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 the release of a public health assessment for public review and comment on the Reasor Chemical Company site in Castle Hayne, New Hanover County, N.C.

Reasor Chemical Company is a former pine stump rendering facility. Former operations contaminated the site with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds, metals and dioxin, which affected wetlands and creeks downgradient of the site.

People are not in contact with contaminants at high enough levels to result in adverse health effects. However, physical hazards (remnants of former operating equipment) present during a spring 2003 site visit by ATSDR representatives posed a public health hazard. This conclusion may be changed on the basis of actions that may have been taken since that time to address the physical hazards.

ATSDR recommends the following:

• prohibiting access to the site until physical hazards are addressed and clean-up activities are completed;
• monitoring of area drinking water and air quality;
• prohibiting installation of new drinking water wells on the site.

The public review and comment period has been extended through March 12, 2004. The public health assessment is available for review at the following repositories:

Northeast Regional Library
1241 Military Cutoff Road
Wilmington, NC

Castle Hayne Volunteer Fire Department
5311 Castle Hayne Road
Castle Hayne, NC 28429

Comments on the public health assessment must be made in writing. Mail comments to

Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, N.E. (MS E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333

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

For more information, community members can contact Health Assessor Deborah Boling or Health Communications Specialist Youlanda R. Outin, toll free, at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Benjamin Moore also may be contacted at 1-800-241-8754, ext. 21784. Callers should refer to the Reasor Chemical Company site in Castle Hayne, N.C.

ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. Established by Congress in 1980 under the Superfund law, ATSDR conducts public health assessments at each of the sites on the EPA National Priorities List, as well as other sites when petitioned. Headquartered in Atlanta, ATSDR is staffed by more than 400 health professionals including epidemiologists, physicians, toxicologists, engineers and public health educators.