residents of metropolitan San Juan. The con-
In addition to assisting federal and other agen-
taminant passed through a treatment plant and
cies with response to spills, releases, and other
into the homes of residents. The treatment plant
acute events involving hazardous substances,
was shut down for decontamination, a 7-day
ATSDR emergency response personnel rou-
process, and Commonwealth officials provided
tinely participate in regional and local training
residents with alternative water supplies. The
in which response to such spills is simulated. In
concentration of the contaminant was below
fiscal year 2000, ATSDR participated in 26 local
levels of health concern in all of the analytical
drills, usually providing compound-specific
results reviewed; however, the concentration
information on toxicity, human health effects,
was sufficient for the average person to detect
fate and transport, and worker health and safety.
an objectionable odor. The possibility of addi-
One such exercise ATSDR participated in was a
Congressionally mandated, full-field exercise
and further analysis was being conducted by
called "Top Official" or TOPOFF. TOPOFF
multiple agencies, including the Puerto Rico
consisted of two simulations of terrorist attacks
Department of Health, the U.S. EPA Caribbean
that were timed to occur simultaneously--one
Field Office, and the Puerto Rico Department of
Environmental Quality.
the other involving a chemical agent in a smaller
EPA Region 2 requested that ATSDR provide
city. In addition, a third full-field exercise
on-site assistance in coordinating the environ-
mental and public health aspect of the contami-
Washington, D.C. The objective of the exercises
nation of the city's water supply. ATSDR
was to test the Federal Response Plan response
reviewed environmental data and evaluated the
to such incidents and to evaluate failures of the
systems. ATSDR dispatched emergency re-
ATSDR also met with Commonwealth and EPA
officials to coordinate activities and facilitated
chemical incidents and also provided informa-
arrangements through EPA and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention's National
Center for Environmental Health for rapid
turnaround in the analysis of water samples.
28 chapter 1
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