[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 221 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68125-68127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27533]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part J (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) of the 
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (50 FR 25129-25130, dated 
June 17, 1985, as amended most recently at 75 FR 70276, dated November 
17, 2010) is amended to reflect the reorganization of the Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
    Section T-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete in their entirety the titles and functional statements for 
the Division of Regional Operations (JAAB), Division of Health 
Assessment and Consultation (JAAC), Division of Health Studies (JAAE), 
and the Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine (JAAG), and 
insert the following:
    Division of Community Health Investigations (JAAM). (1) Conducts 
public health assessments, health consultations, and other related 
public health activities to determine the health implications of 
releases or threatened releases of toxic substances into the 
environment; in particular, such activities are conducted for Superfund 
and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites, petition 
requests, and other sites or instances where communities have been or 
may have been exposed to toxic substances in the environment; (2) 
plans, manages, directs, and conducts the regional operations of the 
Agency; (3) provides liaison, technical advice, and consultation to the 
Environmental Protection Agency, other federal, tribal, state, and 
local agencies, private organizations, community groups, and 
individuals on eliminating or mitigating public health problems 
resulting from the release of hazardous substances into the 
environment; (4) conducts and evaluates exposure pathways analyses and 
other exposure screening analyses to identify impacted communities, to 
include exposure investigations (biologic sampling, personal 
monitoring, etc.), exposure-dose reconstruction, and related 
environmental assessments, as appropriate; (5) identifies appropriate 
interventions for impacted communities to prevent exposures and/or 
adverse health effects; (6) issues public health advisories when a 
release or threatened release of a toxic substance poses an imminent 
health hazard; (7) plans, prepares, and executes appropriate community 
involvement and health educational strategies/activities/programs for 
communities affected or potentially affected by toxic substances 
released into the environment; (8) manages the ATSDR-mandated program 
for conducting site-specific activities at petitioned sites; (9) 
manages and implements ATSDR's Site-Specific Cooperative Agreement 
Program; (10) coordinates the Agency's environmental public health 
training program; (11) provides technical support and field presence 
for routine emergency and disaster response as appropriate; and (12) 
engages with regional partners to accomplish special programs that 
promote environmental health (i.e., brownfields/land reuse activities 
and environmental justice).
    Office of the Director (JAAM1). (1) Provides overall leadership in 
directing, coordinating, evaluating, and managing all programmatic and 
administrative operations of the division; (2) develops programmatic 
goals and objectives and provides leadership, policy formation, and 
guidance in program planning, development, and evaluation; (3) 
coordinates division activities with other components of ATSDR and 
other federal, tribal, state and local agencies; (4) provides overall 
leadership and management of division activities pertaining to federal 
facilities response, petition coordination, special environmental 
public health programs (i.e., brownfields/land reuse), and community 
involvement/health education; (5) ensures regional offices have support 
for timely responses to regional partners; (6) ensures support for 
regional emergency response activities; (7) works with the Washington, 
D.C. regional office to ensure coordination with the Environmental 
Protection Agency at the national level; (8) assesses the need and 
develops training for public health professionals conducting site-
specific activities, and coordinates the delivery of these courses for 
the training of federal staff, American Indian/Alaska Native tribal 
members, and state partners; (9) plans, directs, coordinates, and 
manages ATSDR's Site-Specific Cooperative Agreement Program; (10) 
reviews and evaluates the scientific accuracy and clarity of public 
health assessments, health consultations, and community outreach and 
health education materials; (11) ensures the quality and consistency in 
the science and format used in the development of

[[Page 68126]]

divisional products and materials; (12) develops outreach messages 
following the procedures and policies of the Agency's Office of 
Communication; (13) provides timely responses to policy activities 
(i.e., Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), congressional inquiries, 
budget formulation, and briefings); and (14) develops measures of 
divisional productivity and reports to the Agency and CDC director.
    Eastern Branch (JAAMB). The branch serves regions 1-3 by performing 
the following: (1) Manages a wide range of public health assessment 
requests, including private-sector petitions and regional-led 
activities, that are assigned based on branch staff expertise; (2) 
monitors the progress of work plan activities, and reviews and 
evaluates the scientific accuracy and clarity of public health 
assessments, health consultations, and related materials; (3) plans, 
directs, coordinates, evaluates, conducts, and manages operations and 
activities at National Priorities List sites, federal sites, and RCRA 
sites; (4) issues public health assessments, health consultations, 
public health advisories, and provides technical assistance; (5) 
establishes working relationships with regional partners to ensure 
hazardous chemical exposures are addressed regionally; (6) operates 
regional offices providing liaison, technical advice, and consultation 
to the Environmental Protection Agency, other federal, tribal, state, 
and local agencies, private organizations, community groups, and 
individuals on eliminating or mitigating public health problems 
resulting from the release of hazardous substances into the 
environment; (7) ensures regional offices have adequate support to 
provide timely responses to external partners; (8) ensures regional 
offices have continued support for emergency response and removal 
activities; (9) participates in regional initiatives to ensure 
prevention and reduction of hazardous waste exposures; (10) plans, 
coordinates, implements, and evaluates ATSDR's health promotion, health 
education, and community involvement site-specific programs; (11) 
communicates the agency's roles, responsibilities, and public health 
information to public and professional audiences to mitigate health 
effects from potential and actual exposures to toxic substances; (12) 
advocates for the public health needs of communities affected by 
environmental hazards; (13) links members of the public in communities 
affected by hazardous waste with technical and scientific staff and 
resources, where appropriate; (14) collaborates with other ATSDR 
program areas and partners to ensure cultural awareness and respect are 
observed and practiced in all activities that involve communities, 
American Indian/Alaska Native tribes, tribal governments and tribal 
organizations; (15) develops programmatic goals and objectives, and 
contributes to policy formation and guidance in program planning, 
development and evaluation; and (16) provides health physics expertise 
for all division public health assessment activities and serves as the 
division's liaison to radiation disaster response teams.
    Central Branch (JAAMC). The branch serves regions 4-6 by performing 
the following: (1) Manages a wide range of public health assessment 
requests, including private-sector petitions and regional-led 
activities, that are assigned based on branch staff expertise; (2) 
monitors the progress of work plan activities, and reviews and 
evaluates the scientific accuracy and clarity of public health 
assessments, health consultations, and related materials; (3) plans, 
directs, coordinates, evaluates, conducts, and manages operations and 
activities at National Priorities List sites, federal sites, and RCRA 
sites; (4) issues public health assessments, health consultations, 
public health advisories, and provides technical assistance; (5) 
establishes working relationships with regional partners to ensure 
hazardous chemical exposures are addressed regionally; (6) operates 
regional offices providing liaison, technical advice, and consultation 
to the Environmental Protection Agency, other federal, tribal, state, 
and local agencies, private organizations, community groups, and 
individuals on eliminating or mitigating public health problems 
resulting from the release of hazardous substances into the 
environment; (7) ensures regional offices have adequate support to 
provide timely responses to external partners; (8) ensures regional 
offices have continued support for emergency response and removal 
activities; (9) participates in regional initiatives to ensure 
prevention and reduction of hazardous waste exposures; (10) plans, 
coordinates, implements, and evaluates ATSDR's health promotion, health 
education, and community involvement site-specific programs; (11) 
communicates the agency's roles, responsibilities, and public health 
information to public and professional audiences to mitigate health 
effects from potential and actual exposures to toxic substances; (12) 
advocates for the public health needs of communities affected by 
environmental hazards; (13) links members of the public in communities 
affected by hazardous waste with technical and scientific staff and 
resources, where appropriate; (14) collaborates with other ATSDR 
program areas and partners to ensure cultural awareness and respect are 
observed and practiced in all activities that involve communities, 
American Indian/Alaska Native tribes, tribal governments and tribal 
organizations; (15) develops programmatic goals and objectives, and 
contributes to policy formation and guidance in program planning, 
development and evaluation; and (16) provides health physics expertise 
for all division public health assessment activities and serves as the 
division's liaison to radiation disaster response teams.
    Western Branch (JAAMD). The branch serves regions 7-10 by 
performing the following: (1) Manages a wide range of public health 
assessment requests, including private-sector petitions and regional-
led activities, that are assigned based on branch staff expertise; (2) 
monitors the progress of work plan activities, and reviews and 
evaluates the scientific accuracy and clarity of public health 
assessments, health consultations, and related materials; (3) plans, 
directs, coordinates, evaluates, conducts, and manages operations and 
activities at National Priorities List sites, federal sites, and RCRA 
sites; (4) issues public health assessments, health consultations, 
public health advisories, and provides technical assistance; (5) 
establishes working relationships with regional partners to ensure 
hazardous chemical exposures are addressed regionally; (6) operates 
regional offices providing liaison, technical advice, and consultation 
to the Environmental Protection Agency, other federal, tribal, state, 
and local agencies, private organizations, community groups, and 
individuals on eliminating or mitigating public health problems 
resulting from the release of hazardous substances into the 
environment; (7) ensures regional offices have adequate support to 
provide timely responses to external partners; (8) ensures regional 
offices have continued support for emergency response and removal 
activities; (9) participates in regional initiatives to ensure 
prevention and reduction of hazardous waste exposures; (10) plans, 
coordinates, implements, and evaluates ATSDR's health promotion, health 
education, and community involvement site-specific programs; (11) 
communicates the agency's roles, responsibilities, and public health 
information to public and professional audiences to mitigate health 
effects from potential and actual exposures to toxic

[[Page 68127]]

substances; (12) advocates for the public health needs of communities 
affected by environmental hazards; (13) links members of the public in 
communities affected by hazardous waste with technical and scientific 
staff and resources, where appropriate; (14) collaborates with other 
ATSDR program areas and partners to ensure cultural awareness and 
respect are observed and practiced in all activities that involve 
communities, American Indian/Alaska Native tribes, tribal governments 
and tribal organizations; (15) develops programmatic goals and 
objectives, and contributes to policy formation and guidance in program 
planning, development and evaluation; and (16) provides health physics 
expertise for all division public health assessment activities and 
serves as the division's liaison to radiation disaster response teams.
    Science Support Branch (JAAME). (1) Serves as the lead branch for 
planning, directing, coordinating, evaluating, conducting, and managing 
the division's operations and activities for exposure investigations, 
exposure-dose reconstruction, and modeling; (2) coordinates within and 
across branch and divisional units to provide technical expertise for a 
wide-range of activities that support the division and agency's public 
health mandates and priorities; and (3) provides modeling and other 
analytic expertise to analyze the impact of exposures.
    Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences (JAAN). The 
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences develops and 
coordinates a research agenda and program that integrates epidemiology 
and environmental medicine with toxicology. This includes investigating 
the relationships between exposures to hazardous substances and adverse 
health effects. In order to do this, the division: (1) coordinates all 
activities associated with human health studies, surveillance 
activities, and registries; (2) provides epidemiologic, toxicologic, 
geospatial, and biostatistical assistance and consultation to site-
specific activities across ATSDR including chemical-specific 
consultations as needed; (3) coordinates all activities associated with 
toxicological profiles including associated research; (4) develops and 
applies science-based health education tools, methods and strategies to 
deliver messages, education, and training; and (5) provides technical 
expertise and site specific support in addressing the health issues 
presented by emergency or acute release events and threatened releases 
of hazardous materials.
    Office of the Director (JAAN1). (1) Plans, directs, coordinates, 
and manages the operations of the division; (2) provides leadership in 
the development of goals and objectives, policy formulation, and 
program planning, development and evaluation; (3) facilitates the 
science, including analytic support, of the division and undertakes 
special scientific activities; (4) coordinates division activities with 
other components of ATSDR, CDC, and other federal agencies; (5) ensures 
the quality and consistency in the science and format used in the 
development of divisional products and materials; (6) develops outreach 
messages following the procedures and policies of the Agency's Office 
of Communication; (7) provides timely responses to policy activities 
(i.e., FOIA inquiries, congressional inquiries, budget formulation, and 
briefings); and (8) develops measures of divisional productivity and 
reports to the Agency and CDC director.
    Geospatial Research, Analysis and Services Program (JAAN12). (1) 
Researches and analyzes geospatial trends and patterns relevant to 
environmental health and emergency preparedness and response; (2) 
promotes and integrates the use of geospatial science and systems with 
data and technology; and (3) collaborates with scientists at CDC/ATSDR 
and public health partners on geospatial research and service needs.
    Emergency Response Program (JAAN13). (1) Provides technical 
expertise and site-specific support in addressing the health issues 
presented by emergency or acute release events and threatened releases 
of hazardous materials; (2) provides remote and on-site support during 
chemical emergencies to federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, and 
the general public, with emphasis on preparing for and preventing 
emergency events; (3) develops information resources and guidance for 
first responders and health care providers for use in responding to 
unplanned releases and spills; and (4) works with the National Response 
Program and CDC guidelines to collaborate with other federal, tribal, 
state, and local agencies during emergency response situations.
    Environmental Epidemiology Branch (JAANB). (1) Provides scientific 
expertise in environmental epidemiology; (2) designs and conducts human 
health, including epidemiologic, studies to evaluate the association 
between exposure to hazardous substances and adverse health effects; 
(3) provides expert medical and environmental epidemiologic 
consultation; and (4) implements extramural research programs that 
involve human health investigations.
    Environmental Health Surveillance Branch (JAANC). (1) Provides 
scientific expertise in surveillance of hazardous substances; (2) 
designs and conducts surveillance and registry programs to evaluate the 
adverse health effects on persons exposed to hazardous substances; (3) 
conducts health follow-up activities resulting from surveillance and 
registries; and (4) implements extramural research programs that 
involve surveillance and registries.
    Environmental Medicine Branch (JAAND). (1) Provides scientific 
expertise for environmental medicine and health education; (2) 
develops, disseminates, and applies science-based health education 
strategies, services, and tools to deliver key messages, education, and 
training to state and other public health partners; and (3) provides 
leadership in development, implementation, and evaluation of internal 
and external professional health education and environmental medicine 
activities.
    Environmental Toxicology Branch (JAANE). (1) Provides scientific 
expertise for the development and dissemination of toxicological 
information; (2) develops and disseminates toxicological profiles; (3) 
develops, implements, and coordinates a program of research designed to 
identify priority data needs and associated health effects for various 
hazardous substances; (4) coordinates toxicological information and 
research activities with the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
National Toxicology Program, the Interagency Testing Committee, other 
appropriate federal, tribal, state, and local programs and other public 
and private concerns; and (5) develops and applies, through 
consultations, a program of computational toxicology research to 
enhance traditionally based approaches using modeling tools and 
techniques.

    Dated: October 29, 2012.
Sherri A. Berger,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012-27533 Filed 11-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-70-M