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 400 employees. ATSDR's annual budget for 2003 is approximately $82 million. ATSDR is responsible for assessing the presence and nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites, helping to prevent or reduce further exposure and illnesses that result, and expanding the knowledge base about the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.
ATSDR works closely with, and provides funding and technical assistance to, state agencies to identify and evaluate environmental health threats to communities. From 1990 through 2001, ATSDR awarded more than $639,687 in direct funds and services to the state of Rhode Island. In addition to direct funds and services, ATSDR staff provides technical and administrative guidance for state-conducted site activities.
ATSDR Site-Specific Activities
Public Health Assessment-Related Activities
One of the agency's important mandates is to conduct public health assessments of all National Priorities List (NPL) sites and of other sites where there might be a significant threat to the public health. There have been 13 sites delegated to the NPL in Rhode Island.
A public health assessment provides a written,
comprehensive evaluation of available data and information on the release of
hazardous substances into the environment in a specific geographic area.
Such releases are assessed for current or future impact on public health. In
collaboration with public health and environmental officials from
Rhode Island, ATSDR staff has conducted 13 public
health assessments in the state. Below are two examples of public health
assessments conducted in the state.
Pascoag Water Utility District - In September 2001,
methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, was discovered in
the distribution system of the Pascoag Water Utility
District. Subsequent investigation revealed the MTBE was present in shallow
groundwater as a result of leaks from a local gas station and had been
recently drawn into the water supply when a new drinking water well went
into operation in June 2001. ATSDR supported the Rhode Island
Department of Health (RIDOH) in the initial site
response, providing technical review and assisting with community risk
communication. An interim treatment system was installed on the impacted
well in November 2001, and a new water source replaced the impacted wells in
January 2002.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed petitioned ATSDR to conduct a public health
assessment for the Pascoag Water Utility System and Burrillville
groundwater contamination. ATSDR conducted a preliminary review of
environmental data and conducted a site visit in March 2002. At that time,
ATSDR held a public meeting and public availability sessions to gather
information and answer residents' concerns regarding their exposure to MTBE.
ATSDR is currently preparing a public health assessment which will review
available environmental contamination data and evaluate the nature and
duration of MTBE exposure among residents in Burrillville. The public health
assessment will define the exposure pathway, route of exposure, and
potential public health implications from those exposures.
Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center - The
Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) is a decommissioned military
installation located in North Kingston and East
Greenwich, Rhode Island. The site once occupied more than 1,200
acres and activities began in 1942. It was primarily used as a training
facility for construction operations and as an area for construction
material storage and freight yards. In 1989, NCBC, Davisville was added to
the NPL because of contamination at Calf Pasture Point and Allen Harbor
Landfill. At the request of the Navy, ATSDR visited Allen Harbor Landfill in
1994 to determine whether it was safe for future use by non-defense
organizations. In 1995, ATSDR released a health consultation for the site
which recommended consumption restrictions for shellfish in Allen Harbor.
ATSDR conducted subsequent visits in 1998 and 1999 when it identified no
immediate public health hazards.
ATSDR reviewed and evaluated groundwater, surface soil, and surface water
and sediment data for the site. ATSDR concluded that none of these poses a
public health hazard. ATSDR also reviewed data from the 1990s on chemical
contaminants in shellfish collected from Allen Harbor and Narragansett Bay.
The data indicate shellfish in these areas have accumulated elevated levels
of contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, pesticides, and metals. ATSDR concluded that shellfish
contamination from NCBC, Davisville posed a public health hazard prior to
1984, when the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
(RIDEM) instituted a shellfishing ban in Allen Harbor due
to bacteriological contamination. ATSDR supports the shellfishing ban for
Allen Harbor.
Old Fire Fighter Training Area, Katy Field, Naval Station Newport - In June 1998, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested that ATSDR review soil data at the Katy Field site. The concern arose because the area was used extensively by adults and children playing there and at the adjoining Youth Center. In order to determine the overall safety of Katy Field, ATSDR reviewed data collected by U.S. Navy contractors and EPA staff pertaining to surface soil, subsurface soil, sediments, surface water, groundwater, and shellfish. After a review of all the data collected, ATSDR confirmed that levels of chemicals in the surface soil and sediments did not present a health hazard to children or adults. The results of ATSDR's detailed analysis were reported in a health consultation released in March 1999.
In November 1998 and January 1999, staff from ATSDR, Navy, EPA, the Rhode
Island Department of Environmental Management, and the Rhode Island
Department of Health, participated in town meetings with U.S. Representative
Patrick Kennedy to discuss health concerns about exposures at Katy Field.
Central Landfill - Central Landfill is located in a
residential-commercial area of Johnston. A portion of the
landfill is a Superfund site with solvents and other industrial wastes
contaminating the ground water. Overlying this waste is a landfill that
services at least 85% of Rhode Island's
municipal-commercial waste stream. Beginning January 1999, the number of
odor complaints to the RIDEM's telephone hotline has increased markedly, and
nearby residents report a high incidence of asthma and other respiratory
complaints, among other illnesses. A substantial number of reported odor
events were deemed as meeting the legal criteria as "objectionable." These
odors arose from the municipal waste and not the Superfund site. Samples of
air at the landfill were analyzed and RIDEM asked ATSDR to review their
assessment of the public health impact. In a health consultation, ATSDR
concurred with the state assessment that the measured chemicals were
unlikely to have an adverse health impact, but recommended testing for
additional chemicals. ATSDR conducted an exposure investigation for hydrogen
sulfide, and RIDEM began analyzing for sulfur and nitrogen oxides and
low-molecular weight aldehydes in April 2001. ATSDR reported the findings of
the exposure investigation in a health consultation released in November of
2002. The levels of hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide and aldehydes were
well below health-based action levels. The levels of sulfur dioxide measured
were below levels expected to cause adverse health effects.
Dry Bridge Landfill (Hometown Properties)
- The Dry Bridge Road Construction and Demolition Landfill facility is
located in a rural, suburban area of North Kingston. The
landfill is surrounded by residences, a gravel pit, and light industrial
properties, including a trucking company. The landfill is active and covers
approximately 20 acres of land in the Annaquatucket River drainage basin in
the southeastern part of the state. It has been owned and operated by
Hometown Properties, Incorporated, since 1980. Vehicular access to the site
has always been restricted. Since 1994 a chain link fence and a 24-hour
security guard service have restricted pedestrian access to the site. It is
known or alleged that waste materials, including construction and demolition
debris; railroad ties; shredded automobile components; and friable asbestos,
have been deposited at the site.
In 1997, Rhode Island State Representative Kenneth Carter
and U.S. Representative Bob Weygand petitioned ATSDR to evaluate the
potential public health impact of the landfill. ATSDR staff completed a
public health consultation at the site in June 1998. The health impact of
the landfill was evaluated by examining air and groundwater pathways near
the site. Based on analysis of the data provided by this consultation, air;
soil; and water pathways posed no apparent present or future health hazard.
Due to the absence of earlier sampling data, prior exposures could not be
determined.
Woonasquatucket River and Centredale Manor -
Woonasquatucket River begins in the hills near North Smithfield and empties
into the Providence River. The Smithfield wastewater treatment plant
discharges into the river and storm water runoff, combined sewer overflows,
and discharges from industries along the river contribute to chemical and
bacteriological contamination of the river. The Centredale Manor, the Lee
Romano Ballfield, the North Providence Boys and Girls Club, and the Early
Years Learning Center are located on the river.
The EPA asked ATSDR to review environmental data for the Woonasquatucket
River to determine if contamination poses a public health hazard. In
addition, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
(PEER) petitioned ATSDR to assess the public health impact
of dioxin contamination in and along the river. The results of the health
consultation released on May 13, 1999, include the following: (1) Limited
sampling of fish from the lower part of the river indicates the presence of
dioxin and other contaminants at levels of health concern; a fish advisory
was put in place for the river in 1996. (2) Microbiological contamination in
the river poses a potential health hazard for recreational use. (3)
Concentrations of dioxin and other contaminants detected in sediment from
the river do not pose a health hazard. (4) Concentrations of dioxin detected
in surface soils from the Lee Romano Ballfield, the North Providence Boys
and Girls Club, and the Early Years Learning Center do not pose a public
health hazard. (5) Elevated levels of dioxin were detected in surface
soil/sediment from areas around Centredale Manor. Occasional contact with
these areas would not pose a significant health risk. (6) Testing of
drinking water wells near Centredale Manor did not detect dioxin.
Brownfields Initiative
In 1997, 17 federal agencies, including ATSDR, collaborated to form the Brownfields National Partnership to assist local remediation and redevelopment. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination. The federal agencies participating in the Brownfields National Partnership will offer special technical, financial, and other assistance to selected communities -- Brownfields Showcase Communities -- to demonstrate the benefits of focused, coordinated attention on brownfields. The Brownfields National Partnership selected Rhode Island/Providence as a Showcase Community. Rhode Island's Woonasquatucket River Greenway project is an urban revitalization effort to restore greenspace and stimulate economic investment along the river.
In 1998, ATSDR entered into cooperative agreements with local health
departments in six Showcase Communities. The RIDOH was awarded an additional
grant by ATSDR to enhance their participation in brownfields decisions and
actions. The grant funded the development of a low-barrier, community-focused
educational tool to provide information on brownfields and opportunities for
community involvement in the process. This information was published, made
available on the Internet, and served as the basis of several brownfields
community training sessions in Providence. The purpose of these programs is to
help local health departments develop and implement strategies that ensure
remediation and redevelopment efforts will not present environmental public
health hazards to the communities.
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
ATSDR provides financial and technical support to members of the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) to improve education and communication related to surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness or injury related to exposure to hazardous substances. The Occupational and Environmental Health Center, Providence, is the AOEC member institution in the state.
Health Studies
Health studies are conducted to determine the relationship between exposure to hazardous substances and adverse health effects. They also define health problems that require further investigation through mechanisms such as a health surveillance or epidemiologic study. Following is an example of a health study being conducted in Rhode Island.
Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) System - The Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system was established by ATSDR in 1990 to collect and analyze information about releases of hazardous substances that require remediation according to federal, state, or local law, as well as threatened releases that result in a public health action, such as an evacuation. The goal of HSEES is to reduce the morbidity and mortality experienced by first responders, employees, and the general public, resulting from hazardous substances emergencies. A total of 16 state health departments (including Rhode Island) were awarded cooperative agreements to accomplish these activities. HSEES captures data on more than 5,000 events annually. The HSEES system generates information for states to use for the following activities: (1) conduct presentations to plan prevention strategies to industries (such as agriculture) that account for a significant number of spills, (2) conduct Hazardous Materials (HazMat) training courses, including data on the risk of injury from methamphetamine labs, (3) establish and maintain protection areas for municipal water systems, (4) assist with the proper placement of HazMat teams, (5) develop fact sheets on frequently spilled chemicals or chemicals (such as chlorine and ammonia) that cause a disproportionate number of injuries, (6) develop newsletters to industry and responder and environmental groups, and (7) conduct presentations for state and local emergency planners.
Toxicological Profiles
ATSDR develops toxicological profiles that describe health effects, environmental characteristics, and other information for substances found at NPL sites. These profiles also describe pathways of human exposure and the behavior of toxic substances in environmental media such as air, soil, and water. In the past 5 years a number of these toxicological profiles have been sent to requesters, including representatives of federal, state, and local health and environmental departments; academic institutions; private industries; and nonprofit organizations, in Rhode Island.
March 2003