The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of U.S. Department Health and Human Services, today announced the availability of its draft public health assessment for the Newtown Community in Gainesville, Georgia.
ATSDR prepared this public health assessment in response to a request from area residents who expressed concerns over high rates of cancer, lupus, and respiratory diseases in the community. Residents believe the diseases may be caused by emissions from nearby industrial facilities and by the location of the community on land which was once used as a landfill.
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 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state and local health and environmental departments, concerning actions to protect public health.
The draft health assessment will be available for public review and comment on or about October 16, 2000, at the following repository:
Hall County Library
Headquarters Branch
127 Main Street, NW
Gainesville, Ga. 30501
Contact: A. Mixson at (770) 532-3311
The public comment period for the health assessment will run from October 16, 2000, until November 17, 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 assessment. Comments (without indication of who made them) and responses will be included in an appendix to the final health assessment. Although names of those who have submitted comments will not be included in the final health assessment, they are subject to release under Freedom of Information Act.
Community members seeking information on the procedures or content of the health assessment should contact Michelle Colledge, ATSDR environmental health scientist, or David Fowler, ATSDR toxicologist, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Newtown Community site" when asking to speak with a Health Assessor in the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation. The ATSDR Regional Representative, Bob Safay, also may be called for information at (404) 562-1782.