Following are examples of public health assess-
ments conducted in fiscal year 2002.
Vasquez Boulevard and
I-70, Colorado
The Vasquez Boulevard and I-70 (VBI70) site
area spans approximately 450 acres in northeast
Denver, Colorado. It includes smaller areas that
EPA has designated as part of the National
Priority List (NPL). Located primarily southeast
of the interchange of Interstate 25 and Interstate
70, the study area has an irregular shape.
It includes all or part of the following five
Denver neighborhoods: Clayton, Cole, Elyria,
Southwest Globeville, and Swansea. The area
is a mix of residential (approximately 17,500
people living in 5,126 housing units), commer-
Children in a VBI70 Neighborhood
cial, and industrial areas. EPA has taken soil
samples from approximately 3,000 or 75% of
the residential properties in the VBI70 study
printed in English and Spanish, and Spanish-
area and tested them for several metals, particu-
speaking personnel were available to help field
larly arsenic and lead.
questions.
In March 2002, public meetings in English
with Spanish translators were held to present
Department of Public Health and Environment
the public health assessment's conclusions.
(CDPHE) was awarded 0,000 to conduct a
ATSDR's public health assessment describes
survey to assess soil-pica behavior among pre-
school children and to identify household
soil. It noted that about 650 properties sampled
cases of acute and chronic arsenic or lead
poisoning. In June 2002 the study assessing
health hazard for preschool children who have
soil-pica behavior--i.e., eat large amounts of
with ATSDR, CDPHE, and the University of
soil. ATSDR estimates that about 300 preschool
Colorado. Covering all five neighborhoods, the
children live at these properties with high arse-
study included urine and blood samples for chil-
dren 6 months to 6 years of age.
for people who lived as children at a property
ATSDR has provided comments to EPA on
to live there as adults. These residents could
that agency's proposed plan for the VBI70
have a higher chance of getting certain kinds of
site, including comments on EPA's proposed
cancer. EPA has identified about 260 such prop-
clean-up levels. ATSDR is also conducting an
erties with long-time residents. The meetings
intervention project in the community. The proj-
were followed up with poster sessions and fact
ect involves conducting health care provider
sheet handouts. Each poster and fact sheet was
education and community education.
chapter 1 19
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