ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Releases for Public Review and Comment the Kelly AFB
Public Health Consultation About Past Air Emissions

Public Comment Deadline is Nov. 30, 2004

For Immediate Release: October 22, 2004

ATLANTA - The public comment period for the just released Kelly Air Force Base (AFB) public health consultation about off-base air emissions runs through Nov. 30, 2004. The report was issued by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal public health agency.

The health consultation is the eighth ATSDR investigation into possible exposure and health effects from environmental contamination related to the former Air Force base. The health consultation has four conclusions:
— Air dispersion modeling indicates that aircraft emissions of JP-4 jet fuel were unlikely to have resulted in off-base exposures to individual chemicals at levels that would cause harmful health effects.
— Insufficient data were available to determine the health hazard of exposure to hexavalent chromium air emissions. Off-base exposures to estimated individual contaminant levels of other chemicals emitted from stationary sources are unlikely to have caused adverse health effects.
— Off-base exposure to chemical mixtures from stationary and aircraft sources is an indeterminate health hazard because of the scientific uncertainty of potential interactions from exposure to chemical mixtures.
— Data were not available for ATSDR to evaluate potential exposure to emissions from incineration of cyanide wastes or to unburned, airborne aircraft fuel emissions (misting).

The public health consultation is available for review in San Antonio at

John F. Kennedy High School Library
1922 S. General McMullen

Pan American Library
1122 W. Pyron

Las Palmas Library
515 Castroville Road

Memorial Library
3222 Culebra

The public comment period extends through Nov. 30, 2004. Comments on the public health consultation must be made in writing. Mail comments to
Chief, Information Services Branch
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, N.E. (MS E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333

Comments received during the public comment period will be logged in to the ATSDR administrative record for this health consultation. Comments received, without the names of individuals who submitted them, and ATSDR responses to the comments will appear in an appendix to the final public health consultation. Names of those who submit comments, however, will be subject to release for requests made under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

For more information, community members can contact Environmental Health Scientist Susan Moore or Health Communication Specialist Maria Teran-MacIver, toll free, at 1-888-422-8737. Senior Regional Representative George Pettigrew also may be contacted at 214-665-8361. Callers should refer to the Kelly Air Force Base site in San Antonio, Texas.

ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.

Established by Congress in 1980 under the Superfund law, ATSDR conducts public health assessments at each of the sites on the EPA National Priorities List, as well as other sites when petitioned.

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Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling the ATSDR Office of Communication at 404-498-0070.