Activities in
Kansas
ATSDR in Partnership With
A public health
From fiscal years 1990
assessment
Kansas
through 2003, ATSDR
is a written,
awarded more than
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
comprehensive
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.1 million in direct
Registry (ATSDR) is the lead public health agency
evaluation of available
funds and services to
responsible for implementing the health-related
data and information
Kansas.
provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental
about the release of
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
hazardous substances
(CERCLA). ATSDR is an Atlanta-based federal
into the environment
agency with more than 400 employees and a budget
in a specific geographic area. Such releases are
for 2004 of approximately million. ATSDR
assessed for current or future impact on public health.
assesses the presence and nature of health hazards at
ATSDR, in collaboration with public health and
specific Superfund sites, helps to prevent or reduce
environmental officials from Kansas, has conducted
further exposure and illnesses resulting from those
20 public health assessments in the state, including the
hazards, and expands the knowledge base about the
following recent examples.
health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.
ATSDR works closely with state agencies to carry
out its mission to serve the public by using the best
contractor-operated installation that operated
science, taking responsive public health actions, and
from 1942 to 1992 near DeSoto. The plant's
providing trusted health information to prevent harm-
primary mission was to manufacture smokeless
ful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.
gunpowder and munition propellants for World
ATSDR provides funding and technical assistance to
War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam
Conflict. Munitions testing also was conducted at
ments and grants to identify and evaluate environ-
the site. Since 1992, maintenance, environmental
mental health threats to communities. These resources
stabilization, and remediation have been the major
enable state and local health departments and other
grantees to further investigate environmental health
concerns and to educate communities. From fiscal
years 1990 through 2003, ATSDR awarded more
In March 2002, ATSDR released a final public
than
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.1 million in direct funds and services to
health assessment on the site. This public health
Kansas for financial support of specific environmental
assessment concluded that recreational exposure to
health activities. In addition to direct funds and ser-
the surface water and sediment in several nearby
vices, ATSDR staff provides technical and administra-
creeks are not expected to cause adverse health
tive guidance for state-conducted site activities.
effects in children who may play in the creeks.
The soil in many areas of the site is contaminated;
ATSDR Site-Specific Activities
however, access to the site is restricted. Infrequent
Public Health Assessment-Related Activities
exposure to soil is not expected to cause adverse
One of ATSDR's important mandates is to conduct
health effects. At this time, the future use of the
site is uncertain. The public health assessment
List (NPL) sites and of other sites where a significant
concluded that continued soil sampling and
threat to public health might exist. Eighteen sites have
appropriate remediation would be needed before
been designated to the NPL in Kansas.
the general public has access to the soil at the site.
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