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 the draft results of its public health assessment for the Bellevue Park site in Anchorage, KY.
ATSDR was petitioned for a public health assessment for the Bellevue Park site in March 2000. ATSDR evaluated soil, sediment, and surface water data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in February 1999 and May 2000. ATSDR concluded from this evaluation that the contaminant levels detected were not at levels of public health significance. Several contaminants were detected at levels above ATSDR comparison values; however no adverse health effects would be expected from exposure to soil, sediment or surface water.
Based on the available environmental sampling data for surface soil, subsurface soil, sediment and surface water, ATSDR categorizes the Bellevue Park site as posing no apparent public health hazard. If soils were excavated or disturbed in the future, further evaluation of these media at the dump site should be evaluated to determine whether contaminants from the site could result in exposures at levels that may impact health.
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 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 know human effects of chemicals at the site. Reports of 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 and comment on or about December 29, 2000, at the following repositories:
Middleton Branch Library
200 North Juneau Drive
Louisville, KY
(502) 245-7332 |
Crescent Hill Branch Library
2762 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY
(502) 574-1793 |
The public comment period for the health assessment will run from December 29, 2000, through January 28, 2001. Please send written comments to:
ATSDR
Chief, Program Evaluation, Records & Information Services Br.
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-56
Atlanta, GA 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 (FOIA).
Community members seeking information on the procedures or content of the health consultation should contact Theresa McDarmont, ATSDR environmental health scientist, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Bellevue Park site" when asking to speak with someone in the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation. ATSDR Regional Representative Carl Blair also may be contacted by calling (404) 562-1786.