CalEnviroScreen, first introduced in 2013, is a mapping tool used by public agencies to identify California communities disproportionately burdened by pollution. The tool supports the goal of restoring, protecting and improving the environment, especially for communities vulnerable to cumulative impacts of pollution, and serves as a key input for environmental compliance, permitting, and funding decisions across the state.
On January 28, 2026, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released the draft CalEnviroScreen 5.0 update for public comment, the first update released since 2021. In developing Version 5.0, OEHHA worked with eight community-based organizations (CBOs). Version 5.0 introduces two new indicators, improves three existing indicators, updates all indicators with the most recent data available, and uses 2020 census tract data. Public comment closes April 1, 2026, and OEHHA has tentative plans to release the final in late spring 2026.
How CalEnviroScreen Works
CalEnviroScreen uses environmental, health, and socioeconomic data to compare the pollution burden and community vulnerability by census tract. The tool includes environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators such as water pollution and air quality, rates of cardiovascular disease and asthma, and education attainment and unemployment rates, respectively. With the addition of two new indices, Version 5.0 incorporates 23 indices total to describe the relative pollution exposure and health risks faced by communities.
CalEnviroScreen assigns percentile-based scores for each indicator and then averages scores across four components: exposures, environmental effects, sensitive populations, and socioeconomic factors. OEHHA calculates an average score per census tract, which can be compared to statewide averages.
Version 5.0
New indices
Version 5.0 adds two new indices: diabetes prevalence and small air toxic sites.
Diabetes
Adult diabetes prevalence is now included as an index in the sensitive population indicator based on the volume of scientific literature indicating that an individual’s sensitivity to adverse effects of pollution is increased by the pathophysiology of diabetes. CBOs expressed that diabetes, which affects 11% of Californians, is an important factor for disadvantaged communities.
Data for this index comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) PLACES data initiative. PLACES uses “nationally-representative individual-level survey data” from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to establish population level adult diabetes prevalence at the tract level.
Small Air Toxic Sites (SmATS)
A new index under the environmental effects indicator for Small Air Toxic Sites (SmATS) is included in Version 5.0. OEHHA references growing scientific evidence that living closer to emission sources, such as oil and natural gas (ONG) wells, dry cleaning sites, and refineries, are linked to adverse health outcomes. The index accounts for distance from the SmATS, given that exposure is a function of distance from SmATS. Data on most SmATS were sourced from California’s Emissions Inventory Data Analysis and Reporting System.
ONG well data comes from California’s Geological Energy Management Division, though the approximately 140,000 decommissioned wells in California are not included in the ONG well data. Additionally, no independent sources beyond California’s Geological Energy Management Division were consulted when compiling the ONG data.
Improved Indices
Although all indices were updated with the most up-to-date publicly available data, improvements made to three indices went beyond updating the prior data sources. Specifically, important updates were made to indicators for drinking water contaminants, children’s exposure to lead from housing, and buffer distances from hazardous waste generators and facilities.
Drinking Water Contaminants
Version 4.0 of CalEnviroScreen used data from California’s community water systems and state small water systems. In Version 5.0, water quality data from 61 different tribal areas were incorporated into the index. Version 5.0 also includes data for the federally regulated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and for 14 other contaminants included in the 4.0 version.
Children’s Lead from Housing
Version 5.0 includes blood lead data from 2018-2022 from the California Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch. This data contains census-tract level counts for children six years old and younger with a blood lead level of 3.5 microgram per deciliter or greater. To account for variability in testing coverage and children within a tract, tracts with fewer than 10 total tests were excluded.
In addition, data for the index were updated with 2024 California parcel data and American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2019–2023 (age of housing) and 2017–2021 (percentage of low-income households with children).
Hazardous Waste Generators and Facilities buffer distances
While hazardous waste generator data has been included in previous versions of CalEnviroScreen, Version 5.0 increases the buffer around hazardous waste facilities from 1 to 4 km. This change was motivated by buffers set by US EPA EJScreen and Colorado EnviroScreen, as well as concerns that hazardous waste facilities can impact communities beyond 1 km.
2020 Census Tracts
Version 5.0 uses 2020 census tract data, an update over the 2010 census tract data used in Version 4.0. This update increases the amount of census tracts by 13%, increasing the number of census tracts considered from 8,057 to 9,129. Consequently, Version 5.0 improves geographic resolution relative to earlier versions.
OEHHA reports that approximately 4,000 tracts were unchanged between 2010 and 2002. Changes to the remaining 5,000 tracts include increasing census tract area, decreasing census tract area, and/or reshaping the census tract.[1]
The Impact of these changes
Trends
Despite the changes, Version 4.0 and 5.0 results are highly correlated with a strong overlap between the scores for the top 25% census tracts (the most burdened tracts) between the two versions.[2] Even so, the absolute scores did change for many tracts and the sheer increase in the number of tracts leads to differing characteristics within regions. Some regional trends emerged. For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley regions, fewer census tracts are in the top 25% when compared to other census tracts across California. Conversely, in the Central Coast, North State, and San Diego regions, Version 5.0 show an increase in the number of census tracts falling into the top 25% most burdened communities.
Potential Outcomes on Funding, Permitting, and Outreach
CalEnviroScreen is more than a map—it is an important tool used by State and local agencies to inform decisions on planning and permitting, how to prioritize cleanup efforts, and where to allocate funding and resources for environmental justice grants. For businesses, developers, and environmental consulting professionals, understanding a project site’s CalEnviroScreen score is increasingly essential to environmental compliance, risk assessment, and community engagement strategies. While this screening tool has real on the ground consequences for many communities across the state, it is important to note that it does not replace the need for real on the ground truthing and characterization.
The way a census tract is defined on CalEnviroScreen can influence funding eligibility, permitting approvals, and development/redevelopment projects. For these reasons, it is very important that OEHHA and potentially relevant parties go beyond treating this as a desktop activity and move towards boots on the ground truthing and meaningful engagement of community organizations. While Version 5.0 updates reflected the involvement of eight CBOs throughout the State, additional local expertise and other stakeholders (e.g., the business community, developers) could further inform the tool and broaden its utility.
An example of the use of CalEnviroScreen in decision-making is the Bay Area Air District’s requirements under regulation 2-1-243, which define an overburdened community as:
An area located (i) within a census tract identified by the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen), Version 4.0, as having an overall CalEnviroScreen score at or above the 70th percentile, or (ii) within 1,000 feet of any such census tract.
The Air District should update their regulations to always make reference to the most up-to-date and current CalEnviroScreen version to reflect the best available information. This is important as the Air District uses these findings to assess the risks of a project and set emissions limits as well as public notifications.
Case Studies
We developed three San Francisco Bay Area case studies to illustrate some ways in which findings change when using Version 5.0 vs. Version 4.0. We found that scores for census tracts in Hunters Point, Montezuma Hills, and the Port of San Francisco Southern Waterfront changed substantially from Version 4.0 to 5.0. These changes are presented in the figure below.
In Montezuma Hills, updated census data split what was previously one very large census tract into two, resulting in half the number of people and an overall percentile decrease from 78 to 44. That is, while Montezuma Hills had previously scored 78 percent, it now scores just 44 percent. That decrease in percentile caused this area’s zone to be reclassified from orange to yellow. Individual indices changed less consistently. Some, like ozone and diesel particulate matter, remained about the same. In contrast, environmental effects like groundwater threats and cleanup sites drastically declined. Others, including drinking water contaminants, slightly increased. The changes better reflect the characteristics of the census tract to the south compared to the tract in the north.
The Port of San Francisco Southern Waterfront, and in particular the area from Pier 80 past Heron’s Head Park, were largely uncategorized in Version 4.0 and many indices had simply reported “N/A” In Version 5.0. This area is now one of the highest percentile census tracts in the Bay Area, with overall percentiles ranging from 88 to 90 percent, a red zone (i.e., highly overburdened). This change is notable and could have both positive and negative impacts on community members. This area was designated for Maritime Eco-Industrial Business Opportunities in the Port’s Waterfront plan. Although a higher score may bring much needed and beneficial funding to this overburdened community, it may be a double-edged sword for community members who hope to see more local jobs. With its red zone classification, this area may face increased scrutiny in permitting decisions that could disincentivize development.
For the Hunters Point census tract—the location of a former Naval Base—the percentile decreased from 83 to 43. A few key indictors drove the change. For example, diesel particulate matter dropped from 99 to 11, and low scores were assigned for the two new indicators. Although the surrounding census tracts were split into multiple tracts and retained high scores (80 to 90), the lower score for Hunters Point could result in lower prioritization of funding for this area and less scrutiny of new emission/pollutant sources.
Looking Ahead
During a public meeting on February 18, 2026, in Oakland, California OEHHA representatives discussed tentative plans for CalEnviroScreen Version 6.0. Ambitions include the addition of climate indicators (e.g., sea level rise, extreme heat events, and extreme storm events), and community members advocated for more frequent and dynamic updates. Some communities can change frequently, and an update every five years may lead to missed opportunities for funding. Additional indicators that were suggested by the community for future versions include metrics on “food deserts,” intersections of EJ communities and biodiversity metrics, and super commuters.
One important but unavoidable limitation of CalEnviroScreen is that it only includes indices with a source data/dataset that is statewide with fairly consistent coverage. That is, it does not employ local data sets. As such, ground truthing and characterization are critical to informed decision making about funding, permits, approvals, and other authorizations.
Summary Points
The CalEnviroScreen Version 5.0 is a substantial improvement over the previous version. Program and community managers and decision-makers, as well as those impacted by their decisions, are encouraged to evaluate changes that could impact their projects and programs. Regulatory agencies should assess the changes and shift policies and regulations to reflect updated information provided by Version 5.0. Finally, all parties should understand that CalEnviroScreen is only one tool in the toolbox, and it does not replace the need to understand a community, its needs and priorities, and the potential impacts of management actions. Environmental compliance requirements, permitting approvals, and project feasibility can all be affected by a site’s designation under CalEnviroScreen 5.0. Proactive engagement with updated screening results, supported by qualified environmental consulting professionals, is key to navigating these changes effectively.
About Integral
Integral is a full-service environmental consulting firm with deep expertise in environmental compliance, site investigation and remediation, environmental due diligence, and climate resilience planning. Our team helps clients across California navigate complex regulatory frameworks, including tools like CalEnviroScreen, to support informed decision-making on permitting, development, and community engagement. Whether you are evaluating how Version 5.0 affects your project site, assessing environmental justice obligations, or planning for future climate risk, Integral’s environmental consulting professionals can provide the technical rigor and local knowledge needed to move your project forward. Contact us to learn more about our environmental consulting services.
[1] https://dru-data-portal-cacensus.hub.arcgis.com/pages/tract-crosswalk
[2] Initial trends were shared by OEHHA staff during public workshops in February 2026.