Availability of the Interagency Draft Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)


[Federal Register: August 31, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 168)]
[Notices]
[Page 46225]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31au98-57]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry [ATSDR-133]

Availability of the Interagency Workgroup Document, A Draft Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the draft document, A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), by the Interagency Workgroup on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. The public is invited to comment on this draft report.

DATES: Comments must be received by October 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The report is available by contacting ATSDR's Information Center, 1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E57, Atlanta, GA 30333, 1-800-447- 1544, attention Alice Knox. Please submit written comments relating to the report to the same location. Because these comments may be made available upon public request, please do not send any personal, medical, or other information that you do not wish to make public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ATSDR's Information Center at the above address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is the term most commonly applied to a health condition of interest to patients, health care providers, and health and environmental agencies alike. Symptoms range from minor discomfort to extreme disability and isolation.

Because of the concern for the health and well-being of persons with symptoms of MCS, several federal agencies formed a workgroup in 1995 to review scientific literature pertinent to MCS, consider recommendations from various expert panels on MCS, and develop technical and policy recommendations for the agencies to consider. The departments and agencies represented on the Interagency Workgroup on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity are: Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Environmental Health Policy Committee (EHPC), chaired by the Assistant Secretary for Health, has monitored the preparation of the interagency report. The EHPC is the senior level policy committee for environmental health issues in the Department. The committee has liaison members from other federal departments that have environmental and public health responsibilities.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is providing administrative support for the Interagency Workgroup's report. Comments on the report will be provided by ATSDR to the Interagency Workgroup for consideration.

The workgroup has developed a draft document entitled, A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Summary findings, research recommendations and policy recommendations are provided in this report.

This document, A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and its availability for public comment is being announced through this Federal Register notice.

Dated: August 25, 1998.

Georgi Jones,
Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.
[FR Doc. 98-23290 Filed 8-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-70-P

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