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For Immediate Release: March 27, 2006
ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
announced today a plan to provide a community service to people living or
working near the Brush Wellman facility in Elmore, Ohio, who remain
concerned about past beryllium exposures and their health. The plan includes
a free blood test for beryllium sensitization.
As reported in its 2002 public health consultation, ATSDR does not think
that current releases of beryllium from Brush Wellman pose a risk to
people's health. In that report, ATSDR could not draw conclusions about
people's health risks from past, short-term beryllium releases from the
plant. People who remain concerned about their individual past exposures can
volunteer for a blood test to learn if they may have been affected.
The blood test can determine if an individual has been sensitized - a kind
of allergic response - to beryllium from past releases to the environment.
People who are sensitized may or may not develop a lung disease called
chronic beryllium disease (CBD). The test itself does not determine if
people are sick.
ATSDR Director Howard Frumkin, M.D., Dr. P.H., said, "We are taking this
approach to provide people a service that should address their remaining
concerns. People whose test results are normal can be reassured that they
are not likely at risk for beryllium disease. People who learn they are
sensitized to beryllium can work with their physicians to care for their
health appropriately."
The agency will host a public availability session April 25 to meet with
community members and discuss the plan. The session will be held from 4-8
p.m. at Woodmore High School, 633 Fremont Street, Elmore, Ohio.
ATSDR will test up to 200 people who are considered most likely to benefit
from this screening test. This includes people who meet the following
enrollment criteria:
Interested persons who meet the enrollment criteria may call ATSDR toll-free
at 1-866-577-4258 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday.
Individuals may call now to leave their name and phone number. In May, ATSDR
will begin collecting more information from callers to determine if they
meet the enrollment criteria. Callers meeting the criteria will be enrolled
on a first-come, first-served basis.
While ATSDR plans to provide information to local physicians about the
disease and the testing program, individual test results and information
collected will be kept confidential.
The plan for blood testing will be available for public review March 31
through April 30 on the ATSDR Web site at
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brushwellman/protocol.pdf
and at the locations listed below. During the public comment period,
residents can review and comment on the testing plan or proposed activities.
Comments received will be considered for the final testing plan. ATSDR plans
to finalize the testing plan in May and begin the testing program this
summer.
Residents can review the document at these Harris-Elmore Library locations:
328 Toledo Street
Elmore, OH 43416
Genoa Branch
602 West Street
Genoa, OH 43430
Comments should be mailed to:
ATSDR Records Center
1600 Clifton Road, N.E. (MS E-60)
Atlanta, Ga. 30333
Or, they may be provided via e-mail to: ATSDRRecordsCenter@cdc.gov, Subject:
Brush Wellman - Elmore, OH.
Community members seeking more information may call ATSDR Medical
Epidemiologist Dan Middleton, M.D., MPH, toll-free at 1-888-422-8737.
###
Members of the news media can request an interview by calling the NCEH/ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.
Updated March 28, 2006
For more information, contact ATSDR at:
ATSDR
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