[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 206 (Thursday, October 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65355-65356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27084]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[ATSDR-186]


Availability of the Draft Online Learning Program, The Public 
Health Assessment Process and the Community, Public Comment Release

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment on the 
draft online learning program, The Public Health Assessment Process and 
the Community. This program was developed to provide community members 
with information about the ATSDR public health assessment process 
through interactive learning using the Internet. The program also 
provides a tool that ATSDR's cooperative agreement partners (agents of 
ATSDR) can use to introduce new staff members to concepts used in the 
public health assessment process and to facilitate communications with 
community members when discussing the public health assessment process.

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SUMMARY: ATSDR conducts public health assessments to evaluate whether 
people have come in contact with hazardous substances released into the 
environment and whether contact with the substances has affected the 
health of those people exposed to the hazardous substances.
    The process used to conduct public health assessments includes 
gathering information from community members about how they might have 
come in contact with hazardous substances released into the environment 
and the concerns they have about the effect of the substances on their 
health. In addition to information gathered from community members, 
ATSDR also evaluates environmental data pertaining to a particular 
release, evaluates toxicologic and epidemiologic data relevant to 
exposures, and evaluates existing health outcome data if appropriate. 
Recommendations might be made to eliminate or reduce exposure to 
harmful levels of hazardous substances that have been released into the 
environment. The online learning program provides information on the 
basic concepts used by ATSDR staff and agents of ATSDR in conducting 
public health assessments.
    This online learning program is intended to assist community 
members in understanding the ATSDR public health assessment process and 
to provide additional information concerning the process that may not 
be available through other forums. Because interaction with community 
members is a critical component of the public health assessment 
process, ATSDR believes that public comments may help us improve the 
quality of the program. All comments received during the public comment 
period will be considered when making improvements to the program.
    Availability: The draft online program, The Public Health 
Assessment Process and the Community, will be available to the public 
on or about October 15, 2002. The close of the comment period will be 
60 days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register and will be indicated on the first page of the Web site. 
Comments received after close of the public comment period will be 
considered at the discretion of ATSDR based upon what is deemed to be 
in the best interest of the general public.

ADDRESSES: Requests for more information about accessing the online 
learning program should be sent to Chief, Program Evaluation, Records, 
and Information Services Branch; Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry; 1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E-56; Atlanta, GA 30333. 
The online learning program may be accessed at the ATSDR

[[Page 65356]]

home page Training section at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/training/public-health-assessment-overview/.
    Comments may be submitted online through the ``Feedback'' section 
of the program, which is accessible through a link at the top of each 
page. You may also send written comments and supporting documents to 
the address provided in the previous paragraph. Comments should be 
received by the end of the comment period. All written comments and 
data submitted in response to this notice and the draft online learning 
program should bear the docket control number ATSDR-186.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information may be obtained by 
contacting Bob Kay, telephone (404) 498-0382, ATSDR (Mailstop E-56) or 
Gail Godfrey, telephone (404) 498-0432, (Mailstop E-32), 1600 Clifton 
Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, or call toll free 1-888-42-ATSDR, 1-
888-422-8737. You may also e-mail Bob Kay at [email protected] or Gail 
Godfrey at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ATSDR is mandated to conduct public health 
assessments under section 104(i) of the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) [42 U.S.C. 
9604(i)] and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) [42 
U.S.C. 6939a(c)].
    The general procedures for the conduct of public health assessments 
are included in the ATSDR Final Rule on Health Assessments and Health 
Effects Studies of Hazardous Substances Releases and Facilities (55 FR 
5136, February 13, 1990, codified at 42 CFR part 90).
    Areas emphasized in the online learning program include community 
involvement, exposure assessment, weight-of-evidence approaches to 
decision making, and developing public health action plans to address 
any public health hazards found during investigations.
    The online learning program may be used by individuals to learn 
more about the public health assessment process, by community groups 
during meetings, and by individuals and groups as a communication tool 
when discussing concerns with the public health assessment team 
assigned to a site in their community. The program may also be used by 
agents of ATSDR to introduce new staff to the concepts of the public 
health assessment process and as a tool to stimulate communications 
with community members.
    This notice announces the projected availability of the draft 
online learning program. The program has undergone extensive internal 
review.
    ATSDR encourages the public's participation and comment on the 
further development of this online learning program.

    Dated: October 18, 2002.
Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry.
[FR Doc. 02-27084 Filed 10-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P