ATSDR Media Announcement

For Immediate Release: Monday, Sept. 20, 2010 Cañon City, CO

ATSDR to hold public meetings Thursday in Canon City

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold two meetings on Thursday, Sept. 23, to discuss findings from its Lincoln Park Cotter Uranium Mill Superfund site health assessment.

Meetings will be held from 12 to 2 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m., at Holy Cross Abbey, 2951 E US Highway 50, Cañon City. ATSDR and other federal and state agencies will be present to talk to community members.

The meetings will include presentations of scientific findings and allow time for questions from the public and for one-on-one discussions.

Members of the media are invited to a media availability session at the Abbey from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

ATSDR reached four important conclusions in this public health assessment:

1. Drinking water for many years from contaminated private wells near the Cotter Mill site could have harmed people’s health. ATSDR recommends people do not use contaminated well water for household use.

2. Accidentally eating or touching soil and sediment near the Cotter Mill property or in Lincoln Park will not harm people’s health.

3. Residents should limit their use of contaminated well water to irrigate their vegetables.

4. Air emissions of particle-bound radionuclides have not resulted in exposures to the public at levels that could cause health effects.

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:

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 or the public meetings, community members can contact Debra Joseph, ATSDR Health Communications Specialist, 770.488.0715, DJoseph1@cdc.gov.

Media inquiries: 770-488-0700