Availability of Chemical Specific Consultation

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[ATSDR-142]

Availability of Chemical Specific Consultation

AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and

Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments

and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), section 104(i)(4) [42 U.S.C.

9604(i)(4)] directs the Administrator of ATSDR to provide consultations

upon request on health issues relating to exposure to hazardous or

toxic substances, on the basis of available information, to the

Administrator of EPA, State officials, and local officials. This notice

announces the availability of a chemical specific public health

consultation titled ``Hazardous Substance Exposures and Autism'' that

ATSDR has prepared for public comment. The consultation is a review of

the available scientific literature pertaining to what is known about

the association between exposure to hazardous substances and autism.

DATES: In order to be considered, comments on this draft consultation

must be received on or before March 3, 1999. Comments received after

the close of the public comment period will be considered at the

discretion of ATSDR based upon what is deemed to be in the best

interest of the general public.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the draft public health consultation

should be sent to the ATSDR Information Center, Division of Toxicology,

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Mailstop E-57, 1600

Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Written comments regarding

the draft public health consultation should be sent to the same

address. ATSDR reserves the right to provide only one copy of the draft

consultation, free of charge.

Written comments submitted in response to this notice should bear

the docket control number ATSDR-142. Because all public comments

regarding ATSDR public health consultations are available for public

inspection [after the consultation is published in final], no

confidential business information should be submitted in response to

this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ATSDR Information Center, Division of

Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Mailstop

E-57, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333, telephone (404)

639-6357.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization

Act (SARA) (Pub. L. 99-499) amends the Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) (42

U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) by establishing certain responsibilities for the

ATSDR and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with regard to

hazardous substances which are most commonly found at facilities on the

CERCLA National Priorities List (NPL). Among these responsibilities is

that the Administrator of ATSDR prepare consultations upon request on

health issues relating to exposure to hazardous or toxic substances, on

the basis of available

[[Page 4875]]

information, to the Administrator of EPA, State officials, and local

officials. A public health consultation provides advice on a specific

public health issue related to real or possible human exposure to toxic

material and is a way for ATSDR to respond rapidly to requests for

assistance.

ATSDR has prepared this document titled ``Hazardous Substance

Exposures and Autism'' in response to a request from U.S.

Representative Christopher Smith and residents of Brick Township, New

Jersey who are concerned that hazardous substances may be present in

the environment of Brick Township and that an increase in the number of

children with autism may be attributable to exposure to these

substances. This document was placed in a repository in Brick, New

Jersey and released to the public via a mail-out on December 18, 1998.

Dated: January 26, 1999.

Georgi Jones,

Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic

Substances and Disease Registry.

[FR Doc. 99-2267 Filed 1-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-70-P