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1. ATSDR > Public Health Assessments & Consultations

CONCLUSIONS

1. • Biota (catfish) samples from Eustis Lake, Bailey's Creek and Brown's Lake contain elevated levels of PCB. Additional information was collected at Eustis Lake by the U.S. Army. These samples detected PCBs in several species of fish. Catfish, shad and carp should not be eaten. Bass and crappie consumption should be limited. Fishing restrictions in place at Fort Eustis prohibit consumption, and are therefore protective of human health.
   • No additional sampling is planned for Bailey's Creek. Fish from Bailey's Creek should not be consumed, at least unless further information is obtained to clarify PCB levels in fish. Plans are in place to prohibit fishing in this water body.
   • Consumption of fish from Brown's Lake should continue to be prohibited.
   • Given the in-place and planned fishing restrictions at Fort Eustis, consumption of biota represents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.

1. • There does not appear to be a significant amount of contamination in surface water in Fort Eustis. An exception was the TPH contamination at Milstead Island Creek. However, based on the results of the supplementary RI conducted in this area, there does not appear to be a current public health hazard. Based on this information, surface water contamination of Milstead Island Creek is considered No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   • Biota contamination in Eustis Lake suggests surface water or sediment may be contaminated. It is unlikely that PCB contamination is high enough that recreational (infrequent and short-term exposure) would result in a public health hazard. Surface water in Eustis Lake represents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   • The Warwick River does not appear to be contaminated by chemicals from Fort Eustis IRP sites and presents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   • Surface water at Fort Eustis presents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.

1. Groundwater under Fort Eustis is locally contaminated. This water is not used by the post for drinking water, so does not pose a hazard to public health. The contamination is localized to the immediate vicinity of sources, and is not a threat to reach the main portion of the York-James Peninsula. Groundwater contamination at Fort Eustis presents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   
   
2. Sediment contamination exists within Fort Eustis. The area with the highest levels of sediment contamination is Bailey's Creek. Lead and PCBs are the primary contaminants. However, there does not appear to be an completed sediment exposure pathway. Therefore, sediment at Fort Eustis presents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   
   
3. Soil contamination at Fort Eustis appears to be localized within relatively small areas. Access to these areas is limited by institutional controls. There do not appear to be completed exposure pathways related to soil contamination. Therefore, soil at Fort Eustis presents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   
   
4. There is no evidence of an air exposure pathway at Fort Eustis. Therefore, the air exposure pathway represents No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
   
   
5. A summary of the exposures situations evaluated is shown in Table 3.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA; also known as Superfund) as amended, requires ATSDR to conduct needed follow-up health actions in communities living near hazardous waste sites. To identify appropriate actions, ATSDR created the Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP). HARP has evaluated the data and information contained in the Fort Eustis Public Health Assessment for appropriate public health actions. HARP supports the continuation of restrictions placed on fishing in the contaminated water bodies. Based on the information available, this site poses no apparent public health risk. If additional information becomes available that may indicate a public health risk, this information will be evaluated by the HARP. HARP determined that health education and health studies follow-up actions are not warranted. As discussed above, there do not appear to have been exposures in the past which resulted in public health problems, and there are no current exposures.

1. Institutional controls, such as warning signs, should remain or be put in place at Brown's Lake, Bailey's Creek and Eustis Lake. If these signs do not prohibit fishing, they should require catch-and-release fishing.
   
   
2. Institutional controls should remain in effect at all areas documented by the remedial investigation to contain environmental contamination or physical hazards until the potential for public health hazard is eliminated.
   
   
3. Sampling of the tributaries of the Warwick River should continue as planned to verify that contaminants are not reaching that river in significant quantities.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

The public health action plan (PHAP) for Fort Eustis, Virginia NPL site contains a description of actions to be taken by ATSDR and/or other governmental agencies at of the site and in the vicinity subsequent to the completion of this public health assessment. The purpose of PHAP is to ensure that this public health assessment not only identifies public health hazards, but also provides a plan of action designed to mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects that would result from any exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. Included is a commitment on the part of ATSDR to follow up on this plan. The public health actions to be implemented are as follows:

Actions Recommended or Planned

1. The Army should maintain institutional controls to restrict the possibility of access to IRP sites that might present physical hazards, and should enforce the fishing advisory at Brown's Lake, Bailey's Creek and Eustis Lake. This advisory should include maintenance of warning signs at these water bodies, as well as distribution of information material at recreation centers, security offices and environmental-public safety offices.
   
   
2. ATSDR will review the remedial activities at Fort Eustis, to evaluate the proposed remediations in relation to protection of public health. ATSDR comments and recommendations, as appropriate, will be provided to EPA, the Army and State of Virginia.

Action Taken In Response to ATSDR Recommendations

1. Edible fish tissue samples were collected and analyzed at Eustis Lake.
   
   
2. Prohibitions on fishing from Eustis Lake and Bailey's Creek have been enacted or are planned.
   
   
3. Supplementary information on TPH contamination has been collected at Milstead Island Creek. No TPHs were found above the detection level of 0.5 ppm.

ATSDR will reevaluate and modify the Public Health Action Plan as needed. New relevant data, or the results of implementing the above proposed actions, may determine the need for additional actions at this site.

REFERENCES

1. King, Benjamin, 1994, Draft - A Brief History of Fort Eustis, U.S. Army Transportation Center and Fort Eustis.
   
   
2. Bureau of Census, 1990, Census of Population and Housing, 1990, Summary tape File 1A (Virginia)
   
   
3. ATSDR, 1995, ATSDR Record of Communication, Mr. Dan Musel, U.S. Army Transportation Center, Fort Eustis, May 19, 1995.
   
   
4. Montgomery Watson, 1995, Draft Remedial Investigation for Five Sites, Volume 1, for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, January 1995.
   
   
5. Great Lakes Fish Advisory Task Force, 1993, Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory, September, 1993.
   
   
6. ATSDR, 1996, Record of Communication, Dan Musel, Fort Eustis Public Works, March 12, 1996.
   
   
7. ATSDR, 1995, Record of Communication, Dan Musel, Fort Eustis Public Works, April 27, 1995.
   
   
8. PetroChem Recovery Services, Inc, 1996, Remedial Investigation Supplementary Information - Milstead Island Creek, Fort Eustis, Newport News, Virginia, for U.S. Army Transportation Center, March 1996.
   
   
9. Montgomery Watson, 1995, Draft Remedial Investigation for Five Sites, Volume 3, for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, January 1995.
   
   
10. U.S Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, 1995, Human Health Risk Assessment and Receiving Water Biological Study No. 39-26-3586-95, Fish Consumption Advisory for Eustis Lake, Fort Eustis, Virginia, 10-13, 1995.
    
    
11. ATSDR, 1995, Draft Toxicological Profile for Fuel Oils, November 1993.
    
    
12. ATSDR, 1995, Draft Toxicological Profile for Automotive Gasoline, November 1993.
    
    
13. Montgomery Watson, 1995, Draft Remedial Investigation for Five Sites, Volume 2, for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, January 1995.
    
    
14. ATSDR, 1993, Toxicological Profile for Lead - Update, April 1993.
    
    
15. ATSDR, 1993, Toxicological Profile for Selected PCBs (Aroclor -1260, -1254, -1248, -1242, -1232, -1221, and -1016), April 1993.

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