Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) evaluated environmental health issues related to contaminants released from the "Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator" at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Roane County, Tennessee. ATSDR conducted a public health assessment [PDF, 217 KB] (December 2005) on certain releases.

ATSDR found that the TSCA Incinerator releases very small amounts of contaminants into the environment, but the amounts are far below levels associated with health effects. Continued operation of the TSCA Incinerator is not expected to cause harmful exposures because numerous safeguards, pollution controls, and strict permitting requirements are in place to prevent unsafe operating conditions from occurring. Therefore, the assessment concludes that the TSCA Incinerator is not a public health hazard.

The assessment also responded to specific community health concerns about the TSCA Incinerator and made recommendations to help ensure that the incinerator continues to operate safely in the future.