public health assessments were conducted, and
under existing conditions and under normal
waste storage sites accounted for 16%. Ten per-
plant operations. Past exposure was determined
cent were mining industry sites. (See Table 1.)
to be a public hazard for children in four
residences who were routinely drinking water
from their residential wells. There is no current
Table 1.
Types of Sites Assessed in Fiscal
Year 2001
have been provided with alternative water sup-
plies since 1988. The assessment also found that
Type of Site
Number of Sites
Percentage
although past chronic exposure to airborne ura-
Manufacturing
50
36
of public health concern, past acute exposures
Government
22
16
were indeterminate because total release quan-
Waste Storage
tities and completed exposure pathways were
or Treatment
22
16
Mining
14
10
ride was also found to be an inderminate public
School
1
1
health hazard.
Natural Area
15
11
The public health assessment also noted some
Waste Recycling
12
9
potential future health hazards. It warned that
Residential
1
1
the rupture of depleted uranium cylinders,
Total
137
100
which could occur while the cylinders were
being transported, could create an urgent public
health hazard for anyone near the accident.
Following is an example of a site where a public
health assessment was conducted in fiscal year
ATSDR also conducted a health consultation
2001.
that specifically addressed nickel smelting
because nickel is more toxic and was smelted
in larger quantities than the other metals. The
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant,
consultation found that potential off-site expo-
Kentucky
sures to airborne nickel concentrations were not
The Department of Energy's Paducah Gaseous
a public health hazard.
Diffusion Plant was added to EPA's NPL in
1994 because elevated concentrations of trichlo-
Health Consultations
roethylene (TCE) and technetium 99 (Tc-99)
Health consultations provide advice and recom-
were found in off-site groundwater. ATSDR's
mendations on specific, health-related questions
investigations also found other chemical and
concerning actual or potential human exposure
to hazardous substances or to other related
air, surface soils, sediments, and surface water.
human health hazards. A health consultation is
Metal smelting operations in which nickel and
often needed quickly to evaluate situations and
aluminum were smelted in large quantities also
recommend immediate actions to mitigate or
occurred at the plant between 1952 and 1986.
prevent harm to human health from exposure to
ATSDR's draft public health assessment, which
hazardous substances in the environment.
was issued in fiscal year 2001, concluded that
the off-site community was not exposed to con-
taminants at levels of public health concern
chapter 1 19
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