3. Past exposure to TCE and lead was a public
water supply and concluded that health effects
health hazard for children routinely drinking
were unlikely to be due to the coal slurry.
water from four residential wells.
A draft health consultation released for public
4. Future exposure to the contaminated
comment in April 2003 evaluated available site
data and addressed
will pose a
community health
public health
concerns related
hazard to
to the spill. These
adults and
concerns included
children if
skin rashes, nausea,
new wells are
and headaches
drilled into the
believed to be
contaminated
related to showering
in and drinking
plumes, or if
contaminated
old wells are
public water; safety
used by new
issues related to
land owners.
growing vegetables
in the floodplains
5. Past short-
of area streams;
term airborne
and continuing
Ingots of radioactively contaminated nickel stored at
releases of
blackwater events
the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Photo from the
uranium
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental
(when surface water
hexafluoride
Management.
looks black because
and the
of suspended particles in the water) during
resulting exposures are an indeterminate
floods. The environmental data evaluated for this
public health hazard because the total release
health consultation were slurry material, soil, and
quantities and completed exposure pathways
sediment samples. These samples were analyzed
are uncertain.
for metals, volatile organic compounds, and
semivolatile organic compounds, which includes
fluoride exposures were below levels of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and
public health concern.
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
A health consultation is a written or oral response
In this draft health consultation, ATSDR
from ATSDR to a specific request for information
concluded that although some exposure may
about health risks related to a specific site, chemical
have occurred or might be occurring as a result
release, or hazardous material. It is a more limited
of the coal slurry spill, exposures are not at levels
response than a public health assessment is. To date,
expected to have adverse health effects. ATSDR
30 documented health consultations have been con-
classified this site as no apparent public health
ducted at 18 sites in Kentucky. Following is a recent
hazard. ATSDR is planning to hold a public
example of a health consultation conducted in the
availability session in September before finalizing
state.
the document.
Martin County Coal Slurry Release--ATSDR
An exposure investigation collects information on
was asked by a citizens' group in Inez to evaluate
specific human exposures through biologic sampling,
environmental data and address community
personal monitoring, related environmental assess-
health concerns related to an October 2000 coal
ment, and exposure-dose reconstruction. Following
slurry spill from a mining operation in Inez
is an example of the only such an investigation con-
that flooded area streams. In 2000, ATSDR's
ducted in Kentucky.
Emergency Response team reviewed the
Municipal Sewage Treatment Facility,
available environmental data pertinent to the
Rubbertown--The purpose of an exposure
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