ATSDR Publishes 4 New Toxicological Profiles – 2-9-23

Today, the DHHS’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) published a notice of availability for drafts of four updated toxicological profiles. These drafts of four updated toxicological profiles are based on current understanding of the health effects and availability of new studies and other information since their initial release.

The four draft profiles are for (these are .PDF download links):

Cobalt,

Hexachlorocyclohexanes,

1,1,1-Trichloroethane, and

Vinyl Chloride

Comments Solicited

The ATSDR is soliciting public comments on these documents. Comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.Regulations.gov; Docket # ATSDR-2022-0006. Comments should be submitted by May 10^th, 2023.

Commentary

The vinyl chloride profile is particularly timely because of the East Palestine, OH railroad derailment earlier this month. Unfortunately, the usefulness of this revision is diminished by the fact that there is no summary of the information changes that have been made from the current profile. The fact that there has been a significant change in document format in this new version makes direct comparison difficult.

NTSB Meeting to Release Vinyl Chloride Rail Accident Report

The National Transportation Safety Board published a meeting notice in today’s Federal Register (79 FR 41311-41312) concerning a meeting to be held in Washington, DC on July 29^th, 2014 to discuss the report of their investigation into the rail accident in Paulsboro, New Jersey on November 30, 2012 that resulted in a catastrophic release of vinyl chloride.

The meeting will be open to the public and will be web cast.