ATSDR Releases Picatinny Arsenal Health Assessment For Public Review And Comment

Friday, October 20, 2000
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Atlanta -- 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 Picatinny Arsenal, in Dover and Rockaway Townships, New Jersey.

ATSDR prepared this public health assessment to examine whether people could be exposed to harmful levels of contaminants in groundwater, surface soil, surface water, and sediment from the Picatinny Arsenal site. Based on a review of available data, ATSDR finds that under current site conditions, exposures to contaminants at this site are unlikely to result in adverse health effects.

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 20, 2000, at the following repositories:

Rockaway Township Public Library
61 Mount Hope Rd.
Rockaway, N.J.
(973) 627-2344

Morris County Library
30 E. Hanover Ave.
Whippany, N.J.
(973) 285-6930


U.S. Armament Research, Development
& Engineering Center
AMSTA-AR-PSSE, Building 319
Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 7806-5000
Jeanne Rosen, (973) 627-2344

The public comment period for the health assessment will run from October 20, 2000, until November 22, 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 Jeff Kellam, ATSDR environmental health scientist, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Picatinny Arsenal site" when asking to speak with a Health Assessor in the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation. The ATSDR Regional Representative, Tom Mignone, also may be called for information at (212) 637-4306 in New York.


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Page last reviewed: October 20, 2000