ATSDR Releases Final Version of Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) Public Health Assessment

Wednesday, August 18, 1999
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The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced today the availability of the final version of its public health assessment for Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

Public health assessments report information about hazardous substances in the environment and evaluate whether exposure to those substances in the past, present or future could harm people in the area. They identify health studies or other activities that might be needed and make recommendations to other government agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and state and local health and environmental departments, concerning actions to protect public health.

Public health assessments rely on three sources of information: environmental data, health data and reports of community concerns. Environmental data detail the chemicals at a site and indicate their potential pathways to reach humans. Health data include reports of injury, disease or death in the community, as well as information on the known human effects of chemicals at the site. Reports of community concerns document the public’s descriptions of how the site affects their health and quality of life.

The health assessment will be made available for public review on or about August 20, 1999 at the following repositories:

Pasadena Central Library
285 East Walnut
Pasadena, CA 91101
Contact: Ms. Krista Goguen at (626) 744-4057

La Canada-Flintridge Public Library
4545 North Oakwood Avenue
La Canada, CA 91011
Contact: Ms. Nancy Schram at (818) 790-3330

Altadena Public Library
600 East Mariposa Street
Altadena, CA 91001
Contact: Mr. William Tema at (626) 798-0834

JPL Library
4800 Oak Grove Drive (MS 111-113)
Pasadena, CA 91109
Contact: Mr. Eric Hines at (818) 354-4200

Comments received during the public comment period have been logged and are now part of the administrative record for the health assessment. Comments (without indication of who made them) and responses have been included in an appendix to the final health assessment.

Community members seeking information on the procedures or content of the health assessment should contact ATSDR Health Assessor Mark Weber, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Jet Propulsion Lab site" when asking to speak with a Health Assessor in the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation. The ATSDR Regional Representative, Dan Strausbaugh, also may be called for information at (415) 744-1774 in San Francisco.


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Page last reviewed: August 18, 1999