ATSDR - ATSDR Releases Public Health Assessment for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for Public Review and Comment

ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT
ATSDR Releases Public Health Assessment
for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
for Public Review and Comment

Public exposure to tritium during accidental releases at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1965 and 1970 were below health concern levels, according to the draft version of a just released federal public health assessment.

The health assessment was prepared by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The document is available for public review, and written comments will be accepted until August 7, 2002.

Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-56
Atlanta, Georgia 30333

ATSDR conducted the health assessment in response to community concerns about potential tritium exposure from the historic releases.

The health assessment, called Community Exposures to the 1965 and 1970 Accidental Tritium Releases at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, can be reviewed at:

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

Chief, Program Evaluation,Records, and Information Services Branch
ATTN: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US DOE)
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
1600 Clifton Road, NE (E56)
Atlanta, GA 30333

Community members seeking more information about the health assessment should contact Mark Evans, ATSDR Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737). Callers should refer to the "Lawrence Livermore site in Livermore, Calif." ATSDR Regional Representative Bill Nelson also may be called for information in San Francisco at (415) 744-2194.

Public health assessments from ATSDR report information about hazardous substances in the environment and evaluate whether exposure to those substances in the past, present or future could harm people in the area.

In preparing public health assessments, ATSDR health assessors rely on various sources of information, including environmental data, health data and reports of community concerns.

Members of the news media are requested to make an appointment to interview ATSDR staff. Please phone John Florence or Kathy Skipper in ATSDR's Office of Policy and External Affairs at (404) 498-0070.