[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10095-10096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3983]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[ATSDR-208]


Availability of Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual (Update)

AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),

[[Page 10096]]

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the ATSDR Public 
Health Assessment Guidance Manual (Update). ATSDR is mandated to 
conduct public health assessment activities at all sites on, or 
proposed for inclusion on, the National Priorities List (NPL). ATSDR 
can also conduct public health assessments in response to a request 
from the public for an evaluation of active waste sites, landfills, and 
other possible releases of hazardous substances to the environment.

ADDRESSES: The Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual is available to 
the public by mail from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National 
Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, 
Springfield, VA 22161, or by telephone at (703) 487-4650. There is a 
charge, determined by NTIS, for the manual. The NTIS order number for 
this document is PB2005-102123.
    The Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual is also available on 
the ATSDR Web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHAManual/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Cibulas, Ph.D., Director, 
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, 1600 Clifton 
Road, NE., Mailstop E-32, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, telephone (404) 498-
0007.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ATSDR is required by section 104(i) of the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
(CERCLA) to conduct health assessment activities at all sites on, or 
proposed for inclusion on, the NPL (42 U.S.C. 9604(i)(6)(A)). ATSDR may 
also conduct health assessments in response to a request from the 
public (42 U.S.C. 9604(i)(6)(B)). In addition, the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency may request the conduct of a health assessment under 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C. 6939a(b)).
    The general procedures for the conduct of public health assessments 
are included in the ATSDR regulation, ``Health Assessments and Health 
Effects Studies of Hazardous Substances Releases and Facilities' (42 
CFR part 90).
    The ATSDR public health assessment is the evaluation of data and 
information on the release of hazardous substances into the environment 
to assess any current or future impact on public health, develop health 
advisories or other recommendations, and identify studies or actions 
needed to evaluate, mitigate, or prevent human health effects.
    The ATSDR public health assessment includes an analysis and 
statement of the public health implications posed by the site under 
consideration. This analysis generally involves an evaluation of 
relevant environmental data, exposure pathways, community health 
concerns, and, when appropriate, health outcome data. The public health 
assessment also identifies populations living or working on or near 
hazardous waste sites for which more extensive public health actions or 
studies are indicated.
    The Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual (Update) sets forth in 
detail the public health assessment process as developed by ATSDR and 
clarifies the methodologies and guidelines used by ATSDR staff and 
agents of ATSDR in conducting the assessments. The manual is not 
intended to supplant the professional judgment and discretion of the 
health assessor (or the public health assessment team) compiling and 
analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and making public health 
recommendations. Instead, the manual offers a systematic approach for 
evaluating the public health implications of hazardous waste sites, 
while still allowing the health assessors to develop new approaches to 
the process and apply the most current and appropriate science and 
methodology.
    This manual replaces the previous guidance manual that was released 
on May 18, 1992. The manual has been updated and expanded to reflect 
current scientific knowledge and public health practices. For example, 
the manual expands the description of how to select environmental 
contaminants for further analysis and how to conduct an in-depth 
analysis of their potential to cause adverse health effects. Other 
revisions include new guidance on the evaluation of health outcome data 
and exposure to chemical mixtures.
    This notice announces the availability of the revised manual. The 
manual has undergone extensive internal review, has been subjected to 
scientific peer review by experts both within and outside the Federal 
government, and was available for public comment from April 2, 2002, to 
June 3, 2002, Federal Register 67 15574, April 2, 2002.

    Dated: February 23, 2005.
Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, National Center 
for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry.
[FR Doc. 05-3983 Filed 3-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P