Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) once used to insulate and cool electrical equipment at the Fort Monmouth Evans Area are not a health hazard to people living near the area, according to a public health consultation just released by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

The ATSDR, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was requested by the Army to determine if PCBs had migrated beyond the Evans Area site boundaries to residential properties.

Manufacturing PCBs, a group of synthetic organic chemicals, was banned in the United States in 1977 when evidence showed that PCBs build up in the environment and may cause harmful effects. An ATSDR health consultation provides conclusions and recommendations on specific public health issues related to actual or potential exposure to hazardous substances. As part of its investigative process, ATSDR evaluated available environmental and health data. The agency also considered community health concerns related to PCB residues in residential soil. The highlights of ATSDR's conclusions are:

• The potential exists for past, current and future PCB exposure to residents living along Evans Road whose properties abut the Evans Area fence line. The potential for PCB contact is minimal because contaminated soil is mostly below grass cover. Contaminated soil in residential properties along Evans Road does not present a health hazard to adults or children. Exposures are infrequent and too low to result in adverse health effects.
• Results from soil sampling in residential areas beyond Evans Road show no PCB concentrations exceeding New Jersey's mandatory clean-up level.

The ATSDR health consultation is available for public review at the Wall Township Public Library, 2700 Allaire Rd., Wall. Or, a copy of the document can be obtained by calling ATSDR, toll-free, at 888-42ATSDR (1-888-422-8737).

Through its programs - including surveillance, registries, health studies, environmental health education and applied substance-specific research - ATSDR works with other federal, state and local government agencies to help protect public health. More information about the agency is available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov

Community members with questions about the procedures or content of the health consultation should contact ATSDR Toxicologist Scott Sudweeks or Health Communication Specialist Dawn O'Connor, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the Fort Monmouth Evans Area site.