The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will hold a public availability session on June 14, 2004, about the public comment version of its public health assessment (PHA) for the Gentile Air Force Station (AFS) in Kettering, Ohio.

The session is from 7 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Dwight L. Barnes building, 3750 Far Hills Ave., Kettering, Ohio. While no formal presentation will be made, ATSDR will provide a brief overview of their evaluation process at the beginning of the session. Community members are welcome to drop in at any time to discuss the health assessment one-to-one with ATSDR staff members.

The public comment period for the health assessment continues through June 28, 2004. The PHA may be reviewed at the Kettering Public Library, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, 290 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, Ohio.

The public health assessment evaluates potential sources of contamination associated with Gentile AFS and identifies potential exposure pathways in surrounding communities. The most common contaminants found at the station are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Other contaminants identified at some on-site locations include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and metals.

ATSDR believes that people residing near Gentile AFS have not been and are not now exposed to site-related contaminants at levels that could cause adverse health effects.

After evaluating available environmental information, ATSDR has drawn the following conclusions:

• Soil and groundwater contamination did exist at specific locations on Gentile AFS due to past spills and disposal of chemicals and materials. The surface water and sediment in Little Beaver Creek on base, and possibly downstream, were affected by some of these contaminants.
• Public exposure to Gentile AFS-related chemicals, either on base or in Little Beaver Creek, are below levels known to cause health effects.
• The environmental investigation and remedial actions are consistent with the planned future uses of the property and will protect future users from exposure to Gentile AFS-related chemicals that would be expected to cause health concerns.
• Groundwater contamination does not migrate off-base, so there is no exposure to the contaminants in the groundwater. Past workers at Gentile AFS, current workers at the Kettering Business Park and local residents are connected to the municipal water supply. Drinking water is not affected by Gentile AFS-related chemicals.
• Local residents and base visitors were not exposed to contaminants in the soil at levels that would be expected to cause health concerns.
• Local residents and base visitors were not, and are not, exposed to Gentile AFS-related chemicals in Little Beaver Creek at levels that would be expected to cause health concerns.

Comments received during the public comment period will be logged in to ATSDR's administrative record for this PHA. Comments received, without the names of individuals who submitted them, and ATSDR's responses to the comments will appear in an appendix to the final PHA. Names of those who submit comments, however, will be subject to release for requests made under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

Community members seeking information on the procedures or the content of the public health assessment may contact Environmental Health Scientist Sue Neurath or Health Communications Specialists Loretta Bush or Januett Smith-George, toll free, at 1-888-422-8737. Senior Regional Representative Mark Johnson also may be contacted at 312-886-0840. When calling, please refer to the Gentile AFS site in Kettering, Ohio.