Activities in
Louisiana
ATSDR in Partnership With
available data and infor-
ATSDR awarded more
mation about the release
Louisiana
than
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.2 million
of hazardous substances
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
in the last 2 years
into the environment in
Registry (ATSDR) is the lead public health agency
in direct funds and
a specific geographic
responsible for implementing the health-related provi-
services to Louisiana.
area. Such releases are
sions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
assessed for past, cur-
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).
rent, or future impact
ATSDR is an Atlanta-based federal agency with more
on public health. ATSDR, in collaboration with public
than 400 employees and a budget for 2004 of approxi-
health and environmental officials from Louisiana,
mately million. ATSDR assesses the presence and
has conducted 33 public health assessments in the
nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites,
state, including the following recent example.
helps to prevent or reduce further exposure and ill-
nesses resulting from those hazards, and expands the
2003, ATSDR released a public health assessment
knowledge base about the health effects of exposure to
hazardous substances.
ATSDR works closely with state agencies to carry
to cause harm to people working at or living near
out its mission to serve the public by using the best
the facility. The plant in Doyline is a government-
science, taking responsive public health actions, and
owned, contractor-operated facility activated
providing trusted health information to prevent harm-
in the early 1940s for loading, assembling, and
ful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.
packing military munitions for the U.S. Army in
support of national wartime efforts. All production
provides funding and technical assistance to states and
and loading of ammunition operations ended in
other partners to identify and evaluate environmental
October 1994. Valentec Systems, Inc., oversees
health threats to communities. These resources enable
and operates the facility under modified caretaker/
state and local health departments and other grantees
partial standby status, and several tenants occupy
to further investigate environmental health concerns
portions of the site.
and to educate communities. In fiscal years 1988
2004, ATSDR awarded more than .9 million--
compounds (VOCs) and explosive compounds
more than
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.2 million in the last 2 years--in direct
associated with munition production. The U.S.
funds and services to Louisiana for comprehensive
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the
support of its environmental health unit. In addition to
site to the NPL in March 1989, primarily because
direct funds and services, ATSDR provides technical
and administrative guidance for state-conducted site
from water lagoons.
activities.
ATSDR Site-Specific Activities
and key potential exposure situations, ATSDR
determined that potential exposures associated
Public Health Assessment-Related Activities
One of ATSDR's important mandates is to conduct
sediment, and biota at the site do not pose past,
current, or future public health hazards.
List (NPL) sites and of other sites where a significant
A health consultation is a written or oral response
threat to public health might exist. A public health
from ATSDR to a specific request for information
assessment is a written, comprehensive evaluation of
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