This organization established under section 104(i) of CERCLA provides technical support and assistance to protect human health and worker safety, determines the toxicological and human health impacts associated with hazardous substances, develops a priority-order list of hazardous substances most frequently found at sites on the CERCLA National Priorities List, and produces toxicological profiles of chemicals.
A federal governmental agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whose mission is to take responsive public health actions and provide health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.
ATSDR is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As mandated by the federal superfund law, the agency assesses health risks from hazardous waste sites on the National Priority List. ATSDR determines if additional health studies are needed at these sites, provides health advisories and publishes toxicological profiles on chemicals found at hazardous waste sites. ATSDR also maintains exposure registries of people exposed to certain substances.
The principal federal public health agency involved with hazardous waste issues, responsible for preventing or reducing the harmful effects of exposure to hazardous substances on human health and quality of life. ATSDR is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The ATSDR was created in 1980 by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) as an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the principal federal public health agency involved in hazardous waste issues. The ATSDR helps prevent or reduce harmful health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. It is not a regulatory agency, but it advises EPA on health aspects of hazardous waste sites and spills and makes recommendations.
The United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, (ATSDR), is directed by congressional mandate to perform specific functions concerning the effect on public health of hazardous substances in the environment. These functions include public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, emergency response to releases of hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information development and dissemination. ATSDR places a strong emphasis upon education and training concerning hazardous substances.
