View page in Spanish (Español)
ATLANTA- The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its final Public Health Assessment (PHA) for the Ground Water Plume site of the Hormigas Sector in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
The assessment found that people who used the Hormigas public water system before it closed in 2009 are not expected to experience harmful effects from chemical exposures because the contaminants were below levels of health concern. The community now obtains water from the Cidra filtration plant, which is continually monitored by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority to make sure it meets federal drinking water standards and is safe.
The Hormigas public water system was closed in 2009 because chemicals were found in one of the two wells. The chemicals found in the well were perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE). The source of the chemicals in the water is not known. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working to identify the source during their remedial investigation. The results will be available to the public when it is completed.
In March 2013, ATSDR requested public comments on the Public Health Assessment for the Ground Water Plume site of the Hormigas Sector. Comments were received and addressed, and the responses are included in Appendix D of the final PHA document.
The Public Health Assessment is available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/HCPHA.asp?State=PR.
A copy of the report also is available at the Office of Environmental Affairs in Caguas:
Centro de Gobierno Municipal Ángel Rivera Rodríguez,
Calle Padial final, esquina Ave. José Mercado
Oficina de Asuntos Ambientales- Piso 1,
Caguas, Puerto Rico 00726
For more information about the Public Health Assessment, community members can call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). Callers should state that they are requesting information about the Hormigas Sector site in Puerto Rico.
###
ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the potential for adverse human health effects due to exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.
Release Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2014
ATLANTA – The health of people who use well water is not at risk, says the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in its public health assessment (PHA) released today. The public is invited to read and comment on the Corozal well report.
Release Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2014
ATLANTA – La salud de las personas que usan el agua del pozo no está a riesgo, dice la Agencia para Sustancias Toxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) en su Evaluación de Salud Pública publicada hoy. El público está invitado a leer y comentar en el reporte sobre el Pozo de Corozal.
Release Date: Thursday, October 31, 2013
ATLANTA- La Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) publicó su Evaluación de Salud Pública del Sistema de Agua Subterránea Hormigas.
Release Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Following a thorough review of environmental, biological, and health data from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its final report today.
Release Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Basado en una revisión minuciosa de los datos ambientales, biológicos y de salud de la isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico, la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) publicó hoy su informe final.
Release Date: Wednesday, March 06, 2013
“Harmful effects from exposure to chemicals are not expected in people who used the Hormigas water system because the contaminants were below levels of health concern” says The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Release Date: Wednesday, March 06, 2013
No se esperan efectos perjudiciales a la salud en la personas que utilizaron el agua del sistema público de Hormigas debido a que los contaminantes estaban por debajo de los niveles de dañinos a la salud”, afirma la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en Inglés)
Release Date: Friday, September 28, 2012
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has released its final public health assessment for the Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, Ground Water Contamination site. The report finds that current exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in municipal water are not expected to harm public health.
Release Date: Friday, September 28, 2012
La Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR) ha publicado la versión final de la evaluación de salud pública del sitio de contaminación de agua subterránea de Cabo Rojo. No se espera que los niveles de exposición a los compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COV) en el agua municipal perjudiquen la salud pública.
Release Date: Friday, August 03, 2012
Past exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in municipal water are not expected to harm public health, says the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in its final public health assessment for the San Germán Ground Water Contamination site in San Germán, PR.
Release Date: Friday, August 03, 2012
Las exposiciones del pasado a compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COV) en el agua municipal no se prevé que tengan efectos nocivos en la salud pública, de acuerdo con la evaluación preliminar de salud pública que realizó la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR) en el sitio de contaminación de agua subterránea de San Germán, Puerto Rico.
Release Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Past exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in municipal water are not expected to harm public health, says the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in its draft public health assessment for the San Germán Ground Water Contamination site in San Germán, PR.
Release Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Las exposiciones del pasado a compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COV) en el agua municipal no se prevé que tengan efectos nocivos en la salud pública, de acuerdo con la evaluación preliminar de salud pública que realizó la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR) en el sitio de contaminación de agua subterránea de San Germán, Puerto Rico.
Release Date: Thursday, December 08, 2011
Following a thorough review of environmental, biological, and health data from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released a report for public comment today.
Release Date: Thursday, December 08, 2011
Basado en una revisión minuciosa de datos ambientales, biológicos y de salud de la isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico, la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) publicó hoy un informe para que la ciudadanía envíe comentarios.
Release Date: Friday, October 21, 2011
Current exposures to VOCs in municipal water are not expected to harm public health, says the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in its draft public health assessment for the Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination site in Cabo Rojo, PR. Low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been found in some municipal water supply wells, but none of the VOCs measured have exceeded federal drinking water standards.
Release Date: Friday, October 21, 2011
No se prevé que la exposición actual a compuestos orgánicos volátiles en el agua municipal perjudique la salud pública, indica la Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR) en su Evaluación de Salud Pública provisional del sitio de contaminación de agua subterránea de Cabo Rojo en Puerto Rico. Se encontraron niveles bajos de compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COV) en algunos de los pozos de abastecimiento de agua municipal, pero ninguna cantidad de los COV medidos excedió los estándares federales para el agua potable.
Release Date: Wednesday, December 29, 2010
No immediate action is needed to protect people from contaminants from the Papelera Puertorriqueña Inc. site in Utuado, Puerto Rico. More information is needed to determine whether long term exposure to contaminants from the site could harm health.
Release Date: Friday, November 13, 2009
ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has signaled its intent to modify some of its earlier conclusions about health risks to residents of the Island of Vieques. The decision was shared during a meeting with scientists from Puerto Rico and followed a thorough review of ATSDR public health assessments finalized in 2003 and other environmental studies of the island conducted in the intervening years. ATSDR's re-examination of the data comes as part of a "fresh look" the federal public health agency pledged to island residents and Congress.
Release Date: Friday, November 13, 2009
ATLANTA-La Agencia para Sustancias Tóxicas y el Registro de Enfermedades (ATSDR por sus siglas en inglés) ha señalado su intento de modificar algunas de sus primeras conclusiones sobre los riesgos de salud de los residentes de la Isla Vieques. La decisión fue compartida durante una reunión con científicos de Puerto Rico después de una revisión comprensiva de las evaluaciones de salud pública que la ATSDR finalizó en el 2003 y otros estudios ambientales de la isla elaborados en los años siguientes. La reexaminación de los datos forma parte de la “mirada fresca” que la agencia de salud pública prometió a los residentes de la isla y al Congreso.
Release Date: Monday, August 04, 2008
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is seeking community input for its evaluation of public health impacts at the San German Ground Water Contamination site in Puerto Rico. The site, located in the Municipality of San German, consists of an area of subsurface groundwater contaminated with the solvents tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-1,2 dichloroethylene (DCE). The source and extent of the contamination have not yet been identified. The contaminants are commonly associated with activities such as degreasing, industrial cleaning and dry cleaning.
Release Date: Monday, July 28, 2008
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is seeking public comments on the health assessment of the Maunabo Urbano Public Wells site located in Maunabo, Puerto Rico. The health assessment found that the Maunabo Urbano Public Wells pose no apparent health hazard to people who are served by the public water system.
Release Date: Monday, September 15, 2003
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today released a final public health assessment (PHA) that investigated the air pathway for possible contaminants from the U.S. Navy's bombing range site on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. The PHA finds that exposure to air contaminants potentially released from Navy property on Vieques poses no apparent health hazard.
Release Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2002
ATSDR's initial public health assessment on possible air contamination resulting from the Navy's past activities at the Vieques, Puerto Rico, bombing range concludes that no apparent public health hazard exists for people who might have been exposed to contaminants in the air. The deadline for written public comments is Feb 24, 2003.
Release Date: Wednesday, November 27, 2002
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is releasing today for public comment a focused public health assessment (PHA) on fish and shellfish in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Release Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2001
The Ponce School of Medicine and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, today jointly are releasing the Summary Report for the Vieques Heart Study Expert Panel Review.