Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

What Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) does

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is a California state government agency established in 1986 and operating within the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), alongside the voter-enacted Proposition 65 (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986). OEHHA's mission is to protect and enhance the health of Californians and the state's environment through scientific evaluations that inform, support, and guide regulatory and other actions. The agency is led by Director Kristina (Kris) Thayer, Ph.D., operates with approximately 146 staff positions (FY 2021-22) of which roughly two-thirds are scientists with about 70% holding doctoral degrees, and is headquartered in Sacramento (1001 I Street) with a secondary office in Oakland.

OEHHA's core products are scientific assessment outputs and public-facing environmental health tools rather than commercial offerings. The portfolio includes the Proposition 65 chemical list (~900 chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm, updated at least annually), CalEnviroScreen (a mapping tool scoring all 8,000 California census tracts across 20+ pollution burden and vulnerability indicators, with version 5.0 released July 2026), CalHeatScore (a heat risk alert mapping tool with an API launched May 2026), site-specific fish consumption advisories (80+) for California water bodies, searchable chemical toxicity databases, Public Health Goals for drinking water contaminants, cancer potency factors and reference exposure levels used in the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program, climate change indicators, wildfire smoke guidance, and the ECHO-AIR open-source PM2.5 exposure modeling tool developed with UC Berkeley and University of Washington.

The agency is funded through California state appropriations with an FY 2021-22 budget of $31 million and does not sell products or services; all databases, guidance documents, and tools are provided free of charge. OEHHA's primary "customers" are California residents (~39 million), California state regulatory agencies within CalEPA (Air Resources Board, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Department of Public Health, Department of Toxic Substances Control, local air districts), California businesses subject to Proposition 65 compliance obligations, and California Native American Tribes engaged through a dedicated tribal liaison function.

Name

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

Legal name

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

Website

https://oehha.ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is a California state agency within CalEPA that conducts scientific risk assessments and operates public environmental health programs including Proposition 65, CalEnviroScreen, CalHeatScore, and fish advisories for California's 39 million residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Health Risk Assessment

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Hazard Risk Assessment (Residues, Toxins, Adulterants) (AFALAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Risk Ranking, Prioritization & Decision Support (Risk Matrices, FMEA) (AFALAOAK), Airborne Chemical Exposure Monitoring (VOCs, Solvents, Gases) (EUAHAGAA), Emerging Contaminants Testing & Risk Management (PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals) (EUANAJAF)

Keywords

• Environmental health assessment
• Chemical risk evaluation
• Toxicology regulation
• Pollution burden mapping
• Public health guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: OEHHA operates as a California state government agency funded through the state budget. For the 2021-22 Fiscal Year, the office's budget was $31 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Core offering

OEHHA conducts scientific evaluations of health hazards from environmental contaminants — including air pollutants, water contaminants, pesticides, and toxic chemicals — and translates those evaluations into regulatory guidance, public warnings, and interactive tools. Core deliverables include the Proposition 65 chemical list and warning framework, the CalEnviroScreen pollution-burden mapping tool, the CalHeatScore heat risk alert platform, site-specific fish consumption advisories, and toxicological reference values (cancer potency factors, reference exposure levels, public health goals) used by other California regulatory agencies and the public.

Product overview

OEHHA is a California state government agency (part of CalEPA) that protects and enhances the health of Californians and the state's environment through scientific evaluations. Rather than a commercial product company, OEHHA offers a suite of public-facing environmental health assessment tools and programs. The core products include Proposition 65 (chemical list and warning system), CalEnviroScreen (pollution burden mapping tool), CalHeatScore (heat risk alerts), Fish Advisories (seafood safety guidelines), Chemical Databases, and Climate Change Indicators. Supporting tools include wildfire smoke guidance for public health officials, Public Health Goals for drinking water contaminants, and research tools like ECHO-AIR for PM2.5 exposure analysis. The 2021-22 budget was $31 million with 146 staff positions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CalEnviroScreen: A mapping tool that identifies California communities disproportionately burdened by pollution
• CalHeatScore
• Proposition 65
• Biomonitoring California

Products and services

• Proposition 65 Program California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, administered by OEHHA. Requires businesses to provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals causing cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm, and maintains the state's list of approximately 900 listed chemicals. Targeted at California businesses, consumers, and other state regulatory agencies.
• CalEnviroScreen A mapping tool that identifies California communities disproportionately burdened by pollution and vulnerable to its effects. Uses data on pollution burdens and population characteristics to calculate scores for all 8,000 California census tracts. Used by state and local agencies to direct environmental justice investments and by the public to understand community-level pollution risks.
• CalHeatScore A mapping tool that translates meteorological, weather and health data into easy-to-understand heat risk alerts to reduce heat-related illness and save lives. Features an API for integration of heat risk data into third-party applications. Available free to the public, public health agencies, and application developers.
• Fish Consumption Advisories Site-specific, health-based fish consumption advice based on chemical sampling results for common fish species from California water bodies, providing safe eating guidelines. Used by California anglers, Native American Tribes with traditional fishing practices, and public health agencies.
• Chemical Databases Searchable databases for chemical information and toxicity values, including the Proposition 65 Chemical Database and Safe Use Determinations. Used by California businesses, regulatory agencies, researchers, and the public to look up chemical hazard and toxicity information.
• ECHO-AIR An open-source research tool for evaluating disparities in PM2.5 exposure and health outcomes, developed to support OEHHA's research on environmental justice and climate policy impacts. Used by academic researchers and policy analysts studying air quality disparities.
• Wildfire Smoke Guidance Resources and guides developed by OEHHA to help local public health officials prepare for wildfire smoke events, protect the public, and communicate about wildfire smoke health effects. Targeted at local public health agencies and emergency response officials.
• Climate Change Indicators Scientific measurements tracking trends and conditions relating to climate change in California, including indicators on wildfires, wildfire smoke, sea level rise, and human health impacts. Used by state agencies, policymakers, researchers, and the public to understand climate change trends.
• Public Health Goals (PHGs) Health-protective, non-mandatory exposure levels for contaminants in California drinking water, developed as guidance for regulatory agencies (including the State Water Resources Control Board) and for use by the public.
• Cancer Potency Factors and Reference Exposure Levels Toxicological reference values — including cancer potency factors, non-cancer reference exposure levels, and Inhalation Unit Risk Factors — developed for the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program and broader air toxics risk assessment. Used by the California Air Resources Board, local air districts, and other regulatory agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% reduction in PM2.5 exposure from vehicles over the last 20 years (2000-2019)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• California Air Resources BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on air quality assessment and the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program. OEHHA develops risk assessment methodologies used by ARB and local air districts for evaluating toxic air contaminant emissions.
• Department of Pesticide RegulationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOEHHA provides scientific peer review of pesticide risk assessments and collaborates on developing regulations to protect pesticide worker health and safety.
• California Department of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Biomonitoring California program measuring chemical levels in Californians' bodies, and consultation on harmful algal blooms affecting fisheries and public health.
• Department of Toxic Substances ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint participation in the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry public forums on chemical alternatives assessment, including BPA-free can linings evaluation.
• University of California, BerkeleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on vehicle emissions and air quality research, including the 2024 Science Advances study on PM2.5 exposure disparities. OEHHA provided technical and funding support for ECHO-AIR tool development.
• University of WashingtonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on PM2.5 exposure disparities and ECHO-AIR air quality modeling tool development.
• San Diego State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting the San Ysidro community air monitoring network project, coordinating sensor placement and data interpretation.
• Casa Familiar (San Ysidro)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization facilitating local participation in the San Ysidro air monitoring network. Residents are trained to maintain monitors and disseminate study results.
• Local Air DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOEHHA's risk assessment methodologies are adopted for use by the Air Resources Board and local air districts in the Air Toxics Hot Spots program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Health Canada: Canadian federal department responsible for public health including environmental health risk assessment. Evaluates chemical safety for regulatory purposes similar to OEHHA's chemical hazard assessments, but serves the Canadian national jurisdiction with different environmental priorities.
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Texas state agency for environmental protection, including air, water, and waste management programs. Comparable state-level environmental regulatory role to OEHHA but serves a different geographic region with different environmental priorities and regulatory framework.
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: New York state agency responsible for environmental protection and conservation. Comparable scope as a state-level environmental regulatory body with responsibilities including air, water, and waste management programs in a different geography than California.
• European Chemicals Agency: The EU agency responsible for implementing REACH and other chemical regulations. Conducts scientific evaluation of chemical hazards with methodology comparable to OEHHA's Proposition 65 listing process, but operates at supranational level across EU member states.

Others

• California Air Resources Board: Sister CalEPA agency that regulates air quality and adopts OEHHA's risk assessment methodologies for the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program. Functions as a primary internal customer for OEHHA's scientific evaluations rather than a competitor, with mutual collaboration on air quality assessment.
• California Department of Pesticide Regulation: Sister CalEPA agency that regulates pesticides. OEHHA peer reviews pesticide risk assessments for DPR and collaborates on worker health and safety regulations, functioning as a key collaborative partner within CalEPA on agricultural chemical safety.
• California Department of Toxic Substances Control: Sister CalEPA agency that regulates toxic substances and hazardous waste. Collaborates with OEHHA on chemical alternatives assessment including the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry forums and BPA-free can linings evaluation under CalEPA umbrella.
• Exponent: Private scientific and engineering consulting firm with a chemical risk assessment practice. Has comparable technical capabilities to OEHHA in toxicology and exposure science but serves commercial, litigation, and product safety clients rather than acting as a regulatory body.
• Ramboll (formerly Gradient Analytics): Private scientific consulting firm specializing in toxicology and risk assessment through its Environment & Health practice. Performs chemical risk assessments with technical methods similar to OEHHA's evaluations but serves commercial clients rather than functioning as a government regulator.

Broad incumbents

• US Environmental Protection Agency: The federal US environmental regulatory agency with broader national scope than OEHHA. Conducts scientific risk assessments for environmental contaminants and develops regulatory health-based standards similar to OEHHA's work, but operates at federal level across all 50 states with significantly larger resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OEHHA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OEHHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/OEHHA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-of-environmental-health-hazard-assessment
• Instagraminstagram.com/oehha.ca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)