Activities in
Delaware
ATSDR in Partnership With
for past, current, or
ATSDR has conducted
future impact on pub-
Delaware
25 public health
lic health. ATSDR,
assessments and
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
in collaboration with
11 health consultations
Registry (ATSDR) is the lead public health agency
public health and en-
in Delaware.
responsible for implementing the health-related provi-
vironmental officials
sions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
from Delaware, has
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).
conducted 25 public
ATSDR is an Atlanta-based federal agency with more
health assessments in the state, including the follow-
than 400 employees and a budget for 2004 of approxi-
ing recent examples.
mately million. ATSDR assesses the presence and
Dover Air Force Base--Dover Air Force Base
nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites,
(DAFB) is an active U.S. Air Force (USAF)
helps to prevent or reduce further exposure and ill-
base near Dover. In addition to the main base,
nesses resulting from those hazards, and expands the
DAFB includes two annexes: the Eagle Meadows
knowledge base about the health effects of exposure to
Housing Annex 1 mile southeast of the base in
hazardous substances.
Lebanon and the Port Mahon Petroleum, Oil,
ATSDR works closely with state agencies to carry
and Lubricant Annex near Little Creek. ATSDR
out its mission to serve the public by using the best
prepared a public health assessment to evaluate
science, taking responsive public health actions, and
potential health hazards from past, current, and
providing trusted health information to prevent harm-
ful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.
the base.
ATSDR provides funding and technical assistance to
Over the years, materials used in industrial or
general base support operations spilled or were
ments and grants to identify and evaluate environ-
mental health threats to communities. These resources
during accidents and from waste management
enable state and local health departments and other
practices. These materials came primarily from
grantees to further investigate environmental health
aircraft and vehicle maintenance and repair
concerns and to educate communities. In addition to
activities; they included waste fuel, oils, solvents,
direct funds and services, ATSDR provides technical
pesticides, plating wastes, and paint. The primary
and administrative guidance for state-conducted site
contaminants of concern are volatile organic
activities.
compounds (VOCs) and fuel-related compounds
ATSDR Site-Specific Activities
Natural Resources and Environmental Control
(DNREC), the U.S. Environmental Protection
Public Health Assessment-Related Activities
Agency (EPA), and the USAF have been
One of ATSDR's important mandates is to conduct
investigating and remediating known sources of
List (NPL) sites and of other sites where a significant
threat to public health might exist. A public health
ATSDR identified five exposure situations for
assessment is a written, comprehensive evaluation
of available data and information about the release
base drinking supply wells, possible vapors in
of hazardous substances into the environment in a
DAFB homes above an on-base VOC plume, and
specific geographic area. Such releases are assessed
current use of a former landfill) are associated
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