Federal Health Agency's Flawed Reports Aid Polluters, Reuters Investigation Reveals

A Reuters investigation reveals that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, intended to safeguard communities from environmental hazards, often downplays health risks. The agency’s flawed reports have enabled polluters to evade lawsuits, delay cleanups, and deny compensation, impacting millions of Americans and saving companies substantial cleanup costs.

A Reuters investigation reveals concerning flaws in the work of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal health agency meant to protect people from environmental hazards.

Despite its mandate to identify health risks at highly contaminated sites, the agency often downplays these dangers. Reuters reviewed hundreds of health reports and found that ATSDR's work frequently benefits polluters by helping them avoid lawsuits and delay cleanup efforts, ultimately saving them millions of dollars.

The investigation documented that ATSDR declared communities safe from hazards in 68% of its findings, often relying on outdated or flawed research. These reports have faced refutation from other government agencies and have led to public exposure to potential harm. The full investigation and a companion article examining ATSDR's errors are available on Reuters.com.

(With inputs from agencies.)