The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced today that it will begin a door to door listing of all residents of certain neighborhoods in Dakota City and South Sioux City, Nebraska, on March 1, 2000.

The listing is the first step in the health study ATSDR is conducting in the area to examine the relationship between exposure to ambient hydrogen sulfide and possible adverse health effects. ATSDR needs the participation of the community to make this health study possible.

The purpose of the listing is to identify all household members who are 16 years or older and who have lived in the house for at least the past two years. The listing is important because it will be used to identify residents who will be invited for health testing.

Households will be visited by an ATSDR health studies contractor sometime between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. beginning March 1. The visits are expected to be completed by March 15. The visits will last approximately 5-10 minutes. During the visit, residents will be asked three questions concerning how long they have lived at the residence and the number and names of adults wholivethere. Information gathered during the visits is protected by privacy laws. Names and addresses will not be identified in any future reports published by ATSDR.

The ATSDR workers will wear picture identification, and local law enforcement officials will be contacted in advance to let them know when and where the workers will be visiting.

The ATSDR workers will leave a flyer at residences where no one is home or when an adult is not available. Residents who receive the flyer are asked to call the toll free number on the flyer within 24 hours to insure that their information is included in the listing.

For more information about the listing or about the healthstudy, contact ATSDR Community Involvement Specialist Ruby Palmer, toll free, at 1-888-422-8737. Callers should refer to the "Dakota City Health Study." ATSDR Senior Regional Representative Denise Jordan-Izaguirre in Kansas City can also be called for information at (913) 551-1310.