ATSDR - Public Health Assessment on Agana Power Plant in Guam

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ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Releases Public Health Assessment on Agana Power Plant in Guam

Chemical Exposures Evaluated Do Not Pose Health Hazard to Residents

For Immediate Release: Oct. 22, 2003

ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently released a public health assessment that evaluated exposure pathways for past and current contaminants associated with the Agana Power Plant in Guam.

ATSDR finds that none of the chemical exposures evaluated pose a public health hazard. ATSDR prepared this public health assessment to evaluate exposure pathways and to respond to community concerns about past and current exposures to contaminants associated with the site.

In the public health assessment, ATSDR concludes the following:

Eating fish, eels and snails from the Agana Swamp and River poses no past or current public health hazard from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination.

However, eating fish, eels and snails from the Agana Swamp and River poses a current, but indeterminate, public health hazard from biological contamination. It is possible that the Agana Swamp and River contain biologic contamination, although levels of bacteria, viruses, parasites and other infectious agents are unknown.

Gardening or playing in the drainage ditches near the Agana Power Plant poses no past or current public health hazard.

Swimming or wading in the Agana Swamp and River poses no past or current public health PCB-related hazard.

However, swimming or wading in the Agana Swamp and River poses a current, indeterminate public health hazard from biological contamination. It is possible that the Agana Swamp and River contain biologic contamination, although levels of bacteria, viruses, parasites and other infectious agents are unknown.

ATSDR continues to support recommendations by health and regulatory agencies to reduce exposure to PCBs and other chemicals.

ATSDR suggests or recommends:

Following fish and seafood consumption advisories.

Reducing potential exposure to many chemicals by eating a variety of food including a variety of fish and seafood and using food preparation and cooking techniques that remove fat (with associated PCBs and dioxin-like compounds).

Evaluating and changing current individual and family diets to fall within the Federal Dietary Guidelines. For most people, adjusting their diet to fall within the Federal Dietary Guidelines will result in multiple health benefits including reduced exposure to chemicals. The dietary guidelines provide the best scientifically based advice on what constitutes a healthy diet and provide guidance on how to plan a varied diet by choosing individual foods from a number of food groups.

Reducing the possibility of exposure to biologic hazards in foods harvested from the Agana Swamp and River by following these guidelines:
o Thoroughly cook foods to kill all bacteria, viruses, parasites and other infectious agents.
o Avoid handling of raw foods if a person has open cuts or wounds.
o Disinfect surfaces and utensils that have contacted raw foods before exposing other foods.

Avoiding swimming or wading in the Agana Swamp and River when you have open cuts or wounds.

Discussing your health concerns with your physician or health care provider and having routine physicals.

The assessment will be available for public review at the following repositories:

Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library
254 Martyr St.
Hagatna, Guam 95910

RFK Memorial Library
University of Guam
303 University Drive
Mangiliao, Guam 95923

Community members seeking information or a copy of the document can contact environmental health scientists Charles Grosse or Aimee Treffiletti or community involvement specialists Maria Teran-MacIver or LaFreta Dalton, toll free at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Gwen Eng also may be contacted at 415-947-4317. Callers should refer to the Agana Power Plant site in Guam.

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 may request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling Elaine McEachern or Jennifer Sarginson in the ATSDR Office of Policy and External Affairs at 770-488-0700.

Back to ATSDR Home page

Updated by R. Searfoss October 27, 2003
For more information, contact ATSDR at:
770-488-0700 or e-mail (news media)