October 26, 2007 -- The Baltimore City Health Department is releasing the final report of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry on Swann Park. The report updates the federal agency’s preliminary report by incorporating new information on soil in the park and comments from the community. Agency officials will come to Baltimore on November 1 to discuss the findings with the public.
To review the report online, please go to
http://www.baltimorehealth.org/.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Meeting Announcement
There will be a community meeting on Thursday, November 1st at 6:30 pm at Digital Harbor High School. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and City officials will discuss the proposal to remediate Swann Park and update the community on the status of health and environmental assessments.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
City and Honeywell Submit Proposal for Swann Park
October 5, 2007—City Solicitor George Nilson released the following statement on the plan to remediate Swann Park:
“Baltimore City and the Honeywell Corporation submitted a plan to clean up Swann Park today. In addition to other measures, the plan would protect all visitors by adding at least two feet of new soil on top of the entire park. The city would oversee and maintain the Park to ensure that this protection remains intact over time. It is anticipated that this plan would permit the Park to be re-opened in 2008.The next steps for the proposal include review by the Maryland Department of the Environment, a public meeting and comment period, and a final order for clean up by the state. The city looks forward to working with the public, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the Honeywell Corporation to identify and implement the best remedy for Swann Park.”
The plan is posted online at: http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/Health/swannpark.asp
“Baltimore City and the Honeywell Corporation submitted a plan to clean up Swann Park today. In addition to other measures, the plan would protect all visitors by adding at least two feet of new soil on top of the entire park. The city would oversee and maintain the Park to ensure that this protection remains intact over time. It is anticipated that this plan would permit the Park to be re-opened in 2008.The next steps for the proposal include review by the Maryland Department of the Environment, a public meeting and comment period, and a final order for clean up by the state. The city looks forward to working with the public, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the Honeywell Corporation to identify and implement the best remedy for Swann Park.”
The plan is posted online at: http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/Health/swannpark.asp
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Update on Federal Agency Review
Swann Park Update (August 16, 2007) -- The preliminary Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Report on arsenic exposure in Swann Park was presented to the public in June for comment. The comment period closed on July 30. The final report, updated with more comprehensive environmental sampling data and new bioaccessability results from the site, as well as public comments, is expected to be released by the end of 2007.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Swann Park Task Force Releases First Report
The Swann Park Task Force, convened by the Baltimore City Health Department in May 2007, at the request of Mayor Sheila Dixon, has released its first report.
In this report, the Task Force addresses the events of the spring of 1976 – when Swann Park was briefly closed for health concerns and then re-opened after the Kepone Task Force, a blue-ribbon panel of federal, state, and local health officials, found no hazard.
The first of four reports investigates why the arsenic levels at Swann Park were not recognized or addressed decades earlier. Following reports will review testing subsequent to the Kepone Task Force of 1976, the legal framework for reporting, disclosure, and cleanup from 1976 to the
present and finally, recommendations on changes in law or enforcement needed to avert similar
situations in the future.
Swann Park Task Force members include:
• Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, a pediatrician and Professor of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health
• Heather A. Moore, President of the Federal Hill South Neighborhood Association
• George Nilson, Baltimore City Solicitor and former Deputy Attorney General for the
State of Maryland
• Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City
• Stuart Simms, partner in the law firm of Brown, Goldstein, and Levy
The Swann Park Task Force report and supporting documents are online at
www.baltimorehealth.org
In this report, the Task Force addresses the events of the spring of 1976 – when Swann Park was briefly closed for health concerns and then re-opened after the Kepone Task Force, a blue-ribbon panel of federal, state, and local health officials, found no hazard.
The first of four reports investigates why the arsenic levels at Swann Park were not recognized or addressed decades earlier. Following reports will review testing subsequent to the Kepone Task Force of 1976, the legal framework for reporting, disclosure, and cleanup from 1976 to the
present and finally, recommendations on changes in law or enforcement needed to avert similar
situations in the future.
Swann Park Task Force members include:
• Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, a pediatrician and Professor of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health
• Heather A. Moore, President of the Federal Hill South Neighborhood Association
• George Nilson, Baltimore City Solicitor and former Deputy Attorney General for the
State of Maryland
• Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City
• Stuart Simms, partner in the law firm of Brown, Goldstein, and Levy
The Swann Park Task Force report and supporting documents are online at
www.baltimorehealth.org
Monday, June 18, 2007
Information for Submitting Comments on ATSDR Report
ATSDR is interested in receiving written comments on their report through July 30. Please send reports to:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
ATTN: Records Center
1600 Clifton Road, NE (Mail Stop E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333
The Health Department requests that copies also be sent to:
Rianna Brown
Baltimore City Health Department
210 Guilford Avenue
Baltimore Maryland 21202.
To review the report online, please go to
http://www.baltimorehealth.org/.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
ATTN: Records Center
1600 Clifton Road, NE (Mail Stop E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333
The Health Department requests that copies also be sent to:
Rianna Brown
Baltimore City Health Department
210 Guilford Avenue
Baltimore Maryland 21202.
To review the report online, please go to
http://www.baltimorehealth.org/.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Federal Agency Releases Swann Park Report
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a sister agency to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has released its Health Consultation report about health risks posed by contaminated soil in Swann Park.
The 22-page report is online at http://www.baltimorehealth.org/.
Also posted is a three-page summary of the report’s main findings. Scientists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will present the report and answer questions on Thursday, June 14, at Digital Harbor High School at 6:30 p.m.
The agency is accepting public comments on the report through July 30, 2007.
The 22-page report is online at http://www.baltimorehealth.org/.
Also posted is a three-page summary of the report’s main findings. Scientists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will present the report and answer questions on Thursday, June 14, at Digital Harbor High School at 6:30 p.m.
The agency is accepting public comments on the report through July 30, 2007.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Meeting Announcement
There will be a community meeting on Thursday, June 14th at 6:30 pm at Digital Harbor High School.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has completed its initial health assessment, which evaluates the health risks of arsenic at Swann Park. They will review their report at this meeting, and the community will have the opportunity to discuss the findings and recommendations.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has completed its initial health assessment, which evaluates the health risks of arsenic at Swann Park. They will review their report at this meeting, and the community will have the opportunity to discuss the findings and recommendations.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Meeting Announcement
There will be a community meeting on Monday, May 21, at 7 pm at Digital Harbor High School.
At the meeting, city officials and a technical consultant will review plans for the environmental improvement of the Race Street facility site. They will also review the initial plans for Swann Park.
The meeting will not include new information on the health risks of the park. The evaluation from the federal agency is expected in early June.
At the meeting, city officials and a technical consultant will review plans for the environmental improvement of the Race Street facility site. They will also review the initial plans for Swann Park.
The meeting will not include new information on the health risks of the park. The evaluation from the federal agency is expected in early June.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Updates
Health Assessment
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry expects to complete its initial health assessment by early June. The agency will provide a specific date of release, and the Health Department will schedule an opportunity for the community to meet with ATSDR and discuss the findings and recommendations.
Email address
The Health Department has set up an email address, swannpark@baltimorecity.gov , for general questions related to the Swann Park situation. We will post questions and answers that have general applicability on this site. (Specific medical questions should be directed to your physician.)
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry expects to complete its initial health assessment by early June. The agency will provide a specific date of release, and the Health Department will schedule an opportunity for the community to meet with ATSDR and discuss the findings and recommendations.
Email address
The Health Department has set up an email address, swannpark@baltimorecity.gov , for general questions related to the Swann Park situation. We will post questions and answers that have general applicability on this site. (Specific medical questions should be directed to your physician.)
Monday, May 7, 2007
Swann Park Task Force Announced
Mayor Dixon and Health Commissioner Sharfstein are announcing the formation of the Swann Park Task Force, which will investigate and report to the Mayor on why arsenic contamination in Swann Park is only coming to public attention now and what steps should be taken to avoid such situations in the future. [Press Release] [More Information on the Swann Park closure]
Friday, April 27, 2007
Testing for Arsenic Levels
At the community meeting last night, several residents asked questions about whether they should be tested for exposure to arsenic.
Here is what the Centers for Disease Control says about arsenic testing:
“There are tests available to measure arsenic in your blood, urine, hair, and fingernails. The urine test is the most reliable test for arsenic exposure within the last few days. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels of arsenic over the past 6-12 months. These tests can determine if you have been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic. They cannot predict how the arsenic levels in your body will affect your health.”
In the case of Swann Park, the Health Department consulted with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) on April 19, within hours after learning of the test results. The Agency did not recommend an immediate urine testing effort. With few people exposed to the park in the couple of days prior to the closure of the park, and the very small chance of substantial soil ingestion, the agency staff were concerned that testing results would not directly reflect exposure to the park and could provide a false sense of safety.
The Health Department also contacted experts at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to review the Swann Park situation. As part of these conversations, all of the experts agreed that urine testing of arsenic would not be helpful or informative.
Most important, all agreed that assessing the risk of the park to city residents does not depend on urine testing.
The best way to assess the risk is to estimate the exposure to the park, and compare that with what’s known about arsenic toxicity. As we discussed at the community meeting last night, ATSDR has begun this effort.
The Health Department also asked ATSDR to make recommendations about whether hair and fingernail testing of arsenic would be worthwhile.
As soon as we hear back, we will post the answer – and arrange testing if advised. If you have questions, please feel free to call your doctor, call the Health Department via 311 or (410 396 4398) or email at bchd@baltimorecity.gov.
Here is what the Centers for Disease Control says about arsenic testing:
“There are tests available to measure arsenic in your blood, urine, hair, and fingernails. The urine test is the most reliable test for arsenic exposure within the last few days. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels of arsenic over the past 6-12 months. These tests can determine if you have been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic. They cannot predict how the arsenic levels in your body will affect your health.”
In the case of Swann Park, the Health Department consulted with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) on April 19, within hours after learning of the test results. The Agency did not recommend an immediate urine testing effort. With few people exposed to the park in the couple of days prior to the closure of the park, and the very small chance of substantial soil ingestion, the agency staff were concerned that testing results would not directly reflect exposure to the park and could provide a false sense of safety.
The Health Department also contacted experts at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to review the Swann Park situation. As part of these conversations, all of the experts agreed that urine testing of arsenic would not be helpful or informative.
Most important, all agreed that assessing the risk of the park to city residents does not depend on urine testing.
The best way to assess the risk is to estimate the exposure to the park, and compare that with what’s known about arsenic toxicity. As we discussed at the community meeting last night, ATSDR has begun this effort.
The Health Department also asked ATSDR to make recommendations about whether hair and fingernail testing of arsenic would be worthwhile.
As soon as we hear back, we will post the answer – and arrange testing if advised. If you have questions, please feel free to call your doctor, call the Health Department via 311 or (410 396 4398) or email at bchd@baltimorecity.gov.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Letter from Honeywell
Click here for an April 26 letter to Councilman Reisinger, Dr. Sharfstein, and Connie Brown from Honeywell.
Letters from Health Department
Click here for a copy of Dr. Sharfstein's April 19 letter to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Click here for a copy of Dr. Sharfstein's April 23 letter to MDE Secretary Shari Wilson on the review of neighboring uses of hazardous waste sites in the city.
Click here for a copy of Dr. Sharfstein's April 23 letter to MDE Secretary Shari Wilson on the review of neighboring uses of hazardous waste sites in the city.
Information Available Online
The Maryland Department of the Environment has just created a helpful website with many documents related to Swann Park. These include the company documents from the mid-1970s, the recent correspondence that led to the re-testing, and the April 2007 test results.
The website is http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/Health/swannpark.asp
There is also link in the left column of the updates page on the Baltimore City Health Department website.
The website is http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/Health/swannpark.asp
There is also link in the left column of the updates page on the Baltimore City Health Department website.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Meeting for Thursday April 26
We are confirmed for a 5:30 PM Community Meeting this Thursday April 26th at Digital Harbor HS Auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is for staff from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to hear from the community and discuss the Agency's plans for its assessment of the risk to human health of arsenic in the park.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Fishing near Swann Park in the Patapsco River
At the recent community meeting, a question came up about whether it is safe to eat fish caught near the Swann Park area.
Generally, the state has identified the waters of the Baltimore Harbor and the Patapsco as having fish with elevated levels of mercury and other chemicals. The state has established fish consumption guidelines that should be followed by anyone who chooses to continue to use these waterways for fishing.
The Maryland Department of the Environment offers an extensive website on fish consumption in our area, providing guidelines for all citizens, including children and pregnant women. Please see the guidelines online at: http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/FishandShellfish/home/index.asp.
Generally, the state has identified the waters of the Baltimore Harbor and the Patapsco as having fish with elevated levels of mercury and other chemicals. The state has established fish consumption guidelines that should be followed by anyone who chooses to continue to use these waterways for fishing.
The Maryland Department of the Environment offers an extensive website on fish consumption in our area, providing guidelines for all citizens, including children and pregnant women. Please see the guidelines online at: http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/FishandShellfish/home/index.asp.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Community Meeting on Swann Park
On April 22, the Mayor and Health Commissioner met with community members at 3 pm at Digital Harbor High School. Also attending were Councilman Reisinger and Delegate McHale. We discussed plans (1) for the Agency for Toxic Releases and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to investigate potential human health concerns from exposure to arsenic and other chemicals at Swann Park; (2) the plan to be put forward by the city and Honeywell with the oversight of the Maryland Department of the Environment to remediate the site; and (3) the investigation to understand who knew about arsenic contamination at the park between 1976 and today. The meeting ended at approximately 5 pm.
ATSDR is assembling its team on Monday. We will schedule an opportunity for the community to provide input into the health review in the near future.
ATSDR is assembling its team on Monday. We will schedule an opportunity for the community to provide input into the health review in the near future.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Lead Exposure at Swann Park
The Health Department has posted an information sheet on lead exposure from soil in Swann Park. The factsheet also provides recommendations on reducing the potential for lead and other exposures from soil. [Factsheet]
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