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For Immediate Release: February 7, 2006
ATLANTA - A final report released by the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR) concludes that current exposures to naturally
occurring amphibole asbestos from campus soil at Oak Ridge High School have
been minimized by the mitigations conducted by the El Dorado Union High
School District (EDUHSD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
However, the potential exists for current or future exposures from
unmitigated areas on campus or from other off-campus sources.
In the final report, called a public health consultation (PHC), ATSDR
recommends that EDUHSD’s operations and maintenance plan be implemented to
protect the mitigations. ATSDR also recommends that EDUHSD perform
confirmatory classroom sampling to ensure that classrooms remain free of
asbestos fibers. If sampling shows unhealthful asbestos concentrations,
ATSDR recommends appropriate cleaning methods to reduce concentrations.
ATSDR is working with Cal-EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control to
develop procedures for appropriate cleaning methods.
Like the draft of the PHC, released for public comment in May 2005, the
final PHC concludes that the greatest exposures likely were experienced by
coaches who spent considerable time on athletic fields and tracks, outdoor
maintenance staff and student athletes.
ATSDR recommends that because some increased risk of developing
asbestos-related disease is possible, people in those most highly exposed
groups should inform their physicians about their potential asbestos
exposure so that their physicians can offer appropriate preventive care and
watch for early signs of disease.
Other ATSDR recommendations include continued state monitoring of health
outcome data for asbestos-related disease and full enforcement of state and
county air toxics regulations. Homeowners are encouraged to follow local and
state recommendations for minimizing asbestos exposure around the home.
ATSDR is preparing another PHC that evaluates the potential for amphibole
asbestos exposure in the community outside of the high school. A release
date for this PHC has not been set.
The final Oak Ridge High School PHC can be viewed at
Oak Ridge High School Library
1120 Harvard Way
El Dorado Hills, Calif.
El Dorado County Main Library
345 Fair Lane
Placerville, Calif.
El Dorado County Public Health Department
931 Spring Street
Placerville, Calif.
El Dorado Hills Community Services District
1021 Harvard Way
El Dorado Hills, Calif.
The PHC may be viewed on the Web at
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/OakRidgeHS-013106/OakRidgeHighSchoolHC013106.pdf
For more information, community members can contact Community Involvement
Specialist Youlanda Outin toll-free at
1-888-422-8737 or Senior Regional Representative Susan Muza in San Francisco
at (415) 947-4316.
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.
###
Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling
the ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.
Updated by
W. López February 7, 2006
For more information, contact ATSDR at:
770-488-0700 or e-mail (news media)
ATSDR
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