ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR releases final version of its public health consultation
on Dupont DeLisle Plant Site

Report finds 'No Public Health Hazard'

For Immediate Release: August 2, 2004

ATLANTA – The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) today released the final version of its public health consultation on the Dupont DeLisle Plant Site, in Pass Christian, Miss., which classifies the site as “no public health hazard.”

ATSDR conducted the public health consultation in response to a community member’s petition in July, 2002. A public health consultation is a review of available information or collection of new data to respond to a specific health question or request for information about a potential environmental hazard.

ATSDR examined drinking water in DeLisle to gather information about its quality. Some metals were detected; however, they were not at levels expected to cause adverse health effects. The findings indicate that contamination from the DuPont DeLisle plant has not affected underground drinking water sources in the community. Therefore, ATSDR has categorized the site as “no public health hazard” to underground drinking water.

In addition to the findings, the public health consultation includes recommendations and a public health action plan. The recommendations are:

• Conduct further sampling to identify the source in homes where water samples exceeded the technical treatment action level for lead and copper.
• Provide physician and community environmental health education to the DeLisle community.

The public health action plan, a description of actions that have been or will be taken by ATSDR or other government agencies at the site, lists the following future actions to be taken by the agency:

• ATSDR is developing a health consultation evaluating the DeLisle area’s exposure to air emissions and dioxin-congener contaminated waste from the DuPont DeLisle plant and its potential for public health impact.
• ATSDR is planning to provide community and physician environmental health education concerning issues such as hair analysis and appropriate recognition, diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to environmental exposures.
• ATSDR will reevaluate and expand this plan when needed. New environmental, toxicological, or health outcome data or the results of implementing the above proposed actions could determine the need for additional actions at this site.

For more information, community members can contact Health Assessor James Durant, toll-free, at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Carl Blair also may be contacted at 404-562-1786. Callers should refer to the Dupont DeLisle Plant Site in Pass Christian, Miss.

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.

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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.