ATSDR in Partnership With California
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is the lead
public health agency responsible for implementing the health-related provisions
of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (CERCLA). ATSDR is an Atlanta-based federal agency with more than 400
employees and a budget for 2004 of approximately $73 million. ATSDR assesses the
presence and nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites, helps to
prevent or reduce further exposure and illnesses resulting from those hazards,
and expands the knowledge base about the health effects of exposure to hazardous
substances.
ATSDR works closely with state agencies to carry out its mission to serve the
public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and
providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease
related to toxic substances. ATSDR provides funding and technical assistance to
states and other partners through cooperative agreements and grants to identify
and evaluate environmental health threats to communities. These resources enable
state and local health departments and other grantees to further investigate
environmental health concerns and to educate communities. In
fiscal
years 1988-2004, ATSDR awarded more than
$22.5 million—more
than
$1.9 million in the last 2 years—in direct funds and
services to
California for comprehensive support of its
environmental health unit. In addition to direct funds and services, ATSDR
provides technical and administrative guidance for state-conducted site
activities.
ATSDR Site-Specific Activities
Public Health Assessment-Related Activities
One of ATSDR's important mandates is to conduct
public health
assessments of all National Priorities List (NPL) sites and of other
sites where a significant threat to public health might exist. A public health
assessment is a written, comprehensive evaluation of available data and
information about the release of hazardous substances into the environment in a
specific geographic area. Such releases are assessed for past, current, or
future impact on public health. ATSDR, in collaboration with public health and
environmental officials from
California, has conducted
154 public health assessments in the state, including the following
recent examples.
Abex/Remco Hydraulics—The
Environmental Health Investigations Branch (EHIB)
of the California Department of Health Services (CDHS)
prepared a public health assessment to assess the public health implications
from exposure to historic (1964-1995) air releases of hexavalent chromium
from the Abex/Remco Hydraulics facility in Willits. CDHS
will also prepare a public health assessment to evaluate all potential
routes of exposure to site-related contaminants.
Because of ongoing community health concerns about the site, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked CDHS to evaluate the potential
health impact posed by the facility. The primary chemical of concern at the
site is hexavalent chromium, although lesser levels of chemicals such as
cadmium, nickel, zinc, and lead were also released.
In a health assessment released for public comment in July 2003, CDHS and
ATSDR concluded that releases of airborne hexavalent chromium posed a public
health hazard in the past (1964-1990). An indeterminate health hazard exists
for current and future exposure to hexavalent chromium and lead in dust that
may be generated during site or building remediation or demolition
activities.
CDHS and ATSDR recommended consideration of medical monitoring and clinical
evaluation for Willits residents and facility workers who may have been
exposed to air releases of hexavalent chromium from the site between 1964
and 1995. CDHS is consulting with in-house physicians to determine whether
medical tests are necessary and whether the tests would be beneficial for
the community.
At CDHS' request, additional off-site surface soil sampling for hexavalent
chromium was conducted in areas with the highest estimated air levels of
hexavalent chromium. Sampling was conducted to further address potential
effects on soil from aerial deposition.
Alark Hard Chrome—CDHS prepared a public
health assessment for the Alark Hard Chrome site in Riverside.
Alark was a metal-plating facility that operated from 1971 to late 1985.
Many chemicals were handled at the facility, including metals, acids,
cyanides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Site activities resulted in
contamination of the soil and groundwater. In 1985, the California
Environmental Protection Agency closed the facility for failure to
comply with violation notifications.
In a public health assessment released by ATSDR in September 2003, CDHS did
not identify any completed exposure pathways to site-related contaminants
(hexavalent chromium, total chromium, cadmium, lead, nickel, cyanide, and
sodium cyanide, and trichloroethylene). Therefore, provided remedial site
activities continue, CDHS concluded that no past, current, or future health
hazard exists from exposure to contaminated soil, surface water, or
groundwater at the site.
CDHS identified one potential exposure pathway for past air releases of
hexavalent chromium at the site. This pathway will be evaluated in a
separate health assessment using data derived from air modeling. CDHS
eliminated several pathways relating to drinking-water wells, contaminated
soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater because contamination in
these media are not accessible to the public or contaminant concentrations
are below levels of health concern.
Chrome Crankshaft and J&S Chrome Plating—EHIB
prepared a public health assessment released in December 2003 to address the
theoretical impact of historical airborne contaminants, hexavalent chromium
in particular, on students and teachers in the Bell Gardens
community near the Chrome Crankshaft and J&S Chrome Plating facilities. From
the late 1950s through the 1990s, both sites were electroplating facilities.
Site characterization and clean-up activities are under way at both sites.
Community members have raised health concerns about the facilities, as have
teachers and parents of students at the adjacent Suva Elementary and
Intermediate Schools in the Montebello Unified School
District.
In a public health assessment released in December 2003, CDHS concluded that
historic emissions of hexavalent chromium (1963-1990) from the site were not
at levels that would cause noncancer health effects. Theoretical increased
cancer risk estimations for 1963-1990 exceeded current standards; thus, the
site was classified as a past public health hazard. By 1991, emissions were
substantially reduced and did not pose a public health hazard; the site was
classified as posing no health hazard for 1991-1999.
CDHS estimated the theoretical increased cancer risk for six community
populations exposed to estimated concentrations of hexavalent chromium from
1963-1990 as a low increased cancer risk.
At the community's request, CDHS estimated whether increased cancer risks
existed for children who attended Suva Schools and lived in the Bell Gardens
community from 1963 to 1990. Facility emissions during this period resulted
in an unacceptable cancer risk for teachers and children at Suva Schools and
for residents of Bell Gardens. ATSDR classified the facility as a public
health hazard during those years.
CDHS and ATSDR reviewed cancer rates for communities living near the sites.
Results and conclusions of the review are summarized in the health
consultation section of this fact sheet.
With ATSDR funding, CDHS conducted a health study to assess possible
chromium exposures and their potential relation to respiratory health
effects in children.
A
health consultation is a written or oral response from ATSDR
to a specific request for information about health risks related to a specific
site, chemical release, or hazardous material. A health consultation is a more
limited response than a public health assessment.
One hundred
seventy-one health consultations have been conducted at
101
sites in
California, including the following recent examples.
Chrome Crankshaft and J&S Chrome Plating—EHIB
prepared a health consultation that reviewed cancer rates for community
members living near the Chrome Crankshaft and J&S Chrome Plating facilities
in Bell Gardens.
The health consultation released in January 2003 addressed the question of
whether more cases of cancer were found near the facilities than would be
typically expected. No excess cancer rates were found that could be
attributed to the facilities. Because the ambient air levels in the
community near the facilities were much lower than those levels found to
cause lung cancer in workers, it is unlikely that cancers among residents
were caused by exposure to these facilities. In addition, the geographic
pattern of excess cancer is not associated with the location of the two
facilities.
The facilities are not in operation and currently pose no apparent public
health hazard.
Pacific Gas and Electric—In August 2001, EHIB
was asked by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board
to review and provide a public health interpretation of sampling results for
25 private domestic wells in Hinkley. These wells are
located around the area of groundwater contaminated with chromium by the
Pacific Gas and Electric gas-compressor station.
In a health consultation released in April 2003, EHIB concluded that levels
of total and hexavalent chromium in the 25 wells did not exceed the drinking
water standard for total chromium; however, one well had levels of nitrate,
lead, and mercury that were above the drinking water standards. Consumption
of water from this well may pose a health hazard, particularly to children
(from lead contamination) and pregnant women and formula-fed infants under 6
months of age (from nitrate contamination).
EHIB informed Spanish-speaking residents of the test results and the health
implications of chromium in well water. EHIB informed the residents that
their water was not tested for coliform, one of the more common water
contaminants. EHIB arranged a follow-up visit by the San Bernardino
County public health nurse and a Spanish translator.
EHIB also reviewed test results from the 25 wells and compared the levels of
contaminants to drinking water standards. The levels of total chromium did
not exceed the drinking water standard and do not pose a health risk.
However, three wells on adjacent properties had levels of nitrate, lead, and
thallium that exceeded drinking water standards.
One resident owned three wells that had elevated levels of nitrate, lead,
and thallium. EHIB explained the health implications of the elevated levels
of the chemicals in the wells to the two residents and one property owner
whose homes were served by the three wells. EHIB also responded to follow-up
inquiries from the property owner.
National Asbestos Exposure Review Site—The W.R. Grace and
Company Plant in Santa Ana is part of ATSDR's National
Asbestos Exposure Review (NAER) being conducted with other federal, state,
and local environmental and public health agencies. NAER is an examination
of more than 200 U.S. sites that received asbestos-contaminated vermiculite
ore mined in Libby, Montana, from the early 1920s until 1990. ATSDR is
working closely with EPA and state health partners to determine whether a
hazard to public health exists at any of the sites.
From 1972 through 1993, the Santa Ana facility processed over 400,000 tons
of Libby vermiculite. Recent EPA environmental samples from the site showed
low levels of Libby asbestos in soils in several areas. However, much of the
site is paved. No vermiculite or vermiculite waste stockpiles are present at
the site.
A health consultation released in September 2003 concluded that people who
worked at the plant before 1994 were exposed to hazardous levels of
asbestos. People who lived with former workers probably were exposed to
hazardous levels from fibers carried home on workers' hair and clothing.
Levels of residual Libby asbestos inside the former processing areas pose no
apparent public health hazard to present or future workers. Outside, much of
the site is paved, so uncovered soil areas containing residual Libby
asbestos are limited and do not appear to pose a health hazard.
The health consultation concluded that not enough data were available to
determine whether people who lived near the plant in the past were exposed
to hazardous levels of Libby asbestos. Current community exposure to Libby
asbestos from plant emissions or from onsite asbestos-contaminated materials
poses no public health hazard. Not enough data were available to determine
whether individuals are being exposed to Libby asbestos from waste that may
have been used in the community. In other communities, waste vermiculite has
been used for a variety of purposes, such as fill, driveway surfacing, or
soil amendments.
Health Education and Community Activities
California has participated in ATSDR's cooperative agreement
program since 1989. Under this program,
CDHS has received
funding and technical assistance for development of community education and
activities associated with human exposure to hazardous substances in the
environment. Following are examples of these types of activities conducted in
the state.
Abex/Remco Hydraulics—CDHS
and ATSDR provided health education to the community at several community
meetings. Topics included an overview of the public health assessment
process and air modeling, an introduction to toxicology and chromium health
effects, and the health effects of VOCs. In March and April 2004, workshops
were conducted for clinicians in Willits and Ukiah
on site issues and health effects associated with hexavalent chromium and
other chemicals. CDHS and ATSDR will continue to provide health outreach and
education to the community and recommend that health education activities be
tailored to meet the community's needs.
Wyle Labs, Norco Facility—CDHS worked with
a community advisory group interested in the Wyle Labs site in Norco. CDHS
presented the group with information about the public health assessment
process.
Casmalia Disposal—CDHS and ATSDR met with community members
to discuss on-site work performed during the past year at the Casmalia
Disposal site in Casmalia. Updates about installation of air-monitoring
equipment were also provided.
Activities related to the Abex/Remco, Wyle Labs, and Casmalia sites included
developing and distributing flyers and fact sheets in English and Spanish.
Health Studies
Health studies are investigations to determine the relations between exposures
to hazardous substances and adverse health effects. They also define health
problems that require further investigation through, for example, health
surveillance or an epidemiologic study. Following are examples of health studies
or investigations that ATSDR conducted or supported in
California.
Exposure to Tremolite Asbestos in Vermiculite Ore—In
2001, ATSDR entered into a cooperative agreement with CDHS
to conduct health statistics reviews related to human exposure to
contaminated vermiculite ore at sites in California that
received or processed ore from the W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana.
Linking Chronic Disease and Environmental Data Sources—In
2002, ATSDR awarded a cooperative agreement to the University of
California-Los Angeles to conduct research on the potential impact
of environmental exposures on chronic disease outcomes. This program was
developed to address issues related to the Pew Environmental Health
Commission's recommendation to establish a Nationwide Health Tracking
Network.
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
Since 1998, ATSDR has provided funds to Association of Occupational and
Environmental Clinics (AOEC) to support a project establishing Pediatric
Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) as a national resource for
pediatricians, other health care providers, federal staff, and the public. The
PEHSUs develop materials and present training to health professionals and public
health officials on environmental health issues and their impact on children's
health.
The PEHSUs for
California,
Arizona,
Nevada,
and Hawaii are the
University of
California-San Francisco and the
University of
California-Irvine. The units were established in 2000 and work in
collaboration with the
California Poison Control System, the
University of California-San Francisco Department of Pediatrics, and
the
University of California-Irvine Department of Pediatrics.
The California PEHSUs were established in 2000; their goal is to improve the
recognition and management of environmental health problems among children.
July 2004