[Federal Register: February 1, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 20)]
[Notices]               
[Page 4874-4875]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01fe99-79]

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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