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ATSDR RELEASES PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

FOR DAVIS PARK ROAD TCE SITE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

What: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) today announced the release of the public comment version of its public health assessment for the Davis Park Road TCE (trichloroethene) site in Gastonia, North Carolina.

ATSDR reviewed available data for the site and concluded that the Davis Park Road TCE site poses no public health concerns at this time. Residents are no longer drinking contaminated water, and levels of contaminants in the soil are too low to cause illness.

ATSDR has however recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continue monitoring the groundwater at the site to confirm that contamination levels are decreasing.

When: Copies of the health assessment will be available for public review and comment on or about February 13, 2002. The closing date for the public comment period for this document is March 25, 2002.

Where:Copies of the public health assessment will be available for review at the following repository:

Gaston County Public Library
1555 E. Garrison Boulevard
Gastonia, NC 28054
Contact: Carol McDonald at (704) 868-2164

How: Members of the public are encouraged to send their written comments concerning the draft public health assessment to:

Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and
Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-56
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

Background: ATSDR is a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment. Under Superfund legislation, ATSDR is tasked with conducting a public health assessment on each site proposed for EPA's National Priorities List (NPL).

The Davis Park Road TCE site was added to the NPL in January 1999, after groundwater at the site was found to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds which included Trichloroethene (TCE) and Tetrachloroethene (PCE). The site is located in the southwestern part of Gastonia. Residents were provided with filters for their private wells or connected to the municipal water system after private wells in the area were found to be contaminated.

In preparing public health assessments, ATSDR health assessors rely on various sources of information. These sources may include: environmental data, health data and reports of community concerns. Environmental data detail the chemicals at a site and indicate their potential pathways to reach humans. Health data can include reports of injury, disease, or death in the community, as well as information on the known health effects of chemicals at the site. Reports of community concerns document the public's descriptions of how the site affects their health and quality of life.

Comments received during the public comment period will be logged and become part of the administrative record for the health assessment. Comments (without indication of who made them) and responses will be included in an appendix to the final document. Although names of those who have submitted comments will not be included in the final health assessment, they will be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act.

For More Information: Community members who would like more information on the procedures or content of the document, should contact Jill Dyken, ATSDR environmental health scientist, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Davis Park Road site in Gastonia, North Carolina." ATSDR Regional Representative Bob Safay also may be called for information at (404) 562-1782 in Atlanta.

Additional information about the human health effects of Trichloroethene (TCE) and Tetrachloroethene (PCE) are available in the ToxFAQs section on the ATSDR web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov.

Members of the news media are requested to make an appointment to interview ATSDR staff. Phone Mike Groutt or John Florence, in the ATSDR Office of Policy and External Affairs, at (404) 498-0070.

Copies of ATSDR documents are available from the ATSDR Information Center.
Call toll-free 1 (888) 42-ATSDR or e-mail ATSDRIC@cdc.gov.

See the ATSDR News Archive for previous news items.

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This page last updated on February 13, 2002

Contact Name: Joanne D. Cox/jdc@cdc.gov