FRESH KILLS LANDFILL,
STATEN ISLAND, RICHMOND COUNTY, NEW YORK
CONCLUSIONS
ATSDR could not determine the cause of the incident where sanitation workers
were overcome by unknown gases or vapors on May 7, 1998 at the Fresh Kills landfill.
Worker breathing zone air samples for gaseous contaminants were not collected
during the incident. Breathing zone air sampling data are necessary to identify
the air contaminant(s) responsible and form a valid conclusion regarding the
cause of the incident. ATSDR attempted but was not able to access pertinent
supplementary information such as emergency room records and medical histories
of the affected workers, which may have assisted in assessing the nature of
the incident. ATSDR considers this incident to be of health concern primarily
to sanitation workers and contractors.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In order identify hazardous work conditions and possibly prevent
similar incidents from occurring the Deparment of Sanitation should take measures
to characterize worker exposure. The Department of Sanitation should consider
the following:
implementing the use of a multi-sensor gas monitoring instrument capable
of assessing short-term exposure to ammonia, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen
sulfide. Representative monitoring should be conducted for each job classification
during routine landfill operations.
maintaining air sampling equipment (e.g., evacuated canister) to collect
samples for toxic gases. This equipment should be readily available to designated
Fresh Kills employees for rapid sample collection, and designated employees
should be trained in the sample collection methods and emergency response
ATSDR will consider any additional data provided to the agency
and revise this health consultation as appropriate. If additional information
becomes available or if there are any questions or comments concerning this
document, please contact ATSDR at (800)-447-1544 or by writing to:
Whether contacting ATSDR by telephone or in writing, the requestor
should state that the inquiry is in regard to the Fresh Kills landfill site.
The Department of Sanitation or its employees may also petition the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for a Health Hazard Evaluation
(HHE) of the Fresh Kills landfill workplace. The NIOSH HHE Program may be contacted
at:
NIOSH, Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch
4676 Columbia Parkway, R-9
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
(513)841-4382 FAX: (513)841-4488
PREPARERS OF THIS REPORT
Douglas Gouzie, PhD
Environmental Health Scientist
Peter J. Kowalski, CIH
Certified Industrial Hygienist
REFERENCES
US Representative Vito Fossella. Petition Letter
to ATSDR, May 13, 1998.
Gould, Charlie. 19 Stricken by Landfill Fumes. Staten Island
Advance. May 8, 1998.
ATSDR. Health Consultation, Air Monitoring Data,
Staten Island, New York. May 14, 1993.
ATSDR. Health Consultation, Air Monitoring Data,
Staten Island, New York. March 15, 1996.
ATSDR. Health Consultation on Air Monitoring Data,
Staten Island, New York. January 20, 1998.
USEPA Region 2. Determination of Landfill Gas Composition
and Pollutant Emission Rates at Fresh Kills Landfill. Radian Corporation.
EPA 902-R-95-0016. November 1995.
New York State Department of Health. New York City
Department of Sanitation Employees Health Study Summary. October 1996.
New York City Department of Health. Staten Island
Cancer Incidence Study. March 1996.
New York State Department of Labor, Public Employee
Safety and Health Bureau.Investigation Narrative, Investigation #360258354,
NYCDOS-Fresh Kills Plant 2.Wayne Murray, Inspector, August 31, 1998.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
National Climatic Data Center, New Jersey, Station 14734 (EWR), hourly data
for May 7, 1998.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Memo from Paul Gallay dated May 21, 1998.
Schweisfurth, H., Schottes, C. Acute Intoxication
of a Hydrazine-like gas by 19 workers in a Garbage Dump, Zentralbl Hygiene
Umweltmed, 195(III): 46-54. 1993.
Kahn, G., Orris, P., Weeks, J. Acute Overexposure
to Diesel Exhaust: Report of 13 Cases. Am. J. of Ind. Med. 13(3):405-406.
1988.
NIOSH. Health Hazard Evaluation Report: Rumpke,
Inc. Landfill Colerain Township, Ohio. Cincinnati, Ohio: US Department of
Health and Human Service, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH
Report No. HETA 96-0109-2616. 1996.
