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Public Health Assessment Work Group
Meeting Minutes
May 7, 2001
Agenda
- Development of a PHA (Public Health Assessment) Working Group Mission
Statement
- Advise the subcommittee on recommendations to be made to ATSDR and
ORRHES (Oak Ridge Reservation of Health Effects Subcommittee)
- To conduct [101] Informational/Educational activities pertinent to
the PHA
- Supply input to other work groups
Attendees
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ORRHES members attending:
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Public members attending:
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Bill Pardue, Chair
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Debbie Cook
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Kowetha Davidson, Chair, ORRHES
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Doug Cook
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Al Brooks
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Timothy Joseph (DOE)
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Bob Craig
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Jean Shaakir-Ali
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Bob Eklund
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ATSDR staff attending:
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David Johnson
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Jack Hanley
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Susan Kaplan
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Lucy Peipins (phone)
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James Lewis
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Bill Murray
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LC Manley
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Christine Carbajo, scribe
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Summary
The meeting started at 5:30 with around 15 people in attendance.
Dr. Lucy Peipins of ATSDR was on the teleconference. She went over a
handout that she had made in outlining the basic Epidemiology. She emphasized
the importance of the third section of the outline, dealing with the fundamentals
of environmental epidemiology. Lucy talked about interpretation of results
and other factors that might affect the outcome. She plans to come to
Oak Ridge at a future meeting, perhaps the next meeting in June. Lucy
wants to make a presentation consisting of PowerPoint, overheads, and
other visuals, making it easily understood for the general public.
The Cooks, a couple who attended the meeting, were concerned about a
high incidence of cancer appearing in a small area near where they lived.
They were wondering what was needed to get a study started. In response
to that question, studies are already taking place in several areas, even
if not in that specific location. Extensive data collection would need
to take place involving the exposure, dosages, outcome, etc.
Jack Hanley presented the approach to be taken to develop the public
health assessment (PHA). The purpose of the PHA is to compile and evaluate
the dose reconstruction reports and other studies to determine the exposure
of off-site populations to hazardous substances from the Oak Ridge reservation.
Two handouts were distributed, outlining possible options for the process.
A tentative schedule was included, sketching out possible dates for certain
data/materials to be collected. A few goals, in regard to what should
be accomplished each month, were also planned out. A committee member
also provided a flowchart with a list of the contaminants and the dates
that certain parts of the plan would be carried out on each.
Some additional points that were brought up:
- PHAs are required at Superfund Sites.
- In the PHA process, current studies are categorized from 1990-present.
- PHA (Public Health Assessment) identifies people exposed and their
level of exposure. This is called exposure assessment, which tells when,
where, and the amount. This does not cover very much of the health outcomes.
This is the first step to be taken when a study is being considered.
- PH Study (Public Health Study) takes the exposure data and health
outcome data and tries to find a correlation between them. "Study"
in this sense is a very specific term and should not be taken lightly.
It should not be confused with "investigations" such as the
one at Watts Bar.
- There are 6 initial contaminants of concern (which include iodine-131,
mercury, uranium, radionuclides in White Oak Creek, polychlorinated
biphenyls, fluorine/fluoride), although there may be others.
- Research and other sources will be looked at by many notable researchers
and scientists (i.e.: Dr. Owen Hoffman of SENES-Oak Ridge).
- A white paper describing various areas of background information involving
the release of some toxic contaminants several decades ago in Oak Ridge
is being developed by a committee member.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM.
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