What: 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 consultation for the Brush Wellman plant in Elmore, Ohio. ATSDR is releasing this public health consultation as a draft for public comment.
ATSDR reviewed available data and determined that it is not possible to evaluate the public health implications at this time because the data is not sufficient to reach any conclusions. ATSDR has recommended that Brush Wellman continue to perform air sampling for beryllium during potential off-site releases. ATSDR will also look into the possibility conducting an exposure investigation to determine whether community members have been exposed to beryllium through off-site transport of dust from the plant.
In conjunction with the release of the document, ATSDR will hold a public availability session in Elmore to discuss the health consultation and to talk with residents about future agency activities related to the site. The session will take place on Wednesday, October 24, 2001, at the Elmore Community Center.
When: The draft public health consultation will be available for public review and comment on or about October 13, 2001. The public comment period for the health consultation will run until November 24, 2001.
The public availability session in Elmore will take place on Wednesday, October 24, 2001, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Where: Copies of the document are available at the following repository:
Harris-Elmore Library
328 Toledo Street
Box 45
Elmore Ohio, 43416
Contact: Georgiana Huizenga, Director, at (419) 862-2482
The public availability session will be held at the Elmore Community Center, 410 Clinton Street in Elmore, Ohio.
How:Members of the public are encouraged to send their written comments to:
Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-56
Atlanta, Georgia 30333
Background: ATSDR is a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment.
ATSDR was requested by Senator Mike DeWine to evaluate whether beryllium air emissions from the plant and off-site migration of beryllium dust on workers' clothing presented a health hazard to the community.
An ATSDR health consultation provides conclusions and recommendations on specific public health issues related to actual or potential exposure to hazardous substances. ATSDR prepares about 1,000 health consultations every year. Most of the requests come from the EPA and state and local health and environmental departments.
Public availability sessions are not intended to be large-scale public meetings. Rather, they provide an opportunity for members of the community to drop in at any time during the session to talk one-on-one with ATSDR staff members. The session is open to the public, but individual discussions with ATSDR staff are confidential.
Comments received during the public comment period will be logged and become part of the administrative record for the health consultation. Comments (without indication of who made them) and responses will be included in an appendix to the final health consultation. Although names of those who have submitted comments will not be included in the final health consultation, they are subject to release under Freedom of Information Act.
For More Information: Community members seeking information on the procedures or content of the health consultation should contact Peter Kowalski, ATSDR environmental health scientist, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Brush Wellman site in Elmore, Ohio." ATSDR Regional Representative Clayton Koher also may be called for information at (312) 353-6086 in Chicago.