ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

Tiverton Residents Possibly Exposed to Contaminated Soil
Says ATSDR Report

For Immediate Release: November 3, 2005

ATLANTA - Residents living within a 36-acre area of Tiverton, R.I., may have been exposed to arsenic, lead, mercury, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, says a final public health consultation released today by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The 2000 Census indicates that approximately 156 housing units and 400 residents are at the site.

ATSDR categorized the Bay Street Tiverton Study Area as an "indeterminate public health hazard" because critical information is lacking. For example, data were not available for more than half the properties at the site for this evaluation. Existing surface soil samples might not provide an accurate measure of property-wide levels of contaminations. And, data are lacking for all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) target compounds and other potential contaminants of concern. New England Gas Company is presently testing more properties at the site.

In this health consultation, ATSDR reviewed and evaluated soil samples collected from October 2002 through November 2003. Samples were taken from Tiverton roadways, residential properties, and the Bay View Recreation Area. The site boundaries are Mount Hope Bay and a petroleum terminal to the west, Church Street to the east, State Avenue to the north, and Lepes Road to the south.

ATSDR recommends the following:

ATSDR also recommends that the Tiverton Town Council consider implementing measures to protect the public from potential long-term exposures to subsurface soil at the site.

The public health consultation may be viewed at:

For more information, community members can contact ATSDR Environmental Health Scientist Jane Zhu toll-free, at 1-888-422-8737 or Kate Robbins, ATSDR Region 1 regional representative, at 617-918-1493. Callers should refer to the Bay Street Tiverton Study Area, Tiverton, R.I.

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.

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Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling the NCEH/ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.