The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today is issuing the final public health assessment for the U.S. Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek. The site is on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Va.
This public health assessment evaluates the possible exposure of residents on the base and surrounding area to contaminants from NAB Little Creek. The assessment also addresses area residents' health concerns that might be associated with current and past releases of contaminants from NAB Little Creek.
The final public health assessment concludes:
- There is no apparent public health hazard to the residents of NAB Little Creek and surrounding areas to contaminants from NAB Little Creek.
- Residents should adhere to the current prohibitions and restrictions of "No fishing and crabbing and other shell fishing" for Little Creek Harbor. ATSDR recommends that the Commonwealth of Virginia and Navy verify, through sampling, that edible fish and crabs in the harbor are free from chemical pollutants before lifting any of the current prohibitions and restrictions.
- Houses in the Turner Road neighborhood area built before 1978 may have been painted with lead-based paint. Residents of these homes should follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Virginia Department of Health recommendations on screening for elevated blood-lead levels in children under age 6. Also, families should contact their health-care provider or the local health department if they believe they have been exposed to lead.
The health assessment is available for review at the following Virginia repositories:
Bayside Area Library
936 Independence Blvd.
Virginia Beach
Little Creek Library
7853 Tarpon Place
Norfolk
Central Library
4100 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach
NAB Little Creek Library
Building 3004, 8th St.
Norfolk
For more information, community members may contact Charles Grosse at 1-888-422-8737. ATSDR Region III Representative Tom Stukas also may be contacted at 215-814-3142. Callers should refer to the NAB Little Creek site in Virginia.