ATSDR - Galena Airport Site in Galena, Alaska

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ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Releases Public Health Consultation for
Galena Airport Site in Galena, Alaska

ATSDR Also Will Conduct a Public Health Assessment

For Immediate Release: September 11, 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, today announced the release of a public health consultation for the Galena Airport site located on the Yukon River in Galena, Alaska.

The health consultation outlines environmental issues and health concerns that will be evaluated by ATSDR in a future public health assessment (PHA). Also, the agency will work with local resources to provide health education.

ATSDR did not identify issues that pose an imminent public health threat, but did identify several waste disposal issues and community concerns that will be addressed in the PHA. To gather additional information, ATSDR will coordinate with the U.S. Air Force, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, other state and federal agencies, Alaska native health organizations and the community.

The Louden Tribal Council asked ATSDR to determine whether air force operations exposed residents to unhealthy levels of environmental contaminants on the previous Galena Air Station, Campion Air Station, or Kalakaket Creek White Alice System Station.

A number of chemicals, primarily fuels and solvents, were required to operate and maintain military aircraft previously stationed at the former Galena Air Station. Currently the use and disposal of these chemicals is strictly regulated to prevent releases to the environment.

Among the environmental issues, ATSDR will address in the PHA are concerns about possible harmful heath effects from:

Drinking (ground) water
Indoor air at the Galena Aviation Technical Center
Petroleum, oil and lubricant releases from Million Gallon Hill

ATSDR will evaluate the following community concerns in the PHA:

Possible harmful health effects from the previous use of pesticides along roadways and other locations
Benefits derived from the use of traditional subsistence foods versus the potential adverse health effects from environmental contamination of those food sources
Available cancer data for the area.

The public health consultation is available for review at the following repository

Galena Tribal Council
Louden Tribal Council Office
Galena, Alaska
907-656-1711

Community members seeking information on the procedures or the content of the public health consultation or public health assessment may contact Health Assessor Jeff Kellam, toll free at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Richard Kauffmann also may be contacted at 206-553-2632. Callers should refer to the Galena Airport site in Galena, Alaska.

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

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Updated by R. Searfoss September 11, 2003
For more information, contact ATSDR at:
770-488-0700 or e-mail (news media)