ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Releases Public Health Consultation
Concerning Sugar Creek, Mo., Amoco Oil Co. Site Air-Quality Review

Finds 8 Amoco-Owned Homes Present No Apparent Public Health Hazard

For Immediate Release: July 7, 2004

ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has issued the final version of its public health consultation, Review of Air-Quality Data from January 2000 Sampling Event for the Amoco Oil Co. site, Sugar Creek, Mo.

The health consultation findings indicate that at the eight Amoco-owned homes for which air quality sampling had been done in 2000 no apparent health hazard existed.

Air inside the homes had been sampled by an Amoco contractor. ATSDR was asked by Amoco to evaluate the air sampling data. All homes were in the Norledge area of Sugar Creek, adjacent to the southern boundary.

The health consultation was previously made available to the public for review and comment. The final version includes the comments made by members of the public and ATSDR's responses to the comments.

ATSDR finds that although long-term inhalation of contaminants might occur in the future, the current contaminant levels detected in indoor air are not likely to be associated with adverse health effects. And because remedial activities in the Norledge area should result in a decrease in groundwater contaminant concentrations in the future, any potential contribution from groundwater to indoor air levels should decrease as well. ATSDR therefore categorizes future chronic exposures to indoor air in these eight Amoco-owned homes as presenting no apparent public health hazard.

For more information, community members can contact Health Assessor Danielle Langmann, toll-free, at 1-888-422-8737. Regional Representative Denise Jordan-Izaguirre also may be contacted at 913-551-1310. Callers should refer to the Amoco Sugar Creek site in Sugar Creek, Mo.

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 Jennifer Sarginson or Jill Smith in the ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.