Note to correspondents: A media availability session will be held from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. on June 9 at the Johnson Community Center, 800 Gillmer Road, Leavittsburg, Ohio. ATSDR representatives will be available to answer questions about the hydrogen sulfide study.

ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today announced that a public meeting and availability session will be held Wednesday, June 9. The purpose of the meeting is to inform community members about a state-requested health study ATSDR will conduct in the area around the Warren Recycling facility and to recruit 100 or more volunteers to participate in the study.

The meeting will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the

Johnson Community Center
300 Gillmer Road
Leavittsburg, Ohio

Agenda items will include presentations and discussions on the following items:

• Explanation of the state-requested hydrogen sulfide investigation (Epi Aid)
• Introduction of the state and local partners involved in the Epi Aid
• Opportunities to sign up to participate as a study volunteer
• Question and answer session

In a health consultation issued by ATSDR in November 2003, ATSDR classified the levels of hydrogen sulfide in Warren Township and physical hazards at Warren Recycling Landfill (WRL) as an "urgent public health hazard". Monitoring at the landfill indicates that hydrogen sulfide is still being emitted, and people in the area are still reporting illnesses they associate with WRL odors. Thus, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) requested that ATSDR conduct a rapid response evaluation (Epi Aid) to investigate the community's health.

ATSDR will be investigating the impact of hydrogen sulfide on the respiratory health of people who live, work, or go to school near WRL. Residents will also be asked to record other symptoms they feel are related to landfill odors.

The volunteers selected to participate in the investigation will have activities to complete every day during the four week study period. After answering a few questions, the volunteers will be placed into one of two groups. These groups will be asked to participate in different tasks to measure health outcomes from exposure.

ATSDR and ODH staff will be working in the Warren area for the entire four weeks of the investigation. They will be available for participants to contact with questions or concerns. ATSDR will also be monitoring outdoor air for hydrogen sulfide at four community locations during the investigation.

For more information, community members can contact Preethi Rao in the Division of Health Studies at 404-432-8943 or Environmental Health Scientist Lynn Wilder on-site at 330-841-2612. Both ATSDR scientists listed above will be stationed at the Warren City Health Department. Callers should refer to the Warren Epi Aid in Warren, Ohio.