Public Health Assessment Petitions

What is ATSDR’s Petition Program?

In the Superfund law, Congress provided ATSDR with the authority to conduct certain public health assessment activities following a request from a concerned person. The ATSDR Petition Program identifies whether the request is one that ATSDR can address.

What are “public health assessment activities”?

Public health assessment activities are evaluations of environmental data and information about a community. ATSDR conducts public health assessment activities to determine whether a community is exposed to environmental contaminants from a hazardous waste site or facility at levels that could harm human health. If the evaluation concludes that people are exposed to environmental contaminants released from the site, ATSDR then evaluates whether the exposure is harmful or potentially harmful, and whether it should be stopped or reduced.

The evaluations are based on available environmental sampling data typically gathered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or a state environmental regulatory agency.

What type of “public health assessment activity” can ATSDR conduct in response to a petition request?

In response to a petition request, ATSDR may conduct a public health consultation. This is an evaluation of available environmental data to determine whether residents have been, or are currently exposed to environmental contaminants released from a hazardous waste site or facility. If the evaluation concludes that people are exposed to environmental contaminants released from the site, ATSDR then evaluates whether the exposure is harmful or potentially harmful, and whether steps should be taken to stop or reduce that exposure.

A public health consultation is based on the available environmental monitoring data typically gathered by U.S. EPA or a state environmental regulatory agency. The amount and type of environmental monitoring data available from U.S. EPA and a state environmental regulatory agency will influence whether ATSDR can conduct a public health consultation that addresses a petitioner’s request.

What information can a “public health consultation” provide?

If sufficient information is available, a public health consultation can describe whether the community is exposed to environmental contaminants released at a hazardous waste site or facility. A public health consultation can also determine whether the exposure is harmful, or potentially harmful, and whether ATSDR should take steps to stop or reduce that exposure.

A public health consultation cannot evaluate the community’s combined exposure to environmental contaminants released from two or more hazardous waste sites or facilities.

And a public health consultation cannot determine the cause of disease that afflicts an individual or a community, or determine the cause of an apparent increase in a particular disease within a community.

Who can petition ATSDR?

Anyone can petition ATSDR to request a public health consultation regarding a hazardous waste site or facility.

How can I petition ATSDR?

The petition process is straightforward.

Residents and community members should write to:

Members and representatives of Native Tribes should write to:

The letter must contain the following information:

• Petitioner’s name, address, and telephone number;
• The name of the group petitioner represents, if any;
• The name, location, and description of the facility or release;
• Information petitioner has about people’s exposure to a toxic substance;
• A request that ATSDR perform a public health consultation or assessment, as appropriate.

Other information that is also helpful to ATSDR is

• Any other information about the facility or release – such as the chemicals of concern, the amount such chemicals in the environment now or in the past, or the individuals, companies, or other persons or groups believed responsible for the release;
• How many persons might be exposed—particularly how many older persons and children;
• Exposure pathways; or
• Other government agencies petitioner has contacted or that have already investigated the site.

What happens after ATSDR receives the petition?

When ATSDR receives the petition, a team of environmental scientists, physicians, toxicologists and other staff members are assigned to review the request. The team will decide whether it will conduct a public health assessment. Or it might decide whether some other action would better meet the community’s needs, such as a public health advisory, health consultation, or community environmental health education. The team might also decide no action is needed.

To make those decisions, ATSDR looks at three primary information sources:

• Environmental data—that is, contaminant information and community exposure;
• Health outcome data, including available information on community-wide rates of illness, disease, and death compared with national and state rates; and
• Community concerns, such as reports from the community members about how the site affects their health or quality of life.

ATSDR then informs the petitioner in writing of its decision and the reasons for that decision.