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 it will hold a public meeting and a public availability session on April 14 to discuss community health concerns related to the Kerr-McGee site in Columbus, Miss.

ATSDR staff will assemble information about the community health concerns, investigate those concerns, and communicate the findings back to the community.

The purpose of the public meeting and public availability session is for ATSDR to hear residents' health concerns about the Kerr-McGee site, which is a wood-preserving facility owned and operated by Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. The sessions will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Monday, April 14, at the R.E. Hunt Intermediate School Gymnasium, at 924 North 20th Street in Columbus, Miss.

Individuals will have the opportunity to learn about ATSDR and how the agency got involved with the site. Community members are encouraged to attend and meet one-on-one with ATSDR staff to discuss health concerns related to the site. No appointments are necessary, and health concerns will be kept confidential.

Community members seeking information on the public meeting and public availability session may contact Health Communications Specialist Loretta Bush, or ATSDR Environmental Health Scientist, James Durant, toll free at 1-888-422-8737, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). Regional Representative Carl Blair also may be contacted at 1-800-241-1754, ext. 1786. Callers should refer to the Kerr-McGee site in Columbus, Miss.