contaminated vermiculite ore at sites in Colorado
monitoring data that could be used to assess
whether residents in the Victor area were being
that received and/or processed ore from the W.R.
exposed to
hydrogen cyanide at
levels of
public
Grace mine in Libby, Montana.
health concern. ATSDR did not detect hydrogen
Soil-Pica, Soil-Ingestion and Health Outcome
cyanide at concentrations of health concern in
Investigation--In 2001, ATSDR awarded a
ambient air samples collected from on-site and off-
cooperative agreement to CDPHE to conduct a
site residential locations.
site-specific activity health outcome investigation
Health Education and Community Activities
for the VBI70 site in the Denver metropolitan
area. The purpose of this program is to determine
Colorado has been a participant in ATSDR's coop-
whether soil pica and soil ingestion are potential
erative agreement program since 1989. Under this
sources of
arsenic and lead exposure in
preschool
program, CDPHE has received funding and technical
children in a community with elevated arsenic
assistance for the development of community educa-
and lead levels in soil samples from residential
tion and activities associated with hazardous substanc-
yards, and to
identify cases of
acute arsenic or
lead
es in the environment.
poisoning in households with a high contaminant
level.
ATSDR, the National Association of County and
Hazardous Substances Emergency Events
City Health Officials has provided support to 50 local
Surveillance System (HSEES)--HSEES was
health departments, two of which are in Colorado,
established by ATSDR in 1990 to collect and
to build local Superfund capacity. Building on an
analyze information about releases of hazardous
educational needs assessment, the Boulder County
substances that need to be cleaned up or
Public Health Department (Captain Jack Mill site
neutralized according to federal, state, or local law,
in Ward) and the El Paso County Department of
as well as threatened releases that result in a public
Health and Environment (Schlage Lock site in Se-
health action, such as an evacuation. The goal of
curity) received capacity-building training focused on
HSEES is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of
integrating environmental protection, community in-
first responders, employees, and the general public
volvement, environmental health education activities,
resulting from hazardous substances emergencies.
and other public health practices to promote improved
Fifteen state health departments, including
community health.
Colorado, currently participate in HSEES. HSEES
Under a national cooperative agreement, ATSDR
captures data on over 5,000 events annually. Of
and the National Environmental Health Association
these, 80% occur at fixed facilities, and 20% are
(NEHA) are working together to provide training to
transportation-related events. Most events occur
environmental health professionals, first responders,
between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Monday through
and emergency medical personnel on how to respond
Friday. Persons most often injured are employees.
to the threats posed by terrorism. NEHA, with over
The HSEES system is used to generate information
5,000 members, is headquartered in Denver.
for use by states to conduct presentations on
Health Studies
planning prevention strategies for industries that
Health studies are investigations conducted to deter-
account for a significant number of spills; conduct
mine the relationships between exposures to hazard-
HazMat training courses, including information
ous substances and adverse health effects. They also
on the risk for injury from methamphetamine
define health problems that require further investiga-
labs; establish and maintain protection areas for
tion through, for example, health surveillance or an
municipal water systems; assist with the proper
epidemiologic study. Following are examples of health
placement of HazMat teams; develop fact sheets
studies and investigations that ATSDR conducted or
on frequently spilled chemicals or chemicals that
supported in the state of Colorado.
cause a disproportionate number of injuries (e.g.,
chlorine and ammonia); develop newsletters for
Exposure to Tremolite Asbestos in Vermiculite
industry, responders, and environmental groups;
and conduct presentations for state and local
agreement with CDPHE to conduct health
emergency planners.
statistics reviews related to human exposure to