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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Director:Aaron (Ari) Bernstein
Annual budget:$85 million (FY 2023)
Year created:1980
Official website:Office website


The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal agency and a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR's work involves hazardous substances and public health and safety. The agency maintains an advisory role in federal cleanup efforts of contaminated sites and performs health assessments of sites upon request. It operates 10 regional offices and its fiscal year 2023 budget was $85 million.

On March 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that ATSDR would be integrated into a new Administration for a Healthy America.[1]

History

In 1980, the United States Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, "commonly known as the 'Superfund' Act." The legislation is most well-known for having created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund program, which allows the EPA to identify sites contaminated with hazardous or toxic materials and supervise the clean-up and removal of such materials.[2][3]

The legislation also created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), tasked with studying certain Superfund sites for specific materials that are hazardous to human health, preventing human exposure to such hazards, and maintaining an information database about hazardous materials and their effects on human health. Subsequent legislation expanded ATSDR's responsibilities to conducting "public health assessments" of any waste site upon request by the EPA, a state or a member of the public. The agency may then advise the EPA on specific cleanup techniques, but ATSDR does not have any enforcement authority and the EPA is not required to accept the agency's conclusions.[2]

The organization is based in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]

Structure

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Below is an organizational chart of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Aaron (Ari) Bernstein serves as the director of ATSDR, as of February 2024. The agency's offices include the following:[5]

  • Office of the Director
    • Office of Communication
    • Office of Science
    • Office of Management and Analytics
    • Office of Policy, Partnerships, and Planning
    • Office of the Associate Director
      • Office of Innovation and Analytics
      • Office of Community Health Hazard Assessment
      • Office of Capacity Development and Applied Prevention Science
Map of the regions served by ATSDR

ATSDR also has 10 regional offices that are housed within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional offices. These offices receive petitions for public health assessments and serve as the point of contact for the community throughout the assessment process. They are also involved in collecting data for and assisting the preparation of health consultations. Staff at regional offices are trained in disaster preparedness and may assist other agencies during emergency responses, as well as disseminate information to residents on protecting their health. Finally, regional offices lead the agency's Brownfield/Land Reuse Health Initiative by providing health information to communities seeking to redevelop formerly contaminated properties.[6]

Mission

The mission of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is written on its website as follows:

“ ATSDR protects communities from harmful health effects related to exposure to natural and man-made hazardous substances. We do this by responding to environmental health emergencies; investigating emerging environmental health threats; conducting research on the health impacts of hazardous waste sites; and building capabilities of and providing actionable guidance to state and local health partners.[7][8] ”

Budget

For the 2023 fiscal year, the budget for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) amounted to about $85 million. For fiscal year 2024, ATSDR requested $86 million in appropriations, a similar level to fiscal year 2023.[9]

Initiatives

Public Policy
  • Toxicological profiles
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) compiles data and information from numerous studies on the health effects of common hazardous materials found at waste sites, such as sulfur dioxide and mercury. These profiles are developed mostly with health professionals in mind. From these profiles, the agency has also created ToxFAQs, two-page fact sheets that developed more with the public in mind.[10][11]
  • Board of Scientific Counselors
In a move meant to ensure the scientific quality and utility of the materials ATSDR produces, the agency established the Board of Scientific Counselors in 2004. The board serves as an advisory committee to research and assessments and to the dissemination of the agency's findings. The Board of Scientific Counselors' term ended in June 2019, pursuant to Executive Order 13875, titled "Executive Order on Evaluating and Improving the Utility of Federal Advisory Committees.[12]
  • Brownfield/Land Reuse Health Initiative
When community officials decide to redevelop brownfield properties, ATSDR performs assessments of the property to identify toxic substances and acts as a consultant on the potential health effects of such substances at the site. The agency also provides tools and guidelines for community officials to monitor residents' health after redevelopment.[13]

Noteworthy events

In September 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology released a report called "Toxic Trailers - Toxic Lethargy" that was critical of the response of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided temporary travel trailers to house displaced residents. Because these types of trailers were known to have "elevated levels of formaldehyde," a preservative used for constructing plywood and particleboard, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted testing in October 2005 on some unoccupied trailers and found high levels of formaldehyde.[14]

In spring of 2006, the residents began reporting symptoms such as breathing difficulties, burning eyes and headaches. Upon request from FEMA, two ATSDR scientists analyzed data from air samples collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 96 unoccupied trailers. They measured the level of formaldehyde in the samples against a standard of 300 parts-per-billion (ppb), ATSDR's guideline for emergency response teams in the event of occupational exposure to a formaldehyde spill. They found "that if all the windows and vents were left open for four days," the level of formaldehyde in the trailers would fall below 300 ppb. "Toxic Trailers" called the selection of this standard an "indefensible" error in light of ATSDR's own standards of 8 ppb for chronic exposure of a year or more and 30 ppb for exposure lasting between 15 days and a year, in addition to publications from the EPA, National Cancer Institute, and OSHA that health effects may begin at 100 ppb.[14][15][16]

An example of the temporary trailers provided by FEMA

ATSDR scientists clarified in their report that "the consultation is not intended to establish FEMA's future policy concerning temporary housing units." Former ATSDR Director Howard Frumkin and former Deputy Director Dr. Tom Sinks reviewed the consultation and the results were sent to FEMA in February 2007. According to "Toxic Trailers," FEMA decided to use the health consultation as guidance in its actions and interactions with trailer residents and the public:

“ FEMA Administrator David Paulison testified before the House Homeland Security Committee about FEMA's hurricane response preparedness and said, referring to the ASTDR health consultation: "We've been told that the formaldehyde does not present a health hazard."[8] ”
—U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology


Christopher De Rosa, then director of ATSDR's Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, saw the health consultation after it had been sent to FEMA and brought up many concerns to ATSDR leadership, such as its omission that formaldehyde exposure can cause cancer. A letter written by De Rosa was sent to FEMA on March 17, 2007 that detailed his concerns and stated, "[f]ailure to communicate this issue is possibly misleading, and a threat to public health." No other actions were taken by either ATSDR or FEMA until July 2007, when the House Oversight and Government Reform committee was in the midst of hearings "on FEMA's response to the formaldehyde issue." At that point, ATSDR leadership decided to revise the health consultation, and a new report was released in October 2007. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted new testing of occupied trailers in December 2007, and its February 2008 report found average levels of formaldehyde in the trailers to be at 77 ppb. After the release of the report, the CDC and FEMA officially recommended that trailer residents move out as soon as possible.[14][15]

"Toxic Trailers" criticized ATSDR leadership for failing to flag the health consultation upon review before its release to FEMA and correct the "scientific flaws and omissions in the document." The report also criticized the agency for failing to take action to "inform trailer residents of the potential health effects they faced from exposure to formaldehyde." According to the report, leadership also downplayed their role in the development of the health consultation and attempted to push responsibility down the line to Christopher De Rosa. To read the full report, click here.

On March 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that ATSDR would be integrated into a new Administration for a Healthy America.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again," accessed June 2, 2025
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "ATSDR Background and Congressional Mandates," accessed January 8, 2016
  3. ↑ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Superfund Glossary, S," accessed December 1, 2014
  4. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Regional Offices Headquarter – Office of the Director," accessed January 8, 2016
  5. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Organizational Summary," accessed February 15, 2024
  6. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "What are ATSDR Regional Offices?" accessed January 11, 2016
  7. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "ATSDR Mission, Vision, and Impact," accessed February 15, 2024
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  9. ↑ Department of Health and Human Services, "Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Justification of Estimates for Appropriation Committees," accessed February 15, 2024
  10. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Toxicological Profiles," accessed January 8, 2016
  11. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Guidance for the Preparation of Toxicological Profiles," accessed January 8, 2016
  12. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "Board of Scientific Counselors: Charter," accessed January 8, 2016
  13. ↑ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, "ATSDR Brownfield/Land Reuse Health Initiative: Overview," accessed January 8, 2016
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, "Toxic Trailers - Toxic Lethargy: How the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Has Failed to Protect the Public Health," September 2008
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 ProPublica, "Why CDC Responded With 'Lack of Urgency' to Formaldehyde Warnings," October 4, 2008
  16. ↑ CNN, "FEMA accused of twisting science in report on trailer danger," January 29, 2008
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