The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today issued for public review and comment a public health consultation (PHC) on the Alliance Landfill site near Scranton in Taylor Borough, Pa.
The public comment period is from Sept. 5 through Oct. 13. The PHC is available for review at local repositories.
ATSDR was petitioned to evaluate whether volatile organic compounds and particulate matter were being emitted by Alliance Landfill (a/k/a Empire Landfill) at levels which would pose a public health threat to the community.
The agency concludes that there are no sampling data to identify and quantify air contaminants. On the basis of a lack of data, the agency has categorized the Alliance Landfill as an indeterminate public health hazard. The designation is used because on- and off-site ambient air data are not available to evaluate exposures.
ATSDR recommends that ambient air monitoring for volatile organic compounds and particulate matter be conducted to evaluate the potential health impact on nearby populations.
A public health action plan for the Alliance Landfill developed by ATSDR contains a description of actions recommended by governmental agencies following the completion of the health consultation. The purpose of the public health action plan is twofold: first, to ensure that the health consultation provides a plan to eliminate environmental sampling data gaps; and, second, to evaluate additional data to determine if residents are being exposed to air contaminant levels that might affect their health. ATSDR is committed to following up on the plan and to ensuring that it is implemented.
The public health consultation may be reviewed from Sept. 5 through Oct. 13 at the following repositories:
Taylor Public Library
200 Union St.
Taylor, PA
Taylor Borough Council
122 Union St.
Taylor, PA
Ransom Township Board of Supervisors
2435 Hickory Lane
Clarks Summit, PA
Old Forge Borough Council
314 Main St.
Old Forge, PA
ATSDR encourages comments on the public health consultation. Comments on the PHC must be made in writing and mailed to:
Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, NE (MS E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333
Comments received during the public comment period will be logged in to ATSDR's administrative record for this public health consultation. 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 PHC. 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 consultation may contact Environmental Health Scientist Alaric Denton or Health Communications Specialist Youlanda Outin, toll free at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Thomas Stukas also may be contacted at 215-814-3142. When calling, please refer to the Alliance Landfill site in Taylor Borough, Pa.
Release Date: Thursday, November 15, 2018
ATLANTA, GA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released its public health consultation report, “Public Health Evaluation of Water Data Collected in the Vicinity of the JKLM Natural Gas Well on the Reese Hollow 118 Pad,” in Coudersport, Potter County, PA for public comment. ATSDR will accept comments from the public until January 15, 2019.
Release Date: Thursday, August 18, 2016
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released the findings of its cancer data review for Warminster, Horsham and Warrington Townships, Pennsylvania today, August 18, 2016.
Release Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2016
ATLANTA, GA – Some private wells have elevated levels of methane, naturally occurring salts, and other organic chemicals in the area of Dimock, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania area, says the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in a health consultation report released today.
Release Date: Friday, September 11, 2015
ATLANTA –Scientists from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted an investigation in various Philadelphia neighborhoods in July 2014. They examined blood lead levels in young children and environmental lead levels in the soil, tap water, and indoor dust in each child’s home.
Release Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2014
ATLANTA—Some homes in Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties of Pennsylvania have elevated levels of radon gas in indoor air and radium in soils, according to a health consultation released today by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Researchers were unable to determine if a cluster of cases of Polycythemia Vera (PV) in people living in the counties is related to exposures to the substances.
Release Date: Friday, September 14, 2012
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will update community members on the polycythemia vera (PV) research projects in the tri-county area of Schuylkill, Luzerne, and Carbon Counties, PA on September 20, 2012 in Tamaqua, PA.
Release Date: Monday, November 07, 2011
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) investigated the water quality of seven residential wells surrounding the Chesapeake ATGAS 2H natural gas well site in Leroy Township, Bradford County, Pa., at the request of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following a well blowout.
Release Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has released its final report regarding the Community Health Screening for the JAK2 genetic marker.
Release Date: Monday, December 21, 2009
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released a final report of the public health assessment (PHA) the agency completed on the Safety Light Corporation Superfund Site located at 4150-A Old Berwick Road, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. ATSDR does PHAs at a site to find out if people are being exposed to hazardous substances from the site, and if so, whether the exposures are harmful and should be stopped or reduced.
Release Date: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Following two rounds of community health screening in northeastern Pennsylvania for the JAK2 genetic marker, 19 (1.6%) of the 1,170 people tested were found to have this mutation. This is the first time large scale screening for this JAK2 genetic mutation has been done in the United States. The frequency of the mutation in the general population is not known. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted the screenings in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.
Release Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold a public meeting in the Tamaqua Area Auditorium at Tamaqua High School, 500 Penn St, Tamaqua, PA, on Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. to update area residents on recent efforts regarding polycythemia vera (PV).
Release Date: Monday, August 31, 2009
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released a draft report of the public health assessment (PHA) the agency completed on the Safety Light Corporation Superfund Site located at 4150-A Old Berwick Road, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. ATSDR does PHAs at a site to find out if people are being exposed to hazardous substances from the site, and if so, whether the exposures are harmful and should be stopped or reduced.
Release Date: Monday, August 10, 2009
Due to the greater than expected response to the offer of testing, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will schedule appointments for a second round of JAK2 screening through Friday, August 14, 2009. ATSDR scheduled this second round of testing, to take place in the fall, after all of the available appointments in August had been filled. Residents of Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill Counties should call 1-877-525-4860 by Friday to schedule a fall appointment for a JAK2 screening.
Release Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold a public meeting in the Tamaqua High School auditorium, 500 Penn St, Tamaqua, PA., on Thursday, July 9, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. to inform area residents of recent efforts regarding polycythemia vera (PV).
Release Date: Monday, August 25, 2008
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) confirmed 33 cases of polycythemia vera (PV) in Carbon, Schuylkill, and Luzerne counties in a community meeting held today. The investigation was designed to count the number of PV cases in the area, verify the diagnosis, and to look for common characteristics among the cases. The investigation was not designed to identify a cause for PV.
Release Date: Monday, August 18, 2008
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold a public meeting to discuss the final findings of an investigation of the polycythemia vera (PV) cases in Schuylkill, Luzerne, and Carbon counties. The federal public health agency will also outline areas for future research.
Release Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) confirmed 38 cases of polycythemia vera (PV) in Schuylkill, Luzerne, and Carbon counties. ATSDR found no link between environmental factors and PV in this area.
Release Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold a public meeting to discuss the findings of a recently conducted survey on the polycythemia vera (PV) cases in Schuykill, Luzerne, and Carbon counties.
Release Date: Monday, March 06, 2006
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal public health agency, will hold a community meeting in Ellwood City to gather information from residents regarding a former play area near the old W.R. Grace/Zonolite facility in Ellwood City that may have been contaminated with asbestos.
Release Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2005
People living or working in the Bear Creek Chemical Area Site in Butler and Armstrong Counties, Pa., should continue drinking and cooking with only bottled water, according to a public health assessment released by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Release Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Empire Sanitary Landfill, aka Alliance Landfill Site, is an indeterminate public health hazard, according to the final version of the health consultation on the site issued by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The landfill is in Taylor Borough, Lackawanna County, Pa.
Release Date: Wednesday, September 01, 2004
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold a public availability session followed by a community meeting on Sept. 7 to discuss the findings from the public health assessment on the Bear Creek Chemical Area site in Butler and Armstrong Counties, Pa.
The public availability session is designed to allow community members to meet individually with ATSDR representatives to discuss concerns about potentially site-related health issues. The session will be held at the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Hall, 200 Argyle Street in Petrolia, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Release Date: Monday, August 16, 2004
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) today released for public review and comment its public health assessment (PHA) of the Bear Creek site in Butler and Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania, which indicates that the site currently poses no apparent public health hazard.
Release Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2004
The final public health assessment on the Foamex Corporation site in Corry, Pa., has been issued by ATSDR. The agency determined that air emissions at the site pose no apparent public health hazard to Corry Area Middle-High School or nearby residents.
Release Date: Thursday, July 10, 2003
ATSDR will hold a public availability session about the Bear Creek Chemical Area site in Petrolia, Pa. on July 15.
Release Date: Thursday, June 20, 2002
ATSDR's public health assessment of the area near the Willow Grove Naval Air and Air Reserve Station site in Willow Grove, PA, found that no contaminants were present at levels of public health concern.
Release Date: Thursday, April 18, 2002
The public health assessment for the U.S. Naval Support Activity in Mechanicsburg, PA is available for public comment through April 15, 2002. ATSDR evaluated environmental monitoring data and possible ways people might be exposed to contamination.
Release Date: Friday, March 15, 2002
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 availability of the public comment version of its health assessment for the Naval Support Activity in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Release Date: Wednesday, March 06, 2002
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today released its draft public health assessment for Willow Grove site in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
Release Date: Monday, October 15, 2001
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 availability of its draft public health assessment for the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), in Warminster, Pennsylvania. ATSDR is releasing this public health assessment as a draft for public comment.
Release Date: Friday, October 12, 2001
A mixed bag of environmental news for nearby residents of the Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster, PA.
Release Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2001
ATSDR announced today the availability of the final version of its health assessment for the Molycorp site in Washington, Pennsylvania.
Release Date: Tuesday, October 26, 1999
ATSDR announced today the availability of the draft results of its public health assessment for the Callery Chemical site in Evans City, Pennsylvania.