Approaching a perfect storm: responding to new challenges without losing critical core capacities.

Edi tor 's Note : NEHA strives to provide up-to-date and relevant in­ formation on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profes­ sion. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column from the Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre­ vention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal. In this column, EHSB and guest authors from across CDC will highlight a variety of concerns, opportunities, challenges, and successes that we all share in environmental public health. EHSB’s objective is to strengthen the role of state, local, and national environmental health programs and professionals to anticipate, identify, and respond to adverse environmental exposures and the consequences of these exposures for human health. The services being developed through EHSB include access to topical, relevant, and scientific in­ formation; consultation; and assistance to environmental health specialists, sanitarians, and environmental health professionals and practitioners. The conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not neces­ sarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chris Kochtitzky is an urban planner by training specializing in environ­ mental planning and is currently the deputy director (acting) of CDC’s Divi­ sion of Emergency and Environmental Health Services. He holds an MS in planning from Florida State University.