OSSINEKE GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
OSSINEKE, ALPENA COUNTY, MICHIGAN
CONCLUSIONS
The Ossineke Ground-water Contamination site poses no apparent public health hazard under current conditions. It did pose a public health hazard in the past, due to past exposure to environmental contaminants at levels of health concern. The site may pose a public health hazard again in the future due to the potential for future exposures to ground-water contaminants at levels of public health concern. As noted in the Environmental Contamination and Physical Hazards section, human exposure to benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and phenol may have occurred in the past and may occur in the future via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact with groundwater. The affected groundwater is not used at this time, though it was used in the past prior to the detection of the contamination. The contamination is still present in the ground water, and new wells drilled into affected aquifer, despite the advisories currently in place, could be contaminated.
Air sampled from basements at and near the site contained low concentrations of various volatile
organic chemicals. The concentrations were generally not high enough to be expected to cause
non-cancer adverse health effects. However, there could be some increased risk of developing
cancer after exposure to benzene, chloroform, and methylene chloride that were found in the
basement air. The presence of these chemicals in the basement air is not necessarily related to
the contamination in other environmental media at the site, in that the chemicals were also found
in areas where no contamination in other media were found, the concentrations found were
comparable to those found in studies of residential air with no known environmental
contamination, and some of the chemicals were found in laboratory quality control samples as
well as the field samples.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following actions are recommended:
Residents of the site area are advised not to use water from the contaminated aquifer, and are encouraged to take measures to prevent future use of endangered wells.
Residential wells that have been replaced because of contamination should be properly abandoned to prevent future use of the wells.
Regular monitoring of the contaminant plume should be a part of any remediation at this site.
Residential wells that may be threatened by contamination should be monitored periodically until clean-up is complete.
Water and sediment from the Devils River, in the area where groundwater from the site is likely to discharge, should be sampled and analyzed to evaluate the possibility of exposure to site-related contamination.
HEALTH ACTIVITIES RECOMMENDATION PANEL STATEMENT
A Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP) convened by ATSDR and MDPH has
evaluated the data and information developed for the Ossineke Ground-water Contamination
Public Health Assessment for appropriate follow-up health actions. The panel determined that
there are indications that human exposure to on-site contaminants has occurred, and that a
program of public health education for the community and for health professionals serving the
area should be implemented. The HARP did not recommend any other follow-up health
activities at this time because the residents were probably not exposed to the contaminated
groundwater for a length of time that is likely to cause adverse health effects.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN
Public Health Action Plans (PHAP) are developed to describe actions to be taken by ATSDR
and/or the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) at and in the vicinity of sites
subsequent to the completion of Public Health Assessments. The purpose of the PHAP is to
ensure that Public Health Assessments not only identify public health hazards, but also provide a
plan of action designed to mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from
exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. The public health actions to be
implemented by ATSDR and/or MDPH are as follows:
Health Actions Taken
In 1984, before this health assessment was begun, the MDPH assisted in procuring funds under
the Michigan Environmental Response Act (Act 307) to provide replacement wells to residents
of the Ossineke area whose wells were contaminated.
Health Actions Planned
ATSDR, the MDPH, and the Alpena County Health Department will develop a program of
community and health professionals education regarding this site.
ATSDR and MDPH will consult with the Alpena County Health Department, MDNR, U.S. EPA,
and Alpena County and Sanborn Township governments on implementation of appropriate
institutional controls to more effectively deter use of the contaminated aquifer.
ATSDR and MDPH will coordinate with federal and state environmental agencies to carry out
the 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
Michigan Department of Public Health
John W. Filpus, Environmental Engineer
James Bedford, Environmental Toxicologist
Brendan T. Boyle, Health Assessment Coordinator
John L. Hesse, Principal Investigator
ATSDR Regional Representative
Louise Fabinski
Regional Services, Region V
Office of the Assistant Administrator
ATSDR Technical Project Officer
William J. Greim
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Superfund Site Assessment Branch
CERTIFICATION
The Ossineke Ground-Water Contamination Public Health Assessment was prepared by the
Michigan Department of Public 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
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC)
ATSDR
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
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