Inside the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: A Failure to Protect?

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was established under the Superfund law to identify health risks at toxic sites. However, a Reuters investigation reveals potential shortcomings. Analyzing 428 reports, they found outdated data, inconclusive findings, and frequent failures to declare health hazards, raising serious concerns.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), conceived by Congress under the 1980 Superfund law, aims to identify health risks at the nation's most toxic sites. However, Reuters' investigation reveals significant shortcomings in fulfilling its mission.

Reporters reviewed 428 health reports published between 2012 and 2023, uncovering 1,582 conclusions about potential hazards. The findings reveal that ATSDR often relied on outdated data, failed to declare health hazards, or produced inconclusive results.

Experts, including former ATSDR employees and academic researchers, reviewed the methodology, validating Reuters' findings. The investigation raises questions about ATSDR's effectiveness and the reliability of its health assessments.

(With inputs from agencies.)