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 public comment version of its health assessment for the Hercules Dumpsite in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

ATSDR prepared the public health assessment for the site in response to a request from members of the community who were concerned that landfill wastes are contaminating drinking water in the area and are responsible for seizure-related health conditions of people in the area.

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 also identify other activities that might be needed to better understand the health effects associated with the site. Public health assessments also make recommendations to other government agencies, such as the EPA and state and local health and environmental departments, concerning actions to protect public health.

In preparing public health assessments, ATSDR health assessors rely on various sources of information. These sources may include: 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 can include reports of injury, disease, or death in the community, as well as information on the known health 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 available for public review and comment on or about January 12, 2001, at the following repositories:

Mansfield Public Library
255 Hope Street
Mansfield, MA 02048
Telephone: (508) 261-7380

The public comment period for the health assessment will run from January 12 through February 12, 2001.  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 assessment. Comments (without indication of who made them) and responses will be included in an appendix to the final document. Although names of those who have submitted comments will not be included in the final health assessment, they will be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act.

Community members seeking information on the procedures or the content of this public health assessment should contact ATSDR Health Assessor Kim Chapman, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Hercules Dumpsite" when asking to speak with a Health Assessor in the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation. Senior ATSDR Regional Representative Bill Sweet also may be called for information at (617) 918-1491 in Boston.