Drinking contaminated private well water over many years may have put some Lincoln Park people at risk for health effects, said the report of a federal public health agency that looked at health concerns near the Lincoln Park Cotter Uranium Mill Superfund site. Breathing air around the site was not found to be a health hazard.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) found that drinking water contaminated by molybdenum over many years could put people at increased risk for certain health effects including gout or other joint problems. Most people in Lincoln Park are now on the public water supply and are not exposed to this contaminant. ATSDR recommends that people still using private well water in Lincoln Park stop using it for household purposes.
ATSDR has released a public comment version of its report on the Cotter Mill site. Public comments will be accepted until November 9, 2010. ATSDR will hold public meetings in Cañon City about its findings on Sept. 23.
The Cotter Uranium Mill is located about two miles south of downtown Cañon City in Fremont County, Colorado.
ATSDR reached four important conclusions in this public health assessment:
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Drinking water for many years from contaminated private wells could have harmed people’s health. ATSDR recommends people do not use contaminated well water for household use. A water use survey conducted in Lincoln Park in 1989 revealed that some people used groundwater from private wells for drinking water. These and other residents of Lincoln Park whose private wells were affected by the highest molybdenum contaminations may be at increased risk for health effects such as gout-like conditions, particularly individuals who do not take in enough dietary copper or cannot process copper correctly. Most town residents are now connected to the public water supply and have eliminated their exposure to the contaminated well water. However, some residents may still have operational private wells. These residents should have their wells tested, and if they are contaminated, they stop using well water for household purposes such as drinking, cooking, or bathing.
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Accidentally eating or touching soil and sediment near the Cotter Mill property or in Lincoln Park will not harm people’s health. However, ATSDR cannot make conclusions about soils near Cotter Mill if the properties closest to the facility are developed for residential or other non-industrial uses in the future.
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Residents should limit their use of contaminated well water to irrigate their vegetables. Exposure to molybdenum through locally-grown vegetables irrigated with private well water is not thought to be at levels that would harm people’s health; however as a precaution the vegetables should be thoroughly cleaned prior to eating them. Residents who eat many locally-grown fruits and vegetables could be at higher risk for arsenic exposure. This exposure is thought to be a regional concern.
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Air emissions of particle-bound radionuclides have not resulted in exposures to the public at levels that could cause health effects.
ATSDR will conduct two open houses for the public in Cañon City on Thursday, Sept. 23, from 12 to 2 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m., at Holy Cross Abbey, 2951 E US Highway 50, Cañon City, to talk to community members about the findings.
ATSDR is accepting public comments on the report until Nov. 9, 2010.
The public health assessment is available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/HCPHA.asp?State=CO.
A hard copy is also available at:
Carnegie Library
516 Macon Ave.
Cañon City, CO
(719) 269-9020
Comments on the public health assessment must be made in writing. Comments received during the public comment period will appear in the final public health assessment.
Send comments to: ATSDRRecordsCenter@cdc.gov, or mail to:
Attention: Rolanda Morrison
re: Lincoln Park Cotter Uranium Mill site ATSDR Records Center 4770 Buford Highway, NE (MS F-09) Atlanta, GA 30341
For more information about the public health assessment, community members can contact Debra Joseph, ATSDR Health Communications Specialist, 770.488.0715, DJoseph1@cdc.gov.