Chemical Hazards Program news [Nov. 2002]

CHEMICAL HAZARDS PROGRAM NEWS

Volume 2; Issue 1 November 2002
IN THIS ISSUE:
Chemical and
2 Radiological Terror: What Is It About?
Chemical of Concern:
2 "Dirty Bombs"
Chemical Hazards
3 Reference Guide
Pocket Size Version
Now Online!
3 Chemical Hazards
Program Website
Brownfields 2003:
4 Apply for a Grant
4 Alco Controls
Jeff Davis County
Griffith Oil
Company 5
Jackson County
Northside Drive
6 Area Lead
Investigation Fulton County
7 Child Lead Testing Fact Sheet
Contacts: GEPD
9 Opens Additional
Regional Offices

Welcome Readers!

This issue of the Chemical Hazards Program (CHP) News highlights the possible

health consequences from acts of chemical and radio logical terrorism.

CHP is available to district and county health department staff, other state and

federal agency personnel, and the public for information about the health effects from

exposures to chemical contamination of environmental media including air, ground-

water, soil, surface water, and food. For example, we conduct public health assess-

ments and health consultations. These are written reports detailing site history, com-

munity concerns, environmental sampling data, actual and potential exposure path-

ways, and health outcome data. In addition, we provide technical assistance, commu-

nity involvement and education, and professional training for all chemical exposure-

related issues.

If you would like information or assistance with

chemical exposures, please contact us by calling 404.657.6534, or online at:
www.health.state.ga.us/programs/hazards.

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN

Chemical Hazards Program Staff

RESOURCES

New CHP Staff Members

Franklin Sanchez is a Health Assessor for the Chemical Hazards Program. Frank joined us in November, 2002 from California where he operated an environmental consulting company. Prior to that, he was an Environmental Health Specialist for the New Mexico Environment Department. Frank has a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Colorado State University.

Pamela Noah is a Certified Health Education Specialist for the Chemical Hazards Program. Pamela joined us in November 2002. She has an M.A. in Health Promotion and came to Georgia from New Orleans four years ago. Since arriving in Georgia, Pamela has worked for the Clayton County Cooperative Extension Service, and as a science teacher for the Clayton County school system.

OTHER DISCTICT AND COUNTY STAFF THAT HELP CHP
Ebenezer (Eb) Adedun is an Environmental Risk Assessment Specialist for DeKalb County, District 3-5. Eb has degrees in Chemistry and Mortuary Science. He has been an Environmental Health Specialist in Georgia for seven years in DeKalb and Ware Counties. As an employee of DeKalb County, Eb is on the front lines of biological, chemical, and radiological terrorism issues.
Gary Hummel is a District Risk Communicator for Glynn County. Gary came on board in July of 2002 from North Dakota. He has a degree in Marine Biology and over 20 years of environmental sampling and laboratory analyses experience. Gary is from Florida where he worked for ten years on private industry, state, and federal site assessments and hazardous site clean ups.

Printed on recycled paper

Page 1

CHEMICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL

Since the last issue of the Chemical Hazards Program News, the United States has gone to war. We are profoundly affected by the events of September 11, 2001, grieving for those lost, and afraid of what may be next. One of our worst fears has been realized: we were attacked with a weapon of bioterrorism in the form of anthrax-tainted mail. Public health professionals are leading the way in the battle against these weapons of terror.
A lot of information is readily available about bioterrorism; however, environmental health professionals are also likely to be involved with deadly chemicals and radioactive materials released to the environment. Chemical attacks can usually only target a limited area, and decontamination can be accomplished fairly quickly. However, these agents can cause serious injury and death to those exposed to very small amounts.
Chemical warfare agents can be grouped into two general types: those that affect the body surfaces that they contact, and those that damage the nervous system. Surface agents include phosgene gas, chlorine gas, hydrogen cyanide, and mustard gas. The principal action of these chemicals occurs through inhalation. Mustard gas is a blistering agent that damages any surface it contacts, including the skin, eyes, and lungs. Nerve agents include sarin, soman, tabun, and VX . These agents act by blocking the transmission of nerve messages throughout the body. Whether inhaled or absorbed through the skin, a single drop of nerve agent can cause death within minutes after exposure.
The possibility of terrorists using conventional weapons to disperse radioactive materials is also one of great concern. This so-called "dirty bomb" would, upon detonation, spew deadly radioactive particles into the atmosphere, water, and ground (see Chemical of Concern section below).
The Chemical Hazards Program staff is available to answer questions from district and county health departments about chemical and radiological terrorism.

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/ceppo/cntr-ter.html.

CHEMICAL OF CONCERN:
"Dirty Bombs"
A dirty bomb or radiological dispersal device (RDD) is a conventional bomb containing radioactive material. The conventional bomb is used as a means to spread radioactive contamination. It is not a nuclear bomb and does not involve a nuclear explosion. Any type of radioactive material could be used in a dirty bomb, but in general these devices would be unlikely to cause serious health effects beyond those caused by the detonation of conventional explosives. The immediate and uncomplicated detection of radiation is a unique asset in reducing health and safety impacts.
It is unlikely that the radioactive

material contained in a dirty bomb would kill anyone. The radioactive material would be dispersed into the air and reduced to relatively low concentrations, resulting in low doses to people exposed. A lowlevel exposure to radioactive contamination could slightly increase the long-term risk for cancer.
However, a dirty bomb could potentially have a significant psychological impact by causing fear, panic and disruption. The use of a dirty bomb could result in low-level radioactive contamination of an area up to several city blocks in size, that would require evacuation and cleanup. Cleanup of the contamination could take weeks and even months to complete.
There are about 21,000 licensed organizations in the U.S. which use

such material for medical, industrial, academic, and research purposes. Most of these licenses involve radioactive material which, because of the nature of the material or the small size of the source, are not of particular concern in terms of their use in a dirty bomb.
Following the attacks on September 11, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the states put in place procedures to increase the security of nuclear material used nationwide. The NRC is cooperating with other Federal and State agencies to bolster contingency plans for dealing with a potential attack involving radioactive materials. Georgia Public Health will play a role in protecting the health of our citizens.
Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, www.nrc.gov.

Page 2

CHEMICAL HAZARDS PROGRAM NEWS

Chemical Hazards Reference Guide

In early 2001, CHP distributed the Ha zardous Materials Resource Reference Guides to District Environmental Health offices. These guides provide information about CHP goals and services, contact/ referral information and other multi-agency resources, potential health effects from exposure, cancer rate statistics, Georgia fish consumption guidelines, chemical fact sheets, and more.

The manuals were ve ry well received. Several County Environmentalists and the GDHR Risk Communication Committee, composed of District Environmental Health Program Managers, have requested these guides be reproduced for each county. To make the information in these guides more accessible, CHP has developed an abbreviated, pocket size version for distribution to district staff in November, 2002.

ONLINE NOW! The CHP Website
The CHP website is now operational! We hope it will become your source for all of your chemical hazards information needs. The site provides information for environmental health professionals and the general public. By accessing this site, you will be able to ask questions, quickly retrieve chemicalspecific health effects information, find site related activities conducted in your communities, locate consultation and referral sources, and much more!

HOME PAGE

CHP services and contact

Health studies

information

Hazardous waste sites in Georgia

Environmental terms and concepts Ask CHP a question

Public health assessments and Cancer and the environment

health consultations

Professional training

Health education resources

Fish consumption guidelines

Chemical fact sheets

Community Involvement Strategies

Technical assistance

Links to websites of interest

Find us online at:
www.health.state.ga.us/programs/hazards

VOLUME 2: ISSUE 1

NOVEMBER, 2002

Page 3

Page 3

BROWNFIELDS

SOUTH GEORGIA Alco Controls
Hazlehurst, Jeff Davis County

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Grants
Brownfields are abandoned, idle, or underused industrial and commercial properties where redevelopment is hindered by real or perceived environmental contamination. There are most likely several in your community. Any state, county, city, or tribe may apply for a Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Grant to prevent, assess, safely cleanup, and promote the sustainable reuse of brownfields. To date, EPA has awarded more than 375 grants that are funded through cooperative agreements of up to $200,000 each for a two-year period.
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or "Superfund"), EPA selects new projects for grant funding annually. All grants are contingent upon availability of funds. For further information, visit the EPA Brownfields home page at www.epa.gov/ brownfields.
If you are interested in applying for a Brownfields grant, please contact the CHP at (404) 657-6534 and we can assist you with the application process. The deadline for applications for these highly competitive grants is usually in November. Help improve a community by becoming part of the Brownfields team!
Page 4

The Alco Controls facility is located in Hazlehurst, Jeff Davis County, Georgia in a mixed industrial and residential area. The property occupies 7.5 acres and is currently used to manufacture filter dryers for the refrigeration industry. In 1998, the facility was identified as the source of an off-site groundwater contamination plume moving toward the north and northeast of the property. In 2001, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division requested that the Chemical Hazards Program help determine if workers and residents in the vicinity of Alco Controls may have past, present, and/or future exposure to environmental contaminants released from operations at levels likely to cause adverse health effects.
To determine if contaminated groundwater was being used by nearby residents, the six nearby individual water wells, used primarily for irrigation, were sampled. Three of these wells contained the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene (TCE), and dichloroethylene, with two wells having TCE concentrations above levels of health concern. Alco Controls offered connection to the public water supply for all six well owners who discontinued using their wells. Currently, Alco Controls is operating a groundwater remediation system off-site to limit the spread of contaminated groundwater and lower the concentration of contaminants.
Because the irrigation wells were primarily used for watering lawns and gardens, the primary route of exposure (the way people contacted the chemicals) was through inhalation. If people watered their lawns and gardens with a hose by hand, they may have inhaled a substantial amount of TCE while watering. The exposure dose would have depended upon the length of time the water was running, the force of the wind at the time of use, and the number of times a week the water was used. Exposure through consumption of fruits and vegetables would be negligible because the VOCs do not accumulate in plants. Skin contact, and a possible additional inhalation exposure pathway, were also possible if people used the contaminated water for swimming pools.
A potential exposure pathway remains for people who live over the contaminated groundwater plume. Indoor air monitoring directly over the plume on site suggests that VOCs present in groundwater are migrating as soil gas, and people living over the plume could have contaminants entering their homes through soil gas intrusion. However, based on the very low levels of VOCs measured in indoor air on site, the local soil structure, and the groundwater's distance below the ground surface, the indoor air exposure route is unlikely to be at levels of health concern. For workers and residents over the plume, proper ventilation of facility buildings and homes is recommended until the groundwater contamination is adequately remediated.
CHEMCICAL HAZARDS PROGRAM NEWS

NORTH GEORGIA Griffith Oil Company Arcade, Jackson County

The Griffith Oil Company is located approximately three miles southeast of Arcade, Jackson County, Georgia. The site operated as a used oil treatment, storage, and disposal facility beginning in 1975 and has been inactive since operations ceased in 1991. Prior site activities are not known.
Soil samples obtained during a site inspection in June 1994 by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GEPD) were determined to be hazardous for ignitability. In 1995, GEPD proceeded with a removal action, and soil with elevated levels of petroleum hydrocarbons was excavated and stored on-site.
In 1995, large volumes of waste, including approximately 50 tanks, 300 drums, and numerous paint cans that had been abandoned were removed from the site. No buried drums were found.
To evaluate the impact of past site activities on groundwater in the vicinity, geologic mapping of the site and vicinity, inventory and sampling of on- and off-site water supply wells, and installation and sampling of monitoring wells was conducted by GEPD contractors. Results indicate that the site is a source of hazardous chemicals released to the saprolite and bedrock aquifer systems on and around the site.
Groundwater monitoring well samples results revealed the presence of metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) above state and federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards. These standards are used to regulate public drinking water systems. As a result, individual water wells in the vicinity were sampled in 1997, and analyses showed that several wells contained one or more of the following regulated VOCs: 1,1dichlorethene, trichlorethylene, and/or tetrachlorethylene above levels of health concern.
In response, GEPD, in cooperation with the District Health Director, issued a health advisory to inform residents with contaminated wells that they should stop using their well water for consumption, cooking, and bathing. Community officials applied for federal grant funds to connect affected residents to the municipal

water supply, but because of limited funding, the application was denied. Consequently, the Jackson County Water and Sewage Authority obtained a no-interest loan from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, and a grant from GEPD to provide all nearby residents with a municipal water supply. All but one resident connected to the municipal water supply; there is no well sampling data for the one well whose owner chose not to connect. The Georgia Division of Public Health (GDPH) provided health education to the homeowner about the groundwater contamination.
In the fall of 1998, the Chemical Hazards Program released a health consultation for the site, and in 2001, conducted a site review to assess new environmental data and community health concerns. The health consultation review determined that proposed public health actions and recommendations had been carried out, and that the site currently poses no risk to the public's health. In addition, the review document concluded that:
Residents exposed to contaminated groundwater in the past are currently using the public water supply. The one resident who chose not to connect to the public water supply was provided education about the contaminants in groundwater, and their potential health effects.
A future health hazard may exist if existing or new individual water wells are used for any purpose until the sources of contamination are better characte rized, and contaminated groundwater is adequately remediated.
Further investigations need to be conducted to locate potential sources of groundwater contamination, and to further delineate the extent of vertical and hor izontal soil contamination.
There are no groundwater remediation plans in place at this time. GEPD has referred this site to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for further assessment and cleanup.

VOLUME 2: ISSUE 1

NOVEMBER, 2002

Page 5

CENTRAL GEORGIA Northside Drive Area Lead Investigation
Atlanta, Fulton County

The area of concern encompasses three neighborhoods northwest of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The neighborhoods are adjacent to the former National Smelting & Refining Company and Atlantic Steel, Incorporated sites, which are being redeveloped into a multibillion dollar mixed-use neighborhood.
National Lead owned and operated a smelter facility from 1914 until 1984. Operations consisted of lead recovery (i.e., secondary lead smelting) from lead-acid batteries and lead-bearing scrap. Atlantic Steel was founded in 1901 and smelted steel for finished products such as steel bar and wire rod. Selected products were also galvanized or coated for durability. The final operation at the site, steel rolling, ceased in 1998.
After neighborhood residents inquired about potential lead contamination from past industrial operations at these facilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sampled soil in residential yards to dete rmine if lead levels exceeded EPA's screening value of 400 mg/kg, which is presumed to be protective of health and the environment. In April, July and August of 2001, EPA screened 142 properties for lead in soil. Fifty-one properties exceeded this value.
In 2002, EPA asked the Chemical Hazards Program to conduct a health consultation for the area, and to provide health education to residents. The health consultation determined that a health hazard exists for residents whose yards exceed the EPA soil lead screening value.
Small children are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead, and the most likely to be exposed because they play outdoors. Demographics in the neighborhoods have changed over the years, and 1990 census figures show 66 children under the age of six reside within a half-mile of the National Smelting and Refining site.
However, the ground cover and outdoor activity play a role in determining what dose or amount a person receives after exposure. While blood lead levels correlate well with health effects, lead concentrations in soil do not directly predict health effects.

At public meetings, residents requested blood lead level testing for children. In response, the Chemical Hazards Program coordinated with the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness (FCDH&W) to provide blood lead testing for children under 6 years of age. All test results will be collected and analyzed to determine if children in the area are at increased risk for health effects from exposure to lead. Children who have elevated blood lead levels will be provided follow up care in accordance with the Georgia Division of Public Health's guidelines.
The health consultation concluded that:
Soil lead concentrations for 51 of the 142 residential properties sampled exceeded the EPA screening value for lead in residential soil.
A public health hazard may exist if children regularly play in bare soil in residential yards with soil lead concentrations over 400 mg/kg, which EPA considers protective of human health and the environment. Constant exposure to bare soil coupled with a child's additional sources of exposure (lead-based paint in older homes, parent occupation) might cause an increase in his/her blood lead le vel.
Most homes in the area have substantial ground cover that would eliminate direct exposure with contaminated soil; therefore, blood lead levels of children in the area are not expected to increase above what is considered to cause adverse health effects under current conditions.
The Chemical Program recommends that: residents with children under six years of age with soil lead levels above 400 mg/kg should contact the GDPH to receive a blood lead testing packet; all residents with soil contaminated with lead should follow practices to minimize exposure, and additional properties in the investigation area should be sampled for lead in soil, and remedial measures taken to decrease current and prevent future exposure to lead above the EPA screening value.

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Georgia Environmental Protection Division
REGIONAL OFFICES

The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) protects Georgia's air, land, and water resources through the authority of state and federal environmental statutes. These laws regulate public and private facilities in the areas of air quality, water quality, hazardous waste, water supply, solid waste, surface mining, underground storage tanks, and others. EPD issues and enforces all state permits in these areas and has full delegation for federal environmental permits (except wetland permits).

Offices Administration Hazardous Waste Water Resources Air Protection Land Protection Radiation Programs Safe Dams Emergency Response Floodplain Management Geologic Surveyor
Water Protection
Coastal District
Coastal District
East Central District
Middle District
Mountain District
Northeast District
Southwest District

Telephone Number 404.656.4713 404.656.7802 404.656.6328 404.363.7000 404.362.2537 404.362.2675 404.362.2678 404.656.6905 404.656.6382 404.656.3214
404.675.6232
912.264.7284
912.353.3225
706.792.7744
478.751.6612
770.387.4900
706.369.6376
229.430.4144

Location Address
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Atlanta, GA 30334
4244 International Parkway Atlanta, GA 30354
7 Martin Luther King Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30334
19 Martin Luther King Blvd, Room 400 Atlanta, GA 30334
4220 International Parkway Atlanta, GA 30354
One Conservation Way Brunswick, GA 31523
6555 Abercorn Street Suite 130 Savannah, GA 31403
1885 Tobacco Road Suite A Augusta, GA 30906
2640 Shurling Drive Macon, GA 31211
16 Center Road Cartersville, GA 30120
745 Gaines School Road Athens, GA 30605
2024 Newton Road Albany, GA 31701

EPD's MISSION: We help provide Georgia's citizens with clean air, clean water, healthy lives and productive land by assuring compliance with environmental laws and by assisting others to do their
part for a better environment.

VOLUME 2: ISSUE 1

NOVEMBER, 2002

Page 9

The goal of the CHEMICAL HAZARDS PROGRAM is to provide a resource to help evaluate and prevent the potential and/or actual adverse health effects to people in Georgia from exposure to hazardous
chemicals in the environment. The CHEMICAL HAZARDS PROGRAM provides public health assessments and consultations, needs assessments, technical assistance, community education, staff training, and referrals for district and county health departments, residents, health care professionals, and state and federal agencies.

CHP STAFF
JANE PERRY, Program Director MAURICE REDMOND, Health Assessor FRANKLIN SANCHEZ, Health Assessor PAMELA NOAH, Health Educator
(404) 547-6534 BRAD WIGGINS
District Risk Communicator - District 1-1, Rome (706) 802-5343 EBENEZER ADEDUN Health Assessment Specialist District 3-5, DeKalb County (404) 508-7900 VACANT District Risk Communicator - District 5-2, Macon (478) 751-6113 GARY HUMMEL District Risk Communicator - District 9-3, Brunswick (912) 264-3236

Chemical Hazards Program Environmental Health Section Georgia Division of Public Health 2 Peachtree Street, 16th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303-3142 Phone: (404) 657-6534 Fax: (404) 657-6533 Email: jmperry@dhr.state.ga.us
This newsletter is published semiannually by the Chemical Hazards Program. We welcome articles and letters for publica-
tion. Please send submissions, questions, and requests to be added to the mailing list to receive this newsletter to: jmperry@dhr.state.ga.us, or call (404) 657-6511.
DPH02.164HW

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Division of Public Health Chemical Hazards Program 2 Peachtree Street, 16th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303-3142