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 release of its health consultation for the PCB site in west Anniston, Alabama, for public review and comment.

In preparing the health consultation, ATSDR examined soil and blood analysis data collected by two Anniston community groups between 1996 and 1998. ATSDR also examined soil and air analysis data collected in 1999 by EPA and Solutia, Inc. Overall, the data strongly suggest that at least a thousand people have been exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from environmental sources in the Anniston area.

While it appears that much of the exposure happened years ago, there are indications that exposure to PCBs through soil, and perhaps air, may still be occurring. ATSDR is currently working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emergency response team to determine whether people are still being exposed.

An ATSDR health consultation provides advice 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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and state and local health and environmental departments.

The public health consultation will be available for public review on or about February 25, 2000, at the following repositories:

Anniston Public Library
108 East 10th Street
Anniston, AL 36202

Community Against Pollution Headquarters
1012 West 15th Street
Anniston, AL 36201

Carver Library
722 West 14th Street
Anniston, AL 36201

Sweet Valley/Cobbtown Environmental
JusticeTask Force
7733 Highway 78 West
Eastaboga, AL 36260

Bethel Baptist Church
520 E. 6th Steet
Anniston, Al 36207

First Missionary Baptist Church
1100 Pine Grove Rd.
Anniston, Al 36201

Mars Hill Baptist Church
1508 W. 6th Street
Anniston, Al 36201

Seventeenth Street Baptist Church
801 W. 17th Street
Anniston, AL 36201

EPA Community Relations Office
1313 Noble Street
Anniston, AL

The public comment period for the health consultation will run from February 25 until April 27, 2000.

Please send written comments to:

Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-56
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

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 the Freedom of Information Act.

Community members seeking information on the procedures or the content of this health consultation should contact ATSDR Health Assessors Rick Canady or Clement Welsh, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Anniston PCB site" when asking to speak with a Health Assessor in the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation. The ATSDR Regional Representative, Carl Blair, also may be called for information at (404) 562-1786 in Atlanta.

For more information about PCBs and health effects related to exposure, please visit the ATSDR Web site, at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov, and click on the ToxFAQs for Polychlorinated Biphenyls-or PCBs.