ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Finds 'No Public Health Hazard' in its Final Public Health Assessment on Defense Electronic Supply Center Gentile Air Force Station Site

For Immediate Release: Aug. 23, 2004

ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released the final version of its public health assessment (PHA) on the Defense Electronics Supply Center/Gentile Air Force Station Site (Gentile AFS) in Kettering, Ohio. The assessment concludes that there is no public health hazard.

Testing shows that some sites on Gentile AFS have detectable levels of contaminants in the soil, sediments or groundwater. However, there are no public health hazards associated with these sites because the level of contaminants are too low to cause illness or the length of exposure to these contaminants are not frequent enough to make people sick.

ATSDR conducted the public health assessment at the request of the Air Force Real Property Agency. A public health assessment examines hazardous substances, health outcomes and community concerns at a hazardous waste site to determine whether people could be harmed from coming into contact with those substances.

The PHA will be available for review beginning Aug. 25 at:

Kettering Public Library
Wilmington-Stroop Branch
3980 Wilmington Pike
Kettering, Ohio.

Kettering Public Library
Moraine Branch
3496 Far Hills Ave
Kettering, Ohio

In addition to the PHA, ATSDR has issued a public health action plan (PHAP). The PHAP describes actions that are completed, ongoing or planned to prevent adverse effects resulting from potential exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. Ongoing and planned actions include:

--The U.S. Air Force will transfer 26 acres of its property to the city of Kettering for use as a residential area and park. Land use restrictions on groundwater use will accompany the transfer of this land.
--Groundwater sampling will continue on specific areas of the site until the contaminant levels remain below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water standards for two consecutive years.
--The U.S. Air Force will be required to ensure that all land use controls and institutional controls are in effect.

Community members seeking information about the procedures or the content of the public health assessment may contact Environmental Health Scientist Sue Neurath toll-free at 1-888-422-8737. ATSDR regional representative Mark Johnson also may be contacted at 312-886-0840.

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. Headquartered in Atlanta, ATSDR is staffed by more than 400 health professionals including epidemiologists, physicians, toxicologists, engineers and public health educators.

###

Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling Jennifer Sarginson or Jill Smith in the ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.