Please note that you are entering an area of historical, archived information. The information contained in these press releases, while accurate at the time of release, may not be the most current available.
Please contact the ATSDR Media Office at 770-488-0700 or ATSDRmediainquiries@cdc.gov to obtain information on the most current releases on your topic or site of interest.
2001 Media Announcements
December 2001: Pregnant at LeJeune? ATSDR has surveyed more than 12,200 women who were pregnant while living in base housing at the marine corps base at Camp LeJeune, NC, from 1968 - 1985. Officials hope to survey 1,000 additional women by the end of 2001. Details.December 2001: Our mission has changed and our service to YOU grows stronger! ATSDR's mission statement and ATSDR's 2002 - 2007 Strategic Plan highlights the agency's key programs and initiatives.
November 30, 2001: Curious about environmental contamination surrounding the Middlesex Sampling Plant in Middlesex, NJ? ATSDR's draft public health assessment is now available. Details.
November 1, 2001: Good news for residents living near the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant in Wilmington, IL. ATSDR's Public Health Assessment found the plant poses no apparent public health hazard. Details
October 31, 2001:Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, poses no public health hazard but continued local advisory on fish consumption is advised. See the Draft Public Health Assessment and Press Release for more information.
October 16, 2001:The on-base drinking water supply is safe at Marine Corps Logistic Base in Albany, GA. Details.
October 15, 2001: No public health hazards were found for nearby residents of the Carolina Solite Corporation facility in Albermarle, NC. Details.
October 12, 2001: A mixed bag of environmental news for nearby residents of the Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster, PA. Details.
October 12, 2001: Evaluation of private well water and indoor/outdoor air along Cady Road in North Royalton, OH, indicates no contaminants at levels which would likely make people sick. Media Release; Public Availability Session
September 23, 2001: ATSDR determined that drinking water on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, is safe to drink. In other news, an international review panel of scientific experts met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to review a heart study on Vieques fishermen. Details
September 23, 2001: The Brownfields 2001 convention co-sponsored by ATSDR takes place in Chicago September 24-26, 2001. Details
September 12, 2001: September
7 was the last day for FREE asbestos medical testing in Libby, Montana.
More than 1,000 people took advantage of this second round of ATSDR-sponsored
testing. Details
September 12, 2001: Community
members of Sheridan, Oregon, are invited to talk with ATSDR staff
about environmental health concerns related to the Taylor Lumber Treatment
site at a public availability session on September 11, 2001. Details
August 23, 2001: ATSDR recently presented the results of its public health consultation for the U.S. Air Force Bucks Harbor Radar Tracking Station site in Machiasport, Maine. Details
August 22, 2001: Any day now! Results of an exposure investigation in the Simpsonville - Fountain Inn area of South Carolina are pending. Earlier tests determined some residents had elevated uranium levels from drinking from contaminated private wells. Details.
August 22, 2001: September 7 was the last day for FREE asbestos medical testing in Libby, Montana. More than 1,000 people took advantage of this second round of ATSDR-sponsored testing. Details
August 20, 2001: ATSDR announced the conclusion of its 2001 medical testing program for asbestos-related health effects in Libby, MT. Details.
August 20, 2001: ATSDR is currently reviewing public comments on its Draft Public Health Response Plan for the Stauffer Chemical Company site in Tarpon Springs, Florida. DetailsAugust 11, 2001: Independence,
Missouri, residents who live near the U.S. Army Lake City Ammunition
Plant are not being exposed to dangerous levels of contaminants
from the facility. Details
July 30, 2001: What are the potential
health effects of contaminants in the environment? Find the answers in our
newly revised ToxFAQs.™
July 30, 2001: How many U.S.
children live within one mile of a hazardous waste site? Find this information
and more about children's environmental health issues on our newly revised
Child Health Home Page.
July 30, 2001: Primary care providers
and others can find information on evaluation of patients potentially exposed
to hazardous substances in the environment at this new link. Case
Studies in Environmental Medicine(CSEM)
July 13, 2001: Blood samples
collected by ATSDR from 410 children living in the Anniston, Alabama,
area are being analyzed for the presence of lead. Samples were collected from
children 6 years of age and younger between April 24 and May 16, 200l. When
the test results are obtained from the laboratory, ATSDR will notify parents
and pediatricians by mail. If ATSDR finds a child with lead blood levels above
10 micrograms per deciliter, the child's parents will be notified so the Alabama
Department of Public Health can recommend further screening. Later this summer,
elected officials and community members in Anniston will be provided
copies of a draft report summarizing the information collected through this
program.
July 13, 2001: Children who
repeatedly eat unusually large amounts of soil, also known as soil-pica children,
were the focus of an ATSDR workshop in June 2000. To ensure the protection of
children, ATSDR convened a workshop of expert panelists in June 2000, to provide
information and recommendations about children who repeatedly eat unusually
large amounts of soil. Panelists were asked to advise the agency about what
is known about the following areas concerning soil-pica behavior: prevalence,
soil ingestion rates, and methods for identifying soil-pica children. The resulting
Soil-Pica Report summarizes the discussions
that ensued among the panelists, along with their findings and recommendations
to ATSDR.
June 20, 2001: Other news from Kelly AFB, in cooperation with community
members and community health and civic organizations, ATSDR hosted a health
fair on June 27 followed by a public meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
At the public meeting, ATSDR staff provided an overview of public health
activities related to Kelly AFB. The health fair offered information on
how to access various health services. Blood pressure checks and other health
screenings, such as mammograms, were also available.
June 15, 2001: Congressman Michael
Bilirakis will host a town meeting with ATSDR on June 18, 2001, at 6:00
p.m. at the St. Petersburg Junior College in Tarpon Springs, Florida,
600 Klosterman Rd., Lyceum Auditorium #156. The purpose of the meeting will
be to discuss ATSDR's response to the ATSDR Ombudsman Report of Findings
and Recommendations Regarding the Stauffer Chemical Company Site in Tarpon Springs
(.pdf version) or (.html
version). ATSDR will host a drop-in Open House the following day at the
Tarpon Springs Library from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
June 15, 2001: The next Oak
Ridge Reservation Health Effects Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for June
11-12 at the Oak Ridge Mall, Crown Conference Center, Club Room (Suite 216)
at 333 Main Street in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The discussion will focus on the
Oak Ridge Health Studies (Task 1 Report), also known as the Iodine-131 Dose
Reconstruction Report. A presentation will follow on combining information related
to Oak Ridge Reservation releases of Iodine-131 with data related to fallout
of Iodine-131 from testing nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site. For more
information call LaFreta Dalton, toll free, at 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737),
or Bill Murray, in the ATSDR Oak Ridge Field Office, (865) 220-0295 in Oak Ridge.
May 29, 2001: May 31, 2001, is
the deadline to comment on ATSDR's public health assessment regarding Carolina
Solite Corporation's site near Norwood, North Carolina. The draft public
health assessment concludes the site poses no current health risks. Copies
are available at Stanly County Public Library branches in Albemarle and Norwood,
located about 40 miles north of Charlotte. For more information call the library
at (704) 986-3763. Questions? Contact ATSDR Representative Michelle Colledge
at (404) 639-6016.
May 29, 2001: What's in YOUR backyard?
ATSDR's new interactive map server,
GATHER™,can help you answer that question. GATHER™
provides interactive maps of hazardous sites. The maps include helpful data
such as population, demographics, hydrology, and much more.
May 29, 2001: Children playing
in soil in and around Sugar Creek, Missouri, are NOT at risk for
adverse health effects. That's according to ATSDR's health consultation on the
Amoco Oil Company site in Sugar Creek released May 4, 2001. The document
is available for public review at the Sugar Creek City Hall (815) 252-4400 and
the Sugar Creek Library (816) 701-3645.
May 22, 2001: Survey
- Help us improve ATSDR's Web site by filling out the
Online ATSDR Visitor Survey. We are interested in your opinion.
April 30, 2001: Meeting
Agenda - The tentative meeting agendas for Community/Tribal
Subcommittee Meeting, May 1-2, 2001 and Board
of Scientific Counselors Meeting, May 3-4, 2001 have been posted on the
ATSDR Web site.