Executive
Summary
T
he Agency for Toxic Substances and
with ATSDR performed more than 1,200 health
Disease Registry (ATSDR) is the lead
assessment activities. These activities included
public health agency responsible for
health assessments, health consultations, and
implementing the health-related provisions of
exposure investigations that were conducted in
the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
47 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Compensation and Liability Act of 1980
Guam, and the Navajo Nation.
(CERCLA, also known as Superfund).
ATSDR's primary goals are
ATSDR analyzed demographic data for 225
sites where the agency conducted public health
to identify people at health risk because of
assessments or consultations in fiscal year
their exposure to uncontrolled hazardous
2000. Approximately 2.7 million people live
substances in the environment
within a mile of those sites. Of those, about
to evaluate relationships between hazardous
10% were children aged 6 years or younger,
substances in the environment and adverse
and 22% were 18 years old or younger.
human health outcomes
About 23% were women of childbearing age.
to intervene to eliminate exposure of health
About 11% were elderly, aged 65 or older.
concern and reduce or prevent harmful health
effects related to releases of hazardous
Lead was the contaminant found most often at
substances in the environment.
the sites assessed in fiscal year 2000, with 28%
of sites containing lead. Other common con-
Report Highlights
bons, and volatile organic compounds.
This report highlights ATSDR's accomplish-
ments and the activities that were conducted in
An example of a site at which ATSDR provided
fiscal year 2000. There is a chapter devoted to
key assistance in fiscal year 2000 was the
each of the agency's goals. Those programs the
Chicago area, where state health officials
estimated as many as 500,000 homes potentially
and examples of activities from fiscal year 2000
were contaminated with mercury as a result of
are summarized in the following paragraphs.
the removal of old natural gas meters containing
mercury. This widespread problem was ad-
Identifying People
dressed by a variety of resources. ATSDR staff
members, staff from the Illinois Department of
Who Are Exposed to
Hazardous Substances
ment with ATSDR), the ATSDR-funded Pediat-
ric Environmental Health Specialty Unit in
ATSDR's health assessment activities help (1)
Chicago, and the U.S. Environmental Protection
identify people who may have been exposed to
Agency were the primary responders. ATSDR
hazardous substances in the environment and
developed guidance on action levels and
(2) determine whether these people might be at
risk of adverse health effects as a result of that
levels EPA used to determine which residences
exposure. During fiscal year 2000, ATSDR and
Executive Summary 1
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