**GAO-10-741T**                      Published: May 20, 2010. Publicly Released: May 20, 2010.                  

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## Highlights

This testimony discusses the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) policies and procedures for product preparation. ATSDR investigates community exposures related to chemical sites and releases; works with federal, tribal, state, and local agencies to identify potential exposures; assesses associated health effects; and recommends actions to stop, prevent, or minimize these harmful effects. In conducting these activities, the agency publishes many types of public health products, including public health assessments, health consultations, health study reports, and exposure investigations. Recent reports by the Institute of Medicine and ATSDR's Board of Scientific Counselors have identified various concerns such as the appropriateness and quality of the data used in ATSDR's products, the methodology and design of the studies, and clearance policies. This committee has held two previous hearings that focused on its concern about the quality of ATSDR's products. In response, ATSDR has noted that multiple factors have posed challenges for the agency, including limitations in the ability of available science to answer community questions about the effect of chemical exposures, limitations in ATSDR's ability to collect data related to exposures, and reductions since 2004 in the number of ATSDR staff and resources available to conduct the agency's mission. This testimony addresses the extent to which ATSDR's policies and procedures for product initiation, development, and review and clearance provide reasonable assurance of public health product quality.

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## Office of Public Affairs

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## Topics

Natural Resources and Environment

Agency evaluationData collectionData integrityDatabasesGovernment information disseminationHazardous substancesHealth hazardsInformation managementInformation resources managementInternal controlsInvestigations by federal agenciesInvestigations into federal agenciesMonitoringProduct evaluationPublic healthQuality assuranceRisk assessmentRisk managementStandardsToxic substances and disease registryInformation sharingPolicies and procedures