ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR to Host Open House About
Environmental Health Activities in Alexandria, VA

Note to correspondents: ATSDR staff will be available for media interviews at the meeting location from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. No appointment is needed.

For Immediate Release: July 25, 2007

ATLANTA – The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold an Open House on Aug. 2 so that Alexandria, VA residents can learn more about the agency’s public health activities related to air quality concerns near the Mirant Potomac River Generating Station.

The Open House will be held at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St. in Alexandria on Aug 2, from 7:00 - 9:00p.m. The open house will include a poster display of ATSDR activities and a chance to talk one-on-one with ATSDR staff.

ATSDR conducted community-based air monitoring in the Alexandria area in June-July 2007 to further assess air quality and to determine if a public health hazard exists. Results from the community-based air monitoring will be available next year; however ATSDR will host the Open House to answer community questions about the agency, air monitoring effort, and next steps.  

Additional resources for the community are available online at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/mirant. Members of the community with questions regarding the meeting may contact Senior Regional Representative Lora Seigmann Werner at 215-814-3141 or lwerner@cdc.gov.

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.

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Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling the NCEH/ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.