[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 152 (Thursday, August 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42558-42559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20740]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
[ATSDR-123]


ATSDR's Interim Policy Guideline and Technical Support Document 
on Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Compounds in Soil

AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of ATSDR's ``Interim 
Policy Guideline: Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Compounds in Soil,'' and the 
``Technical Support Document for ATSDR Interim Policy Guideline: Dioxin 
and Dioxin-Like Compounds in Soil.'' ATSDR has adopted this interim 
policy guideline to assess the public health implications of dioxin and 
dioxin-like compounds in residential soils near or on hazardous waste 
sites. These compounds include 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 
(TCDD), related chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs), chlorinated 
dibenzofurans (CDFs), and other structurally related groups of 
chemicals from the family of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons.


[[Page 42559]]


DATES: Comments concerning this notice and the interim guidelines must 
be received by October 6, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of these documents should be sent to the 
attention of Ms. Kim E. Jenkins, Division of Toxicology, Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Mailstop E-29, 1600 Clifton 
Road, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Requests for the documents must be in 
writing.
    Comments on this notice should bear the docket control number 
ATSDR-123 and should be sent to the attention of Dr. Jim Holler, Agency 
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology, 
Emergency Response and Scientific Assessment Branch, 1600 Clifton Road, 
NE Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Comments on this notice will 
be available for public inspection at the Agency for Toxic Substances 
and Disease Registry, Building 4, Executive Park Drive, Atlanta, 
Georgia (not a mailing address), from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except for legal holidays. Because all public comments 
are available for public inspection, no confidential business 
information should be submitted in response to this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Christopher T. De Rosa, Director, 
Division of Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry, 1600 Clifton Road, NE Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, 
telephone (404) 639-6300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This interim policy guideline provides a 
description of ATSDR's current approaches and judgments regarding 
hazards posed by the presence of TCDD and its less toxic dioxin-like 
congeners, the CDDs and CDFs, in residential soils. Likely users of 
this interim policy guideline include health assessors at ATSDR and in 
the States, and ATSDR partners including relevant Federal, State, and 
local health and environmental entities, and concerned community groups 
who may be involved in a range of health assessment and risk management 
decisions.
    The technical support document is intended to serve as technical 
background and support for the agency interim policy guideline and, to 
the extent practicable, harmonize such efforts with those of other 
Federal agencies and relevant organizations. This document reflects an 
assessment of current practice within the agency and defines the 
appropriate roles of professional judgment and emerging scientific 
principles in ATSDR's public health assessments of exposures to dioxin 
and dioxin-like compounds.
    These guidelines and procedures apply to human exposure by direct 
ingestion of soils contaminated with dioxin and dioxin-like compounds 
in residential areas and may not be appropriate for exposure by other 
routes or media. This guidance will be evaluated in the future in view 
of new data that may become available.

    Dated: July 31, 1997.
Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry.
[FR Doc. 97-20740 Filed 8-6-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P