The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has released a public health assessment addressing contaminants at the St. Juliens Creek Annex site in Chesapeake, Va.

St. Juliens Creek Annex was an ordnance storage and loading/unloading site for the U.S. Navy. The site is located at the junction of St. Juliens Creek and the Elizabeth River. Formerly, major operations included equipment repair and maintenance, and ordnance loading, testing, disassembly, destruction and disposal. Current operations include a radar test range, scrap and salvage operations, and administrative, warehouse and light industrial functions. Fences built around the site during World War II prevent public access to St. Juliens Creek Annex.

In 1983, the Navy began to identify contamination resulting from handling and disposal of products used at St. Juliens Creek Annex. Relatively small areas contaminated by previous practices are located throughout the site; many are adjacent to marshes or other lowland areas connected to St. Juliens Creek or the Elizabeth River. The Navy has either cleaned up, or is in the process of completing the cleanup of, the Annex's contaminated areas.

ATSDR evaluated the possible past, present and future exposure pathways. The agency explored the nature and extent of contaminants detected in the environment at St. Juliens, primarily the groundwater, soil, surface water and sediment. ATSDR also reviewed how on-base residents, visitors, recreational users and the neighboring community might come into contact with those media.

Although some contaminants were detected in some of the groundwater, soil, surface water and sediment samples, in general, people will not come into contact with those chemicals often enough or long enough to cause health concerns. Therefore, this site has been categorized as no apparent public health hazard. This conclusion means that although community exposures to site-related contaminants might have been, or are, occurring, the resulting doses are unlikely to result in any adverse health effects and are, consequently, below levels of public health concern.

The public health assessment will be available for review at the following repository:
Major Hillard Library
824 Old George Washington Highway, N.
Chesapeake, VA 23323-2214

For more information, community members can contact Environmental Health Scientist Sue Neurath or Community Involvement Specialist Januett Smith-George, toll free, at 1-888-422-8737.