Find Federal Agency

• WHAT IS ITS MISSION?
• HOW IS IT STRUCTURED?
• PRIMARY FUNCTIONS
• PROGRAMS
• BUDGET INFORMATION
• HISTORY
• CURRENT POLITICAL ISSUES
• SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
• FUTURE DIRECTIONS
• AGENCY RESOURCES
• FAST FACTS
• AGENCY PUBLICATIONS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY

PARENT ORGANIZATION: Department of Health and Human Services
ESTABLISHED: 1980
EMPLOYEES: 380

Contact Information:

ADDRESS: 1600 Clifton Rd. NE Atlanta, GA 30333
TOLL FREE: (800) 447-1544
FAX: (404) 639-0522
E-MAIL: atsdric@cdc.gov
URL: http://atsdrl.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR: Claire V. Broome, M.D.
ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR: Barry L. Johnson, Ph.D.

WHAT IS ITS MISSION?

According to the agency, the mission of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is "to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment." Since its creation the ATSDR's mission has expanded to include more public awareness and education projects involving hazardous substances in households and nature, not just those related to toxic waste sites. The ATSDR's role as a research agency in regard to the health effects of toxic substances has also grown to include numerous partnerships with state, local, and federal agencies.

HOW IS IT STRUCTURED?

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is an operating agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the federal government. ATSDR administrative offices include the Office of Federal Programs, the Office of Program Operations and Management, the Office of Policy and External Affairs, and the Office of Regional Operations. The agency is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with an office in Washington, D.C., and ten regional offices across the country. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the administrator of the ATSDR and is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

One of the most alarming incidents of toxic contamination in the United States occurred in an area known as the Love Canal (New York state) in the mid-1970s. It was discovered that thousands of tons of toxic chemicals were buried insecurely under or near the residential area. (AP/wide World Photos)

The agency executes its operations through four program-specific divisions. The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC) assesses all sites on the national priorities list of hazardous sites, and it provides consultations on health issues related to exposure to toxic substances to the Environmental Protection Agency and to state and local administrators. The Division of Health Education and Promotion (DHE) conducts programs for health professionals and communities on the health effects of hazardous substances. The Division of Toxicology (DT) identifies hazardous substances, conducts research, and coordinates activities associated with toxicological profiles and research. The Division of Health Studies (DHS) coordinates activities associated with epidemiological studies, investigations of human exposure to hazardous substances, and the national registry of people exposed to toxic substances.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) assesses the presence and nature of health hazards at sites on the national priorities list of hazardous sites and at other sites when emergencies occur. The agency then helps prevent or reduce further exposure to hazardous substances and the illnesses that result from exposure. The agency also conducts research to expand what is known about the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. It maintains registries of people who have been exposed to hazardous substances for the purpose of long-term follow-up studies.

State and local governments, as well as federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rely on the ATSDR for research and assessment information. The ATSDR trains and educates through its programs, and it provides research data for communities affected by health problems related to hazardous substances. Training for first responders is provided by the ATSDR to ensure adequate response to public health emergencies.

PROGRAMS

Each division of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) operates programs related to its specific role. For example the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation performs a public health assessment after it investigates and reviews information about hazardous substances at a site. In 1996 this division, in collaboration with 22 state health departments,

BUDGET: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

prepared public health assessments of 75 new sites, 58 sites already under review, and 55 sites assessed earlier in the agency's existence. From the information in public health assessments, the ATSDR has been able to make observations about the types of contaminants that threaten public health, the environmental elements most affected by contaminants, and ways people are exposed to contaminants. These observations allow other divisions of the ATSDR and other agencies to create specific plans for preventing exposure and treating people who have been exposed.

The Division of Health Education and Promotion provides funding and technical assistance to determine educational needs and deliver programs in communities experiencing the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. In 1996 this division implemented health education activities at eighty hazardous waste sites. The type and scope of these activities is determined by the needs of people at each site. Studies of the Jasper County Superfund site in southwest Missouri showed that children in the area, where lead-zinc was mined, had high blood lead levels. The health education division established an areawide blood-screening program in cooperation with the local public health department. It also developed a Girl Scouts badge program so scouts would learn about the environmental issues in their area and teach younger scouts. The same information was incorporated into the Girl Scouts Wider Opportunity program in 1997, in which thirty senior scouts from across the nation learned about environmental hazards.

BUDGET INFORMATION

The 1997 budget for ATSDR was approximately $64 million. ATSDR receives its funding through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its personnel allocation through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Funding for federal facility sites is negotiated with the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Energy (DOE), depending on which department is responsible for a site. The budgets of EPA, CDC, DOD, and DOE are allocated by Congress and include line item funding amounts for ATSDR. In 1996 DOD contributed approximately 15 percent of ATSDR's total budget and DOE contributed approximately 9 percent.

ATSDR's funds are mainly distributed to its four operating division with approximately 41 percent to DHAC, 23 percent to DHS, 21 percent to DT, and 12 percent to DHE. The remaining 3 percent of the budget covers administrative costs beyond the CDC personnel allocation.

HISTORY

In 1980 Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund legislation, as a means of locating, assessing, and cleaning up sites contaminated by hazardous substances. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was created to implement the health-related sections of the act that protect the public from hazardous wastes and spills. The ATSDR originally focused on assessing public health dangers, exploring relationships between exposure to hazardous substances and illnesses, providing literature on health effects of hazardous substances, and assisting health care providers with the medical care and testing of people exposed to hazardous substances.

By 1983 the agency was established as a separate agency of the Public Health Service. In 1984 the ATSDR was authorized to conduct public health assessments as requested by the Environmental Protection Agency, states, or individuals. The ATSDR also began to help the Environmental Protection Agency decide which substances should be regulated and at what levels those substances threaten human health.

Following the reauthorization of Superfund in 1986 under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, the agency received major new mandates. The reauthorization act broadened the ATSDR's responsibilities to include establishment and maintenance of toxicological databases, dissemination of more information, and creation of educational programs for health care professionals. By the late 1980s the ATSDR had become the federal government's lead agency for investigating and responding to the health effects of exposure to all forms of hazardous substances.

In 1988 the ATSDR was required to report to Congress on the health effects of medical waste. In 1990 a similar report was required of the Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with the ATSDR on the adverse effects of water pollutants on people and wildlife. Also in 1990, the ATSDR was assigned to a task force to research methods of identifying and assessing risks to human health from exposure to air pollutants. Legislation enacted in 1992 assigned the ATSDR to a cooperative effort with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct a public education program on lead contamination from household substances. In 1995 the agency's increased responsibilities resulted in its elevation to operating division status within the HHS.

CURRENT POLITICAL ISSUES

In the mid-1980s minority activists sparked a campaign to make the public and government aware of the health needs of minorities. National health statistics documented that African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives suffered disproportionately from preventable diseases and higher death rates at younger ages than white Americans. However, the impact of the environment, particularly of toxic and hazardous wastes, on the health of minority populations had not been specifically investigated or characterized. Activists asked the government to address this issue as part of a larger project aimed at minority health issues.

Opponents pointed out that targeting federal dollars to programs for specific populations was unnecessary because the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) already provided public health assessments for all citizens. In addition, they believed federal funds should focus on cleanup efforts and that states and local health care systems should address health effects.

Those who supported the proposed study believed existing statistics showing the higher incidence of other health problems for minorities indicated a strong possibility that they would also have more negative health effects from exposure to hazardous substances. Citizens and officials on this side of the issue insisted that if minorities were at greater risk of exposure and resulting illnesses, the ATSDR must respond.

The ATSDR did initiate a minority health project focused on demographics, health perspectives, health communications, and health education. The effort was expanded into a minority health program in 1990 and has grown since then to address issues related to minority health and the environmental justice movement. Projects like the Minority Health Professionals Foundation, the Hispanic American Initiative, and the Mississippi Delta Project allow the ATSDR to respond more appropriately to the health and education needs of minority communities exposed to and affected by exposure to hazardous substances.

Case Study: The Mississippi Delta Project

The Mississippi Delta Project is a partnership of governments, academia, private-sector organizations, and community residents who focus on identifying and reducing the impact of environmental hazards. The program targets a 219-county strip along the Mississippi River in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. About eight million people, including some three million people of color, populate the region. The region's identified environmental hazards include mercury contamination in surface waters, pesticide runoff, seasonal degradation of air quality, environmental and health consequences of natural disasters, toxic release from waste sites, lead-based paint in older structures, and chemical spills.

Through the active participation of the project's stakeholders, the Mississippi Delta Project works to meet or surpass environmental standards, promote community awareness, and establish safe methods for disposing of hazardous wastes in the region. The ATSDR also works through the project to determine associations between hazardous substances and adverse human health outcomes in minority populations. The project also aims to increase the number and diversity of people in professions associated with environmental health. This includes assisting with curriculum development, convening seminars and workshops in toxicology and related subjects, and providing short-term training for professionals on identifying and preventing environmental hazards. Community partnerships provide culturally- and regionally-sensitive pollution prevention and health education programs. Program participants include the ATSDR, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Minority Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health.

SUCCESSES AND FAILURES

In 1996 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) completed a study investigating the interaction between lead and osteoporosis in women who were employed at the Bunker Hill lead-smelting facility in Silver Valley, Idaho, in the 1970s. The study provided information about the effects of lead on women who are going through menopause. The study found that women employed at the facility had significantly higher blood and bone lead levels than women in a comparison group. As the former workers aged, their bone density also decreased at a faster rate. Further, the female workers were more likely to report diagnoses of hypertension, anemia, arthritis, and osteoporosis, all conditions associated with increased exposure to lead.

The ATSDR recommended that the subjects be followed to assess health risks in the future and that they be considered for medical monitoring. Information from the study was provided to health professionals and officials and to government agencies working with patients and sites with high lead levels. The women in the study were given medical counseling and information on estrogen replacement therapy and calcium supplements to decrease bone absorption and, therefore, release of lead from bone.

The ATSDR has also completed the first phase of the Great Lakes Human Health Effects Research Program through which the ATSDR funded nine institutions researching the human health impact of eating fish from the Great Lakes region. Their studies have provided the ATSDR and health agencies with essential information on the types and levels of contaminants that humans are exposed to and with studies that evaluate the continuing effects of these contaminants.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will broaden its efforts to educate health care professionals about the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. This will be done through pilot projects like the Howard University Environmental Medicine Rotation which will ultimately create a group of physicians trained to recognize environmental emergencies and evaluate and treat those exposed. These physicians will also be able to provide insight to the ATSDR to help improve the agency's training and education projects.

The ATSDR also aims to create a more user oriented approach to public health assessments through its Public Health Assessment Enhancement Initiative. The initiative promotes closer cooperation between the ATSDR and the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local environmental and health departments, and community members. The initiative is intended to ensure that the ATSDR's public health activities are better integrated into cleanup efforts and are more responsive to health and community concerns.

AGENCY RESOURCES

HazDat is an on-line database of hazardous substance releases and health effects, which is maintained by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It includes information about site characteristics, contaminants found, community health concerns, exposure routes, impact on populations, and site activities. HazDat also includes data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System. This can be accessed via the Internet at http://atsdrl.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/hazdat.html#A3.1.

The ATSDR Science Corner is a gateway to environmental health information and resources. Its primary focus is to find and share global information resources on the relationships between exposure to hazardous sub stances and human health. This site can be accessed online at http://atsdrl.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/cx.html.

AGENCY PUBLICATIONS

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) publishes a quarterly newsletter, Hazardous Substances & Public Health, which contains information about ATSDR activities, research reports, resources, health studies, and related programs and projects. The newsletter can be viewed on-line at http://atsdrl.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/HEC/hsphhome.html or ordered by phone by calling (404) 639-5040 or faxing (404) 639-0560. Write to the newsletter's staff at Hazardous Substances & Public Health, ATSDR, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, MS E33, Atlanta, GA 30333, or send E-mail tothw3@cdc.gov.