Health agency accused of overlooking environmental threats to public
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS AND OVERSIGHT
problem. “There is no reason to work at the hearing. “While comThe federal agency responsible for believe that more funding or munities expect us to provide deinvestigating human-health risks more staff would result in anyfinitive answers about the links posed by contaminated sites or thing other than a greater volbetween exposures and illnesses, excessive industrial pollution is ume of jackleg assessments even the best science sometimes under fire in Congress. The U.S. saying not to worry,” Miller said. does not permit firm concluAgency for Toxic Substances and Miller added that ATSDR resions,” he said. Frumkin also Disease Registry (ATSDR), housed ports are not peer-reviewed and noted that the agency staff has at the Department of Health and suggested that Congress Human Services, routinely could introduce legislaconducts perfunctory intion to require peer revestigations that use simview. “We hope the new plistic and outdated Obama administration science, according to a will take a hard look at report by congressional ATSDR,” Miller said. investigators and Assessments critiqued scientists. in the subcommittee reCongress established port cover a host of ATSDR in 1980 when it chemicals and locations, created the Superfund including a rare blood program under the Comcancer cluster in Pennsylprehensive Environmental vania; munitions conResponse, Compensation, tamination off the coast and Liability Act. The of Vieques Island (Puerto agency is tasked with reRico); and an investigaviewing complaints of huDogs afflicted with skin disease, such as this one (above), tion into lead in Washman-health risks, but it became normal within six months of moving away from Midington, D.C.’s, drinking has no enforcement lothian, Texas, where cement kilns burn hazardous waste. power. The quality of A congressional subcommittee report charges that the ATS- water by ATSDR’s sister agency, the National CenATSDR’s public-health as- DR’s investigation overlooked possible health risk to animals in Midlothian. ter for Environmental sessments was the focus Health. of a March 12 congresThe subcommittee sional hearing called by heard from scientists with serideclined from roughly 500 in 2000 Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), chairous concerns about these and to about 300 today, with no reperson of the Committee on other health assessments that duction in workload. House Science and Technology’s have been conducted by ATSDR. Frumkin praised several agency Subcommittee on Investigations Retired Centers for Disease Conreviews, including assessments of and Oversight. trol and Prevention official Sal mortality and human respiratory Last year, the subcommittee Mier described ATSDR’s actions problems resulting from tremolite investigated ATSDR’s most fain Midlothian, Texas, where ceasbestos exposure in Montana, mous mistake: underestimating ment kilns burn hazardous mercury exposure of children livthe health risk posed to refugees waste, and residents suffer from ing in New Jersey, and beryllium of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina an unusually high incidence of exposure of residents in Ohio. from formaldehyde in the parrespiratory complaints and unHowever, this last case was cited ticleboard used to build trailers usual birth defects. Mier had rein the subcommittee report as an for people who had lost their quested an ATSDR review in example of how Frumkin and homes. The trailers were provided 2005, after state agencies proved high-level staff “intentionally tried by the Federal Emergency Manuncooperative. Instead of conto diminish the scope and integagement Agency. Hurricane vicducting an independent investirity of some of the agency’s tims lived in the trailers for more gation, ATSDR delegated the job health consultations” by limiting than one year, but ATSDR’s risk to those same state agencies, public notice about the availabilassessment assumed exposure of Mier told the subcommittee. ity of beryllium exposure tests. less than two weeks, the congresIn 2007, ATSDR released a Miller disgreed with much of sional investigators wrote. draft report on the situation in what Frumkin said and emphaATSDR director Howard Midlothian that found that no sized that funding is not the Frumkin defended his agency’s 10.1021/es900987y
2009 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 04/22/2009
June 1, 2009 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 9 3989
public health hazard was present for the vast majority of chemicals examined by the agency. This decision has been criticized by academic scientists, who note that ATSDR relied on inadequate air monitoring, ignored residents’ respiratory complaints, and discounted evidence showing that some air-
borne chemicals exceeded federal health standards. Geochemist Randall Parrish at the University of Leicester (U.K.) told the subcommittee about human exposure to depleted uranium from a closed ammunition plant in Colonie, a town near Albany, N.Y. In 2004, ATSDR concluded that because the plant had
3990 9 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / June 1, 2009
ceased operating, there was no apparent hazard. Parrish, an expert on depleted uranium, criticized the report for failing to focus on nearby residents’ possible exposure to uranium. —REBECCA RENNER
