aspects of local environmental health. Our aim is to offer access to local environmental health data, opportunities for collaboration and conferencing, and outreach that helps people improve their lives and neighborhoods.

CHEC's activities include the following:

• Developing a central resource for environmental health information
• Working with local organizations
• Campaigning to increase public awareness of environmental health issues
• Dialoguing with community members

By using a community-derived definition of environmental health, we set the stage for community engagement, which we believe is essential for the success of our work.

In addition to conventional environmental hazards such as air and water pollution, the scope of our interest includes the impact on health and well-being of such things as urban sprawl and "bad neighborhoods." In addition, we consider modifiable behavioral risk factors for health, such as smoking and nutrition, and the physical and social environmental determinants that influence them. As a starting point, we have chosen to focus our efforts on four environmental issues that are especially important for local health and wellness: food, housing, neighborhoods, and outdoor air pollution.

Here are some specific sites or topic areas in which we have current or planned activities:

• Allegheny River Stewardship Project
• Engage river community members to become involved in the stewardship of the Allegheny River;
• Understand the concentrations of important contaminants in river fish species;
• To associate contaminants in fish with potential pollution sources;
• Identify human exposures to these contaminants;
• Understand the risks to human health and the environment;
• Obtain and share data with policymakers;
• To form strategic partnerships with stakeholder groups along the Allegheny River watershed.
• Peabody High School:
• Health Careers Adopt-a-School
• School Health Council
• College mentoring and community projects
• Environmental Careers (developing)
• Workshops on environmental health, outreach, consultations, media, collaborations
  
• Education: physicians, universities, high schools, the public
  
• Conferences, including April CHE Conference
• Data on health and the environment
• Developing:
• Vegetarian nutrition
• Obesity and the built environment
• Seasonality and mortality
• Urban green space, community gardens