32.1-241 - Powers and duties of Board. - Virginia Statutes

§ 32.1-241. Powers and duties of Board.

The Board shall:

1. Advise the Governor, other state agencies, the federal government, andlocal governing bodies on matters pertaining to chemical exposures posing athreat to public health or the environment;

2. Collect from any source, necessary information concerning substances whichare toxic in certain concentrations and under certain conditions;

3. Catalogue information on substances that are toxic so that the informationcan be retrieved quickly for use;

4. Institute proceedings in any appropriate court to compel the production ofinformation concerning substances which are toxic;

5. Review and evaluate the information to be used in making a determinationregarding toxicity of any substance and the concentrations and conditionsunder which the substance is toxic;

6. Disseminate information concerning toxic substances to other stateagencies, political subdivisions of the Commonwealth, health professionals,the media, and the public by communicating the risk of chemical exposurethrough developing and disseminating documents, technical reports,information sheets, advisories, and press releases;

7. Investigate potential human health effects associated with environmentalexposures through biomedical studies to address emergency and nonemergencysite-specific problems;

8. Develop health risk assessments for specific chemical exposures via air,water, and food; coordinate assessments of such risks with other stateagencies through the convening of assessment groups; and submitrecommendations to prevent exposure of citizens to toxic substances,including, but not limited to, the closure of bodies of water and advisoriesrelating to food consumption; and

9. Promulgate regulations to specify as necessary the details of the program.

(Code 1950, §§ 32-428.1, 32-429; 1976, c. 627; 1977, c. 471; 1979, c. 711;1982, c. 16; 1992, c. 203; 1995, c. 90.)