PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

BOFORS NOBEL INCORPORATED
EGELSTON TOWNSHIP, MUSKEGON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
CERCLIS NO. MID006030373





CONCLUSIONS

  1. Based on the information reviewed, this site poses a past public health hazard. As noted in the Environmental Contamination and Other Hazards and Pathways Analyses sections, human exposure to DCB, benzidine, volatile organic chemicals, and metals may have occurred in the past via worker track-out, air, soil, and sediment pathways. Workers and their families have likely had the greatest exposure to contaminants. Exposure would have occurred through inhalation and direct contact due to insufficient industrial safety precautions and measures to prevent chemical track-out to workers' homes.

  2. Currently, the site poses no apparent public health hazard because, although contaminated soil and sludge remain on the site, it would be difficult for a trespasser to gain access due to the site restrictions in place.

  3. Future exposure to these chemicals may occur via contaminated groundwater, should new water supply wells be installed in the contaminated aquifer before the remediation of the groundwater contamination now in process is completed.

Several data gaps merit further investigation, including:

  1. The extent of DCB contamination in off-site soil.

  2. The source and extent of elevated concentrations of various metals found in soil on the site.

RECOMMENDATIONS
  1. Workers at the Lomac plant and workers involved in remedial activities should follow appropriate OSHA and Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA) regulations and NIOSH advisories.

  2. The groundwater purge system should remain in operation and its effectiveness monitored until the groundwater contamination is fully remediated. Institutional controls against use of the groundwater in the area of the site should be considered. Institutional controls have been included in the remedies proposed for the two operable units at the site.

  3. Further off-site soil sampling should be done to establish the extent of the area affected.

  4. The occasional lead, chromium, and arsenic soil contamination discovered during the RI should be further investigated to determine the source and to develop appropriate remedial actions.

HEALTH ACTIVITIES RECOMMENDATION PANEL STATEMENT

A Health Activities Recommendation Panel convened by ATSDR and MDCH has evaluated the data and information developed for the Bofors-Nobel Public Health Assessment for appropriate follow-up health actions. The panel determined that because human exposure to site-related contaminants has occurred in the past, particularly to workers at the on-site industrial facility and their families, the site should be considered for a pilot health study and surveillance activities. A program of health education for the community around the site and health professionals serving them should be developed as part of the health study.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

Public Health Action Plans (PHAP) are developed to describe actions to be taken by ATSDR and/or the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) at and in the vicinity of sites subsequent to the completion of Public Health Assessments. The purpose of the PHAP is to ensure that this Public Health Assessment not only identifies public health hazards, but also provides a plan of action designed to further evaluate, mitigate, and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. Included is a commitment on the part of ATSDR and MDCH to follow up on this plan to ensure that it is implemented. The public health actions to be implemented by ATSDR and/or MDCH are as follows:

Health Actions Planned

ATSDR, MDCH, and local health departments are initiating a health study of workers, their families, and exposed community members in relation to the Bofors-Nobel site and two other facilities in Michigan where chemicals similar to DCB were manufactured or used.

The MDCH, under a grant from ATSDR, is developing a program of community and health professional health education at several sites in Michigan. This will include a county-wide program for Muskegon County, which will also address the situation at the Bofors-Nobel site.

ATSDR and MDCH will coordinate with federal and state environmental agencies to carry out other recommendations made in this assessment.

ATSDR will reevaluate and expand the Public Health Action Plan when needed. New environmental, toxicological, or health outcome data, or the results of implementing the above proposed actions and recommendations may determine the need for additional actions at this site.

PREPARERS OF REPORT

Environmental and Health Effects Assessors:

John Filpus, Ph.D.
Environmental Engineer

John L. Hesse
Principal Investigator

James W. Bedford, Ph.D.
Environmental Toxicologist

Robin Freer
GIS Specialist

Brendan Boyle
Health Assessment Coordinator

Michigan Department of Community Health

ATSDR Regional Representative

Louise Fabinski
Regional Services, Region V
Office of the Assistant Administrator

ATSDR Technical Project Officer

William Greim
Technical Project Officer
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Superfund Site Assessment Branch

CERTIFICATION

The Bofors-Nobel, Inc. Public Health Assessment was prepared by the Michigan Department of Community Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the health assessment was initiated.

William Greim, M.S., M.P.H
Technical Project Officer, SPS, RPB, DHAC

The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this health assessment and concurs with its findings.

Robert C. Williams, P.E., DEE
Director, DHAC, ATSDR

REFERENCES
  1. GZA-Donohue. Remedial Investigation Report for the Bofors Site, Muskegon, Michigan. February 1990.

  2. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Air Quality Division. Summary of DCB Investigations. September 29, 1980.

  3. Oudbier, A.J., of MDPH. Memorandum to D. Williams. March 2, 1981.

  4. Oudbier, A.J., of MDPH. Memorandum to D. Williams. March 10, 1981.

  5. Ballantyne, M. H., Bean, D.J., Howard, C., and Riggin, R.M., of Battelle Columbus Laboratories. Final Report on Biological and Chemical Assessment of Big Black Creek, Muskegon County, Michigan, to Bofors-Lakeway, Inc., Muskegon, Michigan. October 29, 1982.

  6. Rathbun, N.L., of Bofors-Nobel. Letter to G. Heyt, MDNR. July 11, 1984.

  7. National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health. Health Hazard Evaluation Report – Bofors-Nobel/Lakeway Corp. 1985.

  8. Michigan Department of Public Health, for ATSDR. Preliminary Health Assessment for Bofors-Nobel, Inc. August 27, 1990.

  9. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Record of Decision, Bofors-Nobel site, Lagoon Area Operable Unit. September 17, 1990.

  10. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Record of Decision Amendment, Bofors-Nobel site, Lagoon Area Operable Unit. July 1992.

  11. Fagiolo, J., U.S. EPA. Letter to parties interested in the Bofors-Nobel site. June 15, 1993.

  12. Michigan Department of Public Health, for ATSDR. Interim Public Health Assessment for Bofors-Nobel, Inc. March 24, 1992.

  13. U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1990 Census Data.

  14. Michigan Department of Public Health. Fish Consumption Advisory. In Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1993 Michigan Fishing Guide, pp. 23-26. January 1993.

  15. Brogren, B., MDPH Water Supply Division. Personal Communication. November 3, 1993.

  16. Paez, E., MDPH Water Supply Division. Personal Communication. November 3, 1993.

  17. Paez, E., MDPH Water Supply Division/MDEQ Division of Drinking Water and Radiological Protection. Personal Communication. April 1, 1996.

  18. Novak, J.J., MDPH Division of Occupational Health. Letter to Bofors-Nobel. January 24, 1985.

  19. Bosch, W.W., MDPH Division of Occupational Health. Letter to Lomac, Inc. March 1, 1989.

  20. Bosch, W.W., MDPH Division of Occupational Health. Letter to Lomac, Inc. October 9, 1989.

  21. Bosch, W.W., MDPH Division of Occupational Health. Personal communication. April 19, 1995.

  22. Bosch, W.W., MDPH Division of Occupational Health/Michigan Department of Labor. Personal Communication. April 1, 1996.

  23. GZA-Donohue. Draft Initial Site Evaluation – Bofors-Nobel Site, Muskegon, Michigan. 1987.

  24. Michigan Department of Public Health. Letter from William A. Kelley, Chief, Division of Water Supply, to International Chemical Workers Union and Bofors-Lakeway, Subject: Water Supply. April 3, 1979.

  25. Michigan Department of Public Health. Letter from Maurice Reizen, Director, to International Chemical Workers Union and Bofors-Lakeway, Subject: Water Supply. June 15, 1979.

  26. Michigan Department of Public Health. Letter from William A. Kelley, Chief, Division of Water Supply, to International Chemical Workers Union and Bofors-Lakeway, Subject: Water Supply. May 14, 1980.

  27. Michigan Department of Public Health. Letter from William A. Kelley, Chief, Division of Water Supply, to Bofors-Lakeway, Subject: Water Supply. July 8, 1980.

  28. Michigan Department of Public Health. Letter from William A. Kelley, Chief, Division of Water Supply, to Bofors-Lakeway, Subject: Water Supply. November 5, 1980.

  29. Michigan Department of Public Health. Letter from Shirley Dible, Division of Water Supply, to Bofors-Lakeway, Subject: Water Supply Monitoring. January 13, 1981.

  30. Michigan Department of Public Health. Unpublished laboratory data. November 22, 1988.

  31. Michigan Department of Public Health. Unpublished laboratory data and field notes. July 1991.

  32. Teichmer, R.D., Lomac, Inc. Letter to Eugene Paez, MDPH. May 18, 1992.

  33. WW Engineering and Science, for Lomac, Inc. Analytical Reports on Quarterly Monitoring. March 1992-June 1993.

  34. Teichmer, R.D., Lomac, Inc. Letter to Eugene Paez, MDPH. July 15, 1993.

  35. Teichmer, R.D., Lomac, Inc. Letter to Eugene Paez, MDPH. January 5, 1994.

  36. Michigan Department of Public Health. Unpublished laboratory data and field notes. October 12, 1993.

  37. Teichmer, R.D., Lomac, Inc. Letter to Eugene Paez, MDPH. September 23, 1994.

  38. EDI Engineering and Science. Results of Water and Soil Analysis. December 1986.

  39. MDNR. Bofors, Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Event. January 1994.

  40. MRI. Monthly Progress Report For November 1993, Ambient Air Sampling and Analysis at Bofors/Nobel Superfund Site, Muskegon, Michigan.

  41. Przybysz, R., MDNR. Letter to H. Hill. June 1, 1988.

  42. VandenHeuvel, M., Muskegon County Health Department. Letter to J. Hill. August 28, 1990.

  43. O'Donnell, D., MDNR. Personal communication. April 20, 1995.

  44. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Surface Water Quality Division. Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program, 1989 Annual Report. MI/DNR/SWQ-89/168. December 1989.

  45. Nauen, C.C. Compilation of Legal Limits for Hazardous Substances in Fish and Fishery Products. FAO Fisheries Circular No. 764. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy. 1983.

  46. O'Donnell, D., MDNR. Personal communication during MDPH site visit. July 11, 1995.

  47. Bosch, W.W., MDPH Division of Occupational Health. Letter to Lomac, Inc. July 12, 1990.

  48. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine. ATSDR/TP-89/09. December 1989.

  49. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Benzidine. ATSDR/TP-89/01. December 1989.

  50. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Tetrachloroethylene, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/18. April 1993.

  51. Hazardous Substances Data Bank. National Library of Medicine, National Toxicology Information Program, Bethesda, MD. February 2, 1994.

  52. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Toluene, Update, Draft for Public Comment. October 1992.

  53. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/05. April 1993.

  54. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Benzene, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/03. April 1993.

  55. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for 1,2-Dichloroethane, Update, Draft for Public Comment. October 1992.

  56. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Vinyl Chloride, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/20. April 1993.

  57. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Chlorobenzene. ATSDR/TP-90/06. December 1990.

  58. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Trichloroethylene, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/19. April 1993.

  59. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Arsenic, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/02. April 1993.

  60. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Lead, Update. ATSDR/TP-92/12. April 1993.

  61. MDPH Office of the State Registrar and Center for Health Statistics. Cancer Incidence & Mortality / Michigan 1987, Vol. 3, p. 71. July 1989.

  62. Spivak, G., MDPH Office of State Registrar/Division of Health Statistics. Memorandum to J. Filpus. February 3, 1995.

  63. Spivak, G., MDPH Office of State Registrar/Division of Health Statistics. Memorandum to D. Dolanski. September 29, 1995.

  64. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual. March 1992.

  65. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hazard Ranking System Package. 1986.

OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES NOT CITED IN TEXT
  1. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Files.

  2. Michigan Department of Public Health Files.

  3. GZA-Donohue. Work Plan for Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for Bofors Site, Muskegon, Michigan. October 1987.




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