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EPA TO HOLD PRESS AND DATA AVAILABILITY SESSIONS REGARDING RESIDENTIAL SAMPLING AT PROPERTIES IN ANNISTON, CALHOUN COUNTY, ALABAMA

Release Date: 08/04/2000
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold press and data availability sessions regarding the Spring, 2000 residential soil sampling in Anniston, Calhoun County, Alabama. The press availability session will be held on Monday, August 7, 2000 at 9:00 a.m. and the data availability session will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at the Anniston City Meeting Center, 1615 Noble Street in Anniston. Officials from EPA, the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the Alabama Department of Public Health in Montgomery (ADPH) will provide information to residents who have been notified by mail of the Spring 2000 sampling results. This information will include the site assessment, an interpretation of the results, recommendations (minimizing exposures, etc.) and follow-up activities. Due to EPA's discovery of elevated lead levels in the soil, ADPH is currently working to provide lead testing for younger children at targeted residences. ADPH will contact the families at those residences to follow-up with further information. The residential sampling is part of an ongoing environmental removal site assessment. The assessment involves sampling for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminants (e.g., metals, such as lead) to help determine the extent of contamination. The removal site assessment is being conducted in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund) and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) which authorize EPA to respond to actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health, welfare or the environment. Persons interested in obtaining additional information are encouraged to contact Karen Knight, EPA On-Scene Coordinator or Angela Leach, Community Involvement Coordinator at the Anniston PCB site Community Relations Center, 1313 Noble St., Anniston, Alabama at 256-236-2599 or 1-800-564-7577. Persons interested in contacting ADPH concerning lead issues should contact Cheryl Browder at1-800-201-8208. Persons interested in contacting ATSDR concerning health related issues should call 1-888-422-8737.