emissions, off-base exposure to past air emissions,
short-term or long-term exposure. The proposed
potential off-base exposures from East Kelly, two
would pose no apparent public health hazard.
outcomes in zip codes surrounding the base. The
All activities are being coordinated with TCEQ,
final health assessment and several final health
TDH, the El Paso City-County Health District,
consultations will be released after translation into
ATSDR, and local city and county officials. EPA
Spanish.
and ATSDR have ensured that all information is
ATSDR is also conducting environmental training
shared with the appropriate Mexican government
for health care providers, nurses who serve
counterparts.
Kelly AFB and the surrounding community, and
Health Education and Community Activities
community residents.
A health consultation is a written or oral response
agreement program since 1988. Under this program,
from ATSDR to a specific request for information
TDH has received funding and technical assistance for
about health risks related to a specific site, chemical
the development of community education and activi-
release, or hazardous material. It is a more limited
ties associated with human exposure to hazardous sub-
response than a public health assessment is. To date,
stances in the environment. The state has conducted
196 documented health consultations have been con-
grand rounds presentations and contacted physicians
ducted at 110 sites in Texas, including the following
by letter about specific health concerns related to haz-
recent example.
ardous waste sites in the state, conducted site-specific
community education, and developed and distributed
El Paso County Metals Survey--In May 2001,
fact sheets or resource guides.
the city of El Paso was concerned about heavy
Health Studies
stadium. EPA collected soil samples near the
Health studies are investigations conducted to deter-
stadium and at El Paso area elementary schools,
mine the relationships between exposures to hazard-
area parks, and the University of Texas at El Paso
ous substances and adverse health effects. They also
campus. These samples showed some elevations
define health problems that require further investiga-
tion through, for example, health surveillance or an
agreement with ATSDR, TDH conducted
epidemiologic study. Following are examples of health
health consultations on each of these areas and
studies and investigations that ATSDR conducted or
determined that although some of the levels were
supported in the state of Texas.
above screening levels, no adverse effects would
Determining the Prevalence of Multiple
be expected.
Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
In response to recommendations made in
in Communities Living Around Hazardous
previous health consultations, EPA contracted
with the College of Veterinary Medicine at the
agreement to TDH to build on the methods
University of Missouri Columbia to assess the
and expertise they have developed in the pilot
relative bioavailability of arsenic in soil from the
project by continuing multiple sclerosis (MS)
El Paso remediation area. Using data from this
surveillance in the 19-county Lubbock study area,
study, scientists from the Texas Commission
expanding MS surveillance to El Paso County,
on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and EPA
including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
proposed a residential soil clean-up level of
as a surveillance condition and conducting ALS
46 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). EPA asked
surveillance in the 19-county Lubbock study area,
TDH and ATSDR for an independent assessment to
El Paso County, and Bexar County. TDH has
evaluate whether the proposed soil clean-up level
targeted El Paso County because MS has been the
for arsenic would be protective of public health.
focus of intense public scrutiny since a resident
A health consultation released in July 2003
reported a cluster of this disease among individuals
concluded that the proposed clean-up level of
who attended the same elementary school and
TDH conducted a cluster investigation finding
to cause adverse health effects as a result of
a two fold increase in the disease. However, the
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