PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

POTTER COMPANY
WESSON, COPIAH COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI


CONCLUSIONS

ATSDR considers the proposed Potter Company NPL site to not to be a public health hazard currently. This is due to the lack of any ongoing exposures to any site-related contaminants.

However, the residents of Wesson and students and staff at Copiah-Lincoln Community College were exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) at levels of health concern for up to 15 years. The possible health consequences of this exposure should be evaluated by first better identifying the length and level of exposure through groundwater flow modelling. Depending on the results of this modelling, a cancer mortality data review for Wesson, and an epidemiologic study of Wesson residents should be considered.

One data gap was identified. This was the lack of analyses for PCBs in water.

If the site is not remediated appropriately, there is a potential for the Wesson Municipal wells 3 and 4 and Lincoln Rural wells 1 and 2 to be contaminated by TCE and other site-related chemicals.

RECOMMENDATIONS

ATSDR recommends the following:

    1) that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency require Potter Company to analyze for PCBs in the monitoring wells where contamination is the highest; and

    2) that the length of exposure to TCE in drinking water by Wesson residents be determined by groundwater flow modelling;

ATSDR's Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP) has evaluated the data and information developed in the Potter Company Public Health Assessment and has determined that the residents of Wesson and health care professionals should receive additional information on the toxicity of TCE. The specific type and targets of this education will be identified through consultation between ATSDR's Divisions of Health Assessment and Consultation and Health Education.

If more information becomes available on the length and level of exposure to TCE in Wesson drinking water through groundwater flow modelling, ATSDR Division of Health Studies should review to determine the need for health studies follow-up.

Public Health Action Plan

ATSDR will conduct groundwater flow modelling of the Wesson area to determine the length of exposure to TCE.

Public Comments

The Potter Company Public Health Assessment was available for public review and comment from August 31, 1994 through September 29, 1994. The Public Comment Period was announced in the Brookhaven Daily Leader. Copies of the public health assessment were made available for review at the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Library, and the Wesson Town Hall. In addition, the public health assessment was sent to seven persons or organizations. Comments were received from First Environment, the environmental consultant to Potter Company .

Comments and responses are described in Appendix 4.


PREPARERS OF REPORT

John R. Crellin, Ph.D.
Environmental Health Scientist
Superfund Site Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation

Sven E. Rodenbeck, P.E.
Environmental Engineer Consultant
Superfund Site Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation

ATSDR Regional Representative

Robert E. Safay
Senior Regional Representative
ATSDR Region IV


REFERENCES

  1. First Environment, Inc. Interim final soil investigation report, Potter Company, Wesson, Mississippi. Lenoir City, Tennessee: First Environment, Inc.; April 1988.


  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). HRS Documentation Record, Potter Company (Region IV). Washington, D.C.: EPA, December 1992.


  3. First Environment, Inc. Remediation for the Michael Byrd property. Tampa, Florida: First Environment, Inc.; November 1988.


  4. First Environment, Inc. Remedial Action Plan, Potter Company, Wesson, Mississippi. Lenoir City, Tennessee: First Environment, Inc.; September 1988.


  5. Mississippi Department of Health. Data sheets concerning contamination at Wesson. 1987-1993.


  6. First Environment, Inc. Plume delineation report, phases III, IV, and V, hydrogeologic investigation, Wesson, Mississippi. Riverdale, New Jersey; First Environment, Inc.; July 1990.


  7. First Environment, Inc. Remedial action plan, Potter Company, Wesson, Mississippi. Lenoir City, Tennessee: First Environment, Inc.; September 1988.


  8. First Environment, Inc. Supplemental data report for soil investigation, Potter Company, Wesson, Mississippi. Riverdale, New Jersey: First Environment, Inc.; May 1992.


  9. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Toxicological profile for selected PCBs (Aroclor-1260, -1254, -1248, -1242, -1232, -1221, and -1016). Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1992.


  10. First Environment, Inc. Letter to Sven E. Rodenbeck from Eric P. Brownson concerning groundwater analyses for PCBs at the Potter Company facility. January 27, 1994.


  11. ATSDR. Toxicological profile for trichloroethylene. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1992.


  12. ATSDR. Toxicological profile for 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1993.


  13. Mississippi Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Pollution Control. Potter Company-Wesson, Mississippi, preliminary assessment. December 29, 1987.


  14. EPA. Chemical Releases and Chemical Risks. A Citizen's Guide to Risk Screening. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 1989.


  15. EPA. Toxic Chemical Release Inventory. Washington, D.C.: National Library of Medicine, 1987-91.


  16. ATSDR. Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, March 1992.


  17. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Integrated Risk Information System (computer database). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1991.


  18. Burg JR, Gist GL, Allred SL, Radtke TM, Pallos LL, Cusack CD. National Exposure Registry Trichloroethylene (TCE) Subregistry. Baseline Technical Report. Atlanta, Georgia: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). May 1993.


  19. Feldman RG, Chirico-Post J, Proctor SP. Blink reflex latency after exposure to trichlorethylene in well water. Arch Environ Health 43(2): 143-148. 1988.


  20. Kilburn KH, Warshaw RH. Effects on neurobehavioral performance of chronic exposure to chemically contaminated well water. Tox Ind Health 9(3): 391-404. 1993.


  21. Byers VS, Levin AS, Ozonoff DM, Baldwin RW. Association between clinical symptoms and lymphocyte abnormalities in a population with chronic domestic exposure to industrial-solvent contaminated domestic water supply and a high incidence of leukemia. Cancer Immunol Immunother 27(1): 77-81. 1988.


  22. Kilburn KH, Warshaw RH. Prevalence of symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and of fluorescent antinuclear antibodies associated with chronic exposure to trichloroethylene and of the chemicals in well water. Environ Res 57: 1-9. 1992.


  23. Goldberg SJ, Lebowitz MD, Graver EJ, Hicks S. An association of human congenital cardiac malformations and drinking water contaminants. JACC 16(1): 155-164.


  24. Ruijten MWMM, Verberk MM, Sallé HJA. Nerve function in workers with long term exposure to trichloroethylene. Br J Ind Med 48: 87-92. 1991.


  25. ATSDR. Draft toxicological profile for dichloroethene. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1992.


  26. Lilienfeld AM, Lilienfeld DE. Foundations of Epidemiology. Second Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 1980.


  27. Hill RN. Current EPA perspectives on animal selection and extrapolation. in (Roloff MV et al, eds) Human Risk Assessment. The Role of Animal Selection and Extrapolation. London: Taylor and Francis. 1987.


  28. Stallones RA. Epidemiology and Environmental Hazards. in (Gordis L and Libauer CH, eds) Epidemiology and Human Risk Assessment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1988.


  29. Paustenbach DJ. A survey of health risk assessment. in (Paustenbach DJ, ed) The Risk Assessment of Environmental Hazards. A Textbook of Case Studies. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 1989.

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