Department of Health and Human Services March 20, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States faces serious public health threats from the deliberate use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN)by hostile States or terrorists, and from naturally emerging infectious diseases that have a potential to cause illness on a scale that could adversely impact national security. Effective strategies to prevent, mitigate, and treat the consequences of CBRN threats is an integral component of our national security strategy. To that end, the United States must be able to rapidly develop, stockpile, and deploy effective medical countermeasures to protect the American people. This HHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Strategy (HHS PHEMCE Strategy) establishes the goals and objectives that HHS will employ to ensure that medical countermeasures are available for effective use against the highest priority CBRN threats facing the Nation. The HHS PHEMCE Strategy considers the full spectrum of medical countermeasures- related activities, including research, development, acquisition, storage/maintenance, deployment, and utilization. The HHS PHEMCE Strategy is consistent with the President's Biodefense for the 21st Century and aligned with the National Strategy for Medical Countermeasures against Weapons of Mass Destruction.

This notice announces those sites for which ATSDR has completed public health assessments and health consultations during the period from October 1, 2006, through December 31, 2006. This list includes sites that are on or proposed for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL) and includes sites for which assessments or consultations were prepared in response to requests from the public.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announces the following availability of opportunity for the public to provide input regarding the draft document, ``Long-Term Field Evaluation (LTFE) Program Concept.'' NIOSH is the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the approval for self-contained, self- rescuer (SCSR) closed circuit escape respirators, Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 84. The LTFE program for self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs) for miners was initiated more than 20 years ago by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The objective for the LTFE program is to obtain data to determine the expected performance characteristics of SCSRs used in the mining industry. LTFE program results based on scientific principles can provide useful information to monitor expected SCSR performance and assess possible degradation due to the physical stresses of in-mine use. Of utmost concern is the successful performance of any SCSR that passes its inspection criteria specified by the manufacturer. It is such apparatus that must be relied upon in an emergency. A copy of the draft document can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/ niosh/review/public/NPPTL-LTFE/.