ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR To Host Meetings about Findings at Coeur d'Alene River Basin Site

Note to Correspondents:
ATSDR representatives will host media sessions from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Wallace Inn, Feb. 2 at the Kootenai County Administration Building and Feb. 3 at the Spokane Community College.

News Release
For Immediate Release: Jan. 27, 2005

ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold multiple Open House sessions Feb. 1-3 to discuss the findings of its recently released public health assessment for the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, also known as the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Site Operable Unit 3.

The Open House will allow residents to meet individually with ATSDR representatives. During these meetings, community members can ask questions about the assessment and share their comments and concerns. Two Open House meetings will be held at each location, the first from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and the second from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Feb. 1
Wallace Inn, Gold Room
100 Front Street
Wallace, ID 83873

Feb. 2
Kootenai County Admin. Building
451 Government Way, Room 1-A&B
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816

Feb. 3
Spokane Community College
1810 North Greene Street
Spokane, WA 99201

The assessment is available for public comment and review through Feb. 15. The public comment period is an opportunity for residents to review and comment on agency findings or proposed activities noted in the assessment. The assessment can be viewed at www.atsdr.cdc.gov, or at

North Idaho College Library
1000 Garden Ave.
Coeur d'Alene, ID 82814

St. Maries Public Library
822 W. College Ave.
St. Maries, ID 83861

Wallace Public Library
415 River St.
Wallace, ID 83873

Spokane Public Library
906 West Main Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201-0976

EPA Coeur d'Alene Field Office
1910 Northwest Blvd. Suite 208
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814

EPA Seattle Office, Superfund Record Center
1200 Sixth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101

Comments must be made in writing to:

Chief, Records Management Activity
ATSDR
1600 Clifton Road, N.E. (MS E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333

Comments received during the public comment period will be logged in to the ATSDR administrative record for this consultation. Comments received, without the names of individuals who submitted them, and ATSDR responses to the comments will appear in an appendix to the final assessment. Names of those who submit comments, however, will be subject to release for requests made under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.

For more information, community members may contact Health Communications Specialist Rose Jackson or Health Assessor Deborah Boling, toll-free, at 1-888-422-8737. ATSDR Senior Regional Representative Richard Kauffman also may be contacted at 206-553-2632.

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 the ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.