ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) announced today a plan to provide a community service to people living or working near the Brush Wellman facility in Elmore, Ohio, who remain concerned about past beryllium exposures and their health. The plan includes a free blood test for beryllium sensitization.
 
As reported in its 2002 public health consultation, ATSDR does not think that current releases of beryllium from Brush Wellman pose a risk to people's health. In that report, ATSDR could not draw conclusions about people's health risks from past, short-term beryllium releases from the plant. People who remain concerned about their individual past exposures can volunteer for a blood test to learn if they may have been affected.

The blood test can determine if an individual has been sensitized - a kind of allergic response - to beryllium from past releases to the environment. People who are sensitized may or may not develop a lung disease called chronic beryllium disease (CBD). The test itself does not determine if people are sick.

ATSDR Director Howard Frumkin, M.D., Dr. P.H., said, "We are taking this approach to provide people a service that should address their remaining concerns. People whose test results are normal can be reassured that they are not likely at risk for beryllium disease. People who learn they are sensitized to beryllium can work with their physicians to care for their health appropriately."

The agency will host a public availability session April 25 to meet with community members and discuss the plan. The session will be held from 4-8 p.m. at Woodmore High School, 633 Fremont Street, Elmore, Ohio.

ATSDR will test up to 200 people who are considered most likely to benefit from this screening test. This includes people who meet the following enrollment criteria:

• residents living within approximately 1 ¼ miles of the boundaries of the Brush Wellman facility;
• workers from local machine shops that contract to machine beryllium alloys, and their household contacts;
• household contacts of Brush Wellman workers;
• people in the area diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a disease with lung changes that resemble the changes in CBD.

Interested persons who meet the enrollment criteria may call ATSDR toll-free at 1-866-577-4258 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday. Individuals may call now to leave their name and phone number. In May, ATSDR will begin collecting more information from callers to determine if they meet the enrollment criteria. Callers meeting the criteria will be enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis.

While ATSDR plans to provide information to local physicians about the disease and the testing program, individual test results and information collected will be kept confidential.

The plan for blood testing will be available for public review March 31 through April 30 on the ATSDR Web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brushwellman/protocol.pdf and at the locations listed below. During the public comment period, residents can review and comment on the testing plan or proposed activities. Comments received will be considered for the final testing plan. ATSDR plans to finalize the testing plan in May and begin the testing program this summer.

Residents can review the document at these Harris-Elmore Library locations:

328 Toledo Street
Elmore, OH 43416

Genoa Branch
602 West Street
Genoa, OH 43430

Comments should be mailed to:
ATSDR Records Center
1600 Clifton Road, N.E. (MS E-60)
Atlanta, Ga. 30333

Or, they may be provided via e-mail to: ATSDRRecordsCenter@cdc.gov, Subject: Brush Wellman - Elmore, OH.

Community members seeking more information may call ATSDR Medical Epidemiologist Dan Middleton, M.D., MPH, toll-free at 1-888-422-8737.