Background

The WNY facility covers 63.3 acres of land and lies on the Anacostia River in a heavily urbanized area with industrial, commercial, residential, and vacant properties in the immediate vicinity. Activities at WNY that may have contributed to environmental contamination have included shipbuilding in the 1800s, ordnance research and construction in the mid-1800s to 1945. Since 1945, WNY has had only administrative functions. Because of contamination detected in the adjacent Anacostia River, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the site for listing on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1998.

ATSDR is required by Congress to conduct Public Health Assessments on all sites proposed to the NPL. In this Public Health Assessment, ATSDR evaluates the public health significance of the WNY site. ATSDR has reviewed available environmental data and community health concerns to determine whether adverse health effects are possible.

What is ATSDR?

ATSDR is a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR’s mission is to prevent exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment.ATSDR is not an enforcement agency. It works closely with EPA and other federal, state, and local agencies to protect public health.

ATSDR Conclusions and Recommendations about the Site

1. Groundwater under WNY has not been used for domestic drinking water supplies, so there has been no exposure to contaminated groundwater. Therefore, ATSDR concludes that groundwater poses no public health hazard.
   
2. Human exposure to surface water and sediment is minimal, limited to infrequent skin contact when fishing, boating, etc. ATSDR categorizes such infrequent, short-duration exposure to low levels of chemical contaminants in surface water and sediment as no apparent public health hazard.
   
3. People may have been exposed to elevated lead levels in the surface soils at Admiral’s Row. Current and future exposures have been prevented by Navy interim measures and education efforts. ATSDR concludes that although past exposure to lead-contaminated soil may have posed a past health hazard, current and potential future exposures are minimal, if at all, and pose no apparent public health hazard.
   
4. The Anacostia River fish population has been affected by chemical pollutants released from a variety of point sources along the river. Reported concentrations of chemical residues in locally-caught fish could pose a public health hazard for people who do not follow the Washington, D.C., fish consumption advisory for the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.

• ATSDR recommends that the Washington, D.C., Department of Public Health continue its fish consumption advisory for the Anacostia and Potomac and post additional fish advisory warning signs, as appropriate, in visible locations along the lower reaches of the Anacostia River.

• ATSDR recommends that the National Park Service improve the fishing advisory signs so that they are more easily seen in Anacostia Park. ATSDR recommends raising awareness about the fishing advisory among residents and health care providers.

Where can I get more information?

The PHA will be available for public review and comment from September 28, 2001 through October 31, 2001, at the following locations in Washington, D.C.:

To discuss the PHA, call Laura Frazier, ATSDR Health Assessor, or Dawn O’Connor, ATSDR Community Involvement Specialist, in Atlanta, Georgia, at our toll free number, 1-888-422-8737; or call Thomas Stukas, ATSDR Regional Representative in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 215/814-3142. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. After hours, leave a message including your name, area code and number.

Where do I send my comments?

Please send written comments to:

Comments received during the public comment period will be logged and become part of the administrative record for the health assessment. Comments (without indication of who made them) and responses will be included in an appendix to the final health assessment. Although names of those who have submitted comments will not be included in the final health assessment, they are subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act.