Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in the United States

Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in Environmental Law

In the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), Section 110, Congress established the ATSDR within the Public Health Service. It reports directly to the Surgeon General of the United States. The ATSDR works with many different health agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a registry of serious diseases resulting from exposure to toxic substances, to research and maintain a library of literature and studies on health effects of toxic substances, and to develop a list of areas closed to the public or restricted because of toxic substance contamination. It also provides medical assistance in public health emergencies and does research and screening to determine the relationship between exposure to toxic substances and illness.

The ATSDR has a number of duties, but in relation to Superfund sites, it completes a health assessment and delivers it to the EPA. It can establish a registry of exposed persons, along with medical surveillance and treatment, and research relationships between exposure and illness. Working with the EPA, it developed a list of the 100 most commonly occurring hazardous substances at National Priority List sites. It is required to report to Congress on a number of issues. See also Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
Based on “Environment and the Law. A Dictionary”.