Atlanta-- The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will hold a public meeting to begin work on a community health education program for communities bordering the Pueblo Chemical Depot Site near Pueblo, Colorado. The meeting will take place at the old Boone Elementary School in Boone, Colorado, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2000.

The purpose of the meeting will be for ATSDR to solicit input from residents of Avondale and Boone on issues related to community health education and health care provider education. ATSDR will use the information as it works with the communities to develop programs to address health concerns residents have as a result of living near the Pueblo Chemical Depot site.

Dr. Scott Phillips, physician and toxicologist with the American College of Medical Toxicologists, will be a guest speaker at the meeting. Dr. Phillips is a recognized expert in the field of munitions-related health effects and has extensive experience in working at Department of Defense sites throughout the country.

Community members with questions about the meeting, or about ATSDR health education efforts at the Pueblo Chemical Depot site, should contact Joe Maloney or Richard Sullivan, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). ATSDR Senior Regional Representative Glenn Tucker, at (303) 312-7010 in Denver, can also be called for information about ATSDR activities related to the site.