Responding to Spills and Other
Emergency Events
ATSDR emergency response staff members
provide health-related technical support to
federal, state, and local responders during
emergencies involving the uncontrolled release
of hazardous substances. As resources permit,
they also do time-critical consultations. ATSDR
emergency response coordinators have immedi-
ate access to various experts including chemists,
toxicologists, environmental scientists, and
medical professionals. Site-specific consultation
teams can be convened to provide support 24
Emergency response
hours a day, usually within 30 minutes.
families. The concentration of PCBs was
During fiscal year 2000, ATSDR emergency
determined in blood serum samples from 37
response staff members received a total of
children (16 years old or less) and 43 adults.
613 requests for assistance or consultation from
EPA regional offices, other federal agencies,
The exposure investigation concluded that 5 of
state and local agencies, and private citizens. Of
the 43 adults tested had elevated (higher than 20
these, 59 were acute events for which ATSDR
parts per billion) blood PCB levels. Blood PCB
provided information. ATSDR also made an on-
levels were not elevated in the 37 children
site response to one of these acute events.
tested. PCB concentrations in excess of 1 part
During these emergencies, ATSDR assisted first
per billion were detected in surface soil samples
responders in addressing the public health needs
from 4 homes and in house dust samples from 2
of more than 500,000 people who were poten-
tially affected by these accidental spills or
with soil or house dust PCB levels.
releases. In response to these requests, ATSDR
provided protocols for treatment of people who
The exposure investigation showed a strong
were exposed to hazardous substances, evalu-
correlation between blood PCB level and length
ated the health implications of spills, and
of residency. This, along with the absence of
provided action levels to protect workers and the
elevated blood PCB levels in younger residents
public. About one-third of the requests for
of the community, suggests that past exposures
assistance in acute events were made by EPA.
current exposures.
For example, ATSDR responded to an EPA
request in July 2000 for on-site assistance with
The findings of
this study are consistent with
a spill of an unidentified substance into the
studies conducted by the EPA that have docu-
Guaynabo River in San Juan, Puerto Rico. An
mented that elevated levels of PCBs remain in
unknown amount of a substance had been
off-site soils and sediments. Because the future
released into the river, which is the drinking
use of these areas cannot be predicted, ATSDR
water supply source for approximately 250,000
recommended that the areas be remediated to
prevent the potential for further exposure.
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