The last decade has seen renewed public interest in an old issue, that of environmental health. Public outcry against the rampant environmental pollution of the 60’s, created a need for environment and health related studies in the 70’s and subsequent creation of regulatory offices. In recent years, the geological community has been successful in providing an expanding role for earth scientists. While the role of environmental health in the 70’s was clearly delineated by anthropogenic pollution, current contributions from the geological sciences are broader and more sophisticated. The impact of natural geological materials and processes on public health is established by the application of geological concepts and new technologies. This discussion will focus on current USGS research related to earth materials and health, a discussion of epidemiological methods and public health and a focus for the future.