ATSDR in Partnership With Idaho
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is the lead
public health agency responsible for implementing the health-related provisions
of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (CERCLA). ATSDR is an Atlanta-based federal agency with more than 400
employees and an annual budget for 2003 of approximately $82 million. ATSDR is
responsible for assessing the presence and nature of health hazards at specific
Superfund sites, helping to prevent or reduce further exposure and illnesses
resulting from those hazards, and expanding the knowledge base about the health
effects of exposure to hazardous substances.
ATSDR works closely with state agencies to carry out its mission to serve the
public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and
providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease
related to toxic substances. ATSDR provides funding and technical assistance to
states and other partners through cooperative agreements and grants to identify
and evaluate environmental health threats to communities. These resources enable
state and local health departments and other grantees to further investigate
environmental health concerns and to educate communities. From
fiscal
years 1986 through 2003, ATSDR awarded more than
$4.4 million—more
than
$760,000 in the last 2 years—in direct funds and services
to
Idaho for comprehensive support of its environmental health
unit. In addition to direct funds and services, ATSDR staff provides technical
and administrative guidance for state-conducted site activities.
ATSDR Site-Specific Activities
Public Health Assessment-Related Activities
One of the agency's important mandates is to conduct
public health
assessments of all National Priorities List (NPL) sites and of other
sites where a significant threat to public health might exist.
Thirteen
sites have been designated to the NPL in
Idaho.
A public health assessment is a written, comprehensive
evaluation of available data and information on the release of hazardous
substances into the environment in a specific geographic area. Such releases are
assessed for current or future impact on public health. ATSDR, in collaboration
with public health and environmental officials from Idaho, has
conducted 16 health assessments in the state, including the
following recent examples.
Coeur d'Alene Basin—ATSDR is evaluating
information about and environmental data collected within the Coeur
d'Alene River Basin to determine whether people were exposed in the
past or are currently being exposed to contaminants from former mining
operations in the basin at levels that could be harmful to their health. The
health assessment is scheduled to be released in December 2003.
Poles, Incorporated—Poles is an active pole-peeling and
storage treatment facility that treated poles onsite with pentachlorophenol.
The site is in Oldtown and is bordered by the Pend Oreille
River to the north and the Idaho Hill Elementary School to
the south. In the fall of 2000, school staff members and a concerned citizen
contacted the Idaho Division of Health (IDOH,
part of the Idaho Division of Health and Welfare [IDHW])
and other agencies with a request to investigate the potential exposures and
health effects of penta and penta-associated impurities. Community members
were concerned about what was perceived as an elevated cancer rate among
current and former schoolteachers at Idaho Hill Elementary.
In response to these concerns, the IDOH Bureau of Community and
Environmental Health (BCEH), formerly the Bureau
of Environmental Health and Safety, prepared several health consultations
and a health assessment under a cooperative agreement with ATSDR. BCEH
categorized Poles, Inc. as no apparent public health hazard and recommended
that site access be restricted by placing obvious "no trespassing" signs to
prevent the public, especially elementary-school students, from entering the
site.
As part of the health assessment, BCEH evaluated health data in conjunction
with the Cancer Data Registry of Idaho (CDRI).
The overall cancer incidence in the combined area of Oldtown and
Priest River, Idaho, and Newport, Washington, between 1992 and 1999
was within the expected range when compared with the remainder of the state
of Idaho. CDRI did find an increased rate of sarcoma cancer
in the same three-zip-code area, which prompted BCEH and CDRI to continue
cancer surveillance. BCEH and CDRI were not able to determine whether the
sarcoma cases were related to the past exposures to contaminants associated
with the Oldtown site. Cancer surveillance is ongoing.
Stibnite/Yellow Pine Mining Area—The Stibnite Mine Area is 14
miles southeast of Yellow Pine. Past mining activities have
deposited metals, spent and neutralized ore, waste rock, and mine tailings
over approximately 50% of the 3,000-acre site.
In 2002, BCEH reviewed available environmental data, health
information, and community health concerns while conducting a health
assessment. Exposure pathways related to surface soil and sediment, airborne
particulates, surface waters, and fish were categorized as no apparent
public health hazard. However, the public health hazard posed by the
consumption of biota (other than fish) could not be evaluated because of a
lack of data and information and is therefore categorized as an
indeterminate public health hazard. BCEH recommended that site access should
be restricted by placing obvious "no trespassing" signs to prevent the
public from entering the site, especially in the hot-spot areas, and further
sampling of biota (other than fish) to determine uptake of metals from site
soils and surface water.
Eastern Michaud Flats—The Eastern Michaud Flats Contamination
NPL site is west of Pocatello. Two manufacturing
facilities, FMC Elemental Phosphorus Plant and Simplot Don Plant, are at the
site. Elemental phosphorus production at the FMC facility and superphosphate
fertilizer production at the Simplot facility has contributed to soil,
groundwater, surface water and sediment, and air contamination in and around
the site.
In 1998 and 2001, ATSDR developed several health consultations that address
the potential for human exposures (past, present, and future) to
site-related contaminants in the groundwater, surface water and sediment,
surface soil, and ambient air. ATSDR had previously evaluated the potential
for human exposures to site-related contaminants in the 1990 preliminary
health assessment for the site.
In conjunction with ATSDR, BCEH is preparing a comprehensive health
assessment for the EMF site that will incorporate past health consultations
and additional environmental data. The comprehensive health assessment is
scheduled for initial release in January 2004.
A health consultation is a written or oral response from
ATSDR to a specific request for information about health risks related to a
specific site, chemical release, or hazardous material. It is a more limited
response than a public health assessment is. To date, 71
documented health consultations have been conducted at 20 sites
in Idaho, including the following recent examples.
Lake Coeur d'Alene—ATSDR and IDOH
jointly prepared a health consultation to evaluate metals data reported for
fish samples collected in 2002. Analysis of metals was completed in early
2003 and final results were reported in May 2003. In addition, a fish
consumption advisory for Lake Coeur d'Alene was issued
jointly by IDOH and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in June 2003.
ATSDR supports the issuance of the advisory.
In 2002, fish were collected from areas used by tribal and recreational
fishers and were tested for 18 metals. Fillet and gutted whole-carcass
samples were used to estimate subsistence and sport/recreational exposures.
Three fish species were selected for sampling and analysis on the basis of
use by tribal and sport/recreational fishers, ecological importance,
relevance to other species, and patterns of exposure to chemicals: bass
(mostly largemouth bass), bullhead (mostly brown bullhead), and kokanee.
Three of the eighteen metals (arsenic, lead, and mercury) were present at
varying degrees of public health concern depending on the amount, portion
type (gutted carcass or fillet), and fish species eaten. Eating fish offers
both benefits and risks, and fish consumption rates are an important factor
in assessing exposures and the potential for adverse effects. A wide range
of consumption rates (6.5 to 540 grams per day) and several exposure
scenarios were included in this consultation. These rates were used to help
gain a better idea about which fish consumption habits are more likely to
result in adverse exposures.
Potlatch—The Potlatch Corporation Pulp and Paper Mill site is
an active mill northeast of Lewiston, on the bank of the
Clearwater River. The past release of chloroform into the air through the
mill's pulp-bleaching process and wastewater treatment system led
BCEH to determine that the Potlatch site was a hazardous waste site
of potential public health concern. CDRI investigated
cancer rates for the Lewiston and Clarkston (Washington) areas and found
that they were higher than expected. As a result, BCEH and CDRI prepared a
health consultation sponsored by ATSDR to explore the possible link between
the Potlatch site and increased cancer rates. The health consultation was
finalized in September 2003. BCEH is currently evaluating indoor and outdoor
exposures to benzene (not site-related). Once this evaluation is complete,
BCEH will present the findings of both evaluations to the public in spring
2004.
Southeast Idaho Phosphate Resource Area—Since 1919, phosphate
has been mined from the Southeast Idaho Phosphate Resource Area
(SEIPRA) for use as elemental phosphorus and in phosphate
fertilizer. Ten historic and four operating mines are currently in the
1,200-square-mile project area. A large portion of the area lies within the
Caribou National Forest and the Fort Hall Indian
Reservation. Some phosphate ore mined in Southeast Idaho contains
high levels of selenium.
In 2001, BCEH prepared a health consultation on selenium exposure for the
general public in response to questions about how site releases may affect
human health. Concerns were then raised about health effects of selenium in
the Shoshone-Bannock Indian Tribe because of different
dietary patterns and the consumption of wild game and plants. In response to
tribal concerns, a separate health consultation was prepared for
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal members who hunt and consume wild elk. The health
consultation will be released in early 2004.
An exposure investigation collects information on specific
human exposures through biologic sampling, personal monitoring, related
environmental assessment, and exposure-dose reconstruction. Following is a
description of an exposure investigation conducted in Idaho.
Panther Creek (Blackbird Mine)—In
2000, an exposure investigation was conducted in response to residents'
concerns about arsenic exposures during the Blackbird Mine clean-up
activities. The investigation entailed environmental sampling for eight
toxic metals and biological sampling for arsenic in urine and hair from
residents who spent time along Panther Creek or Panther Creek Road. Results
of this investigation were used to identify and recommend follow-up health
activities, specifically health education and health evaluations of
individuals with elevated hair arsenic levels.
Health Education and Community Activities
Idaho has been a participant in ATSDR's cooperative agreement
program since 1992. Under this program,
IDHW has received
funding and technical assistance for the development of community education and
activities associated with human exposure to hazardous substances in the
environment. During FYs 2003 and 2004, 38 educational materials were developed
in support of 47 different environmental health education seminars, workshops,
or town meetings. More than 125 Idaho residents and American Indians attended
these events, and more than 60,000 copies of the material were distributed. IDHW
has developed on a wide range of environmental health topics for use by teachers
in grades K-12 in public school districts, tribal education centers, and private
schools throughout Idaho. BCEH's
Environmental Health Lesson Plans for
Educators, supported in whole by funds from ATSDR, won a National Health
Information Award in 2003.
In conjunction with site assessment activities at the Poles site in
Oldtown, IDHW sponsored a poster and essay contest for Idaho Hill
Elementary School students on the linkage of health concerns and environmental
exposures. Prizes donated by local businesses were distributed among the 120
participating students. This and other health education and promotion activities
designed to raise community awareness of environmental issues reflect the strong
collaborative effort between the community and IDHW.
In support of the Bunker Hill/Coeur d'Alene River Basin site, the
Panhandle Health District conducted blood lead screening for children
that was coupled with a lead health education curriculum for use in local
schools.
Health Studies
Health studies are investigations conducted to determine the relationships
between exposures to hazardous substances and adverse health effects. They also
define health problems that require further investigation through, for example,
health surveillance or an epidemiologic study. Following are examples of health
studies or investigations that ATSDR conducted or supported in Idaho.
A Follow-Up Study of Female Former Smelter Workers:
the Relationship Between Changes in Bone Density Over Time and a Woman's
Lead Body Burden—ATSDR located and contacted former participants in
the Study of Female Former Workers at a Lead Smelter: An Examination of the
Possible Association of Lead Exposure and Decreased Bone Density and Other
Health Outcomes. The current follow-up study was conducted to assess changes
in bone mineral density over time in relation to lead body burden and to
evaluate how vitamin D, calcium, and parathyroid hormone levels effect bone
mineral density. Of the 108 women participants in the baseline study, 73
(68%) women were identified and willing to participate, 19 (17%) refused to
participate, 3 (3%) were deceased, and 13 (12%) were never located. The
study is completing the peer review process and is scheduled for release in
spring 2004.
Coeur d'Alene River Basin Lead and Cadmium Biological Sampling Study—IDOH,
with funding and consultation from ATSDR, conducted biological sampling for
lead and cadmium in the study population, which was identified through a
human census in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin study area.
The region is characterized by communities that developed at or near old
mine portals and ore milling sites or adjacent to mining wastes. In this
region, lead and cadmium have been identified as significant environmental
contaminants of human health concern. The data collection for this study was
conducted during the summer of 1996. Sampling was offered to the entire
basin population. A questionnaire was administered to consenting
participants through face-to-face interviews and biological samples were
collected at the time of the interviews. Public meetings and availability
sessions were held to keep interested persons aware of study progress.
Participant blood lead and urine cadmium levels were determined using the
data collected. Health risks and odds ratios were assessed using approved
methods. The final report was released in August 2000.
December 2003