The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was petitioned to evaluate health concerns of residents living in the Newtown Community in Gainesville, Georgia. The petition was filed by the Newtown Florist Club, a 50 year old organization in the Newtown community. Area residents expressed concern over high rates of cancer, lupus and respiratory diseases that community members believe may be caused by emissions from nearby industrial facilities and the location of the community over a landfill.

Residents have concerns regarding past air emissions and their potential impact on past, current, and future health conditions. As a result, ATSDR evaluated outdoor air concentrations of pollutants collected by the state from an air monitor at the Fair Street Elementary School in 1997 and simulated historical air concentrations based on available data and air modeling. The air monitor data were analyzed in a previous public health assessment, released final on March 15, 2001 [1]. The March 2001 public health assessment also addressed groundwater, soil, and biological issues. Simulated historical air concentrations and measured particulate concentrations are evaluated in this public health assessment.

ATSDR based its modeling on historical information collected from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and air permit files. In addition, ATSDR evaluated two nationwide air models generated by EPA in 1990 and 1996, which estimated emissions and concentrations of hazardous air pollutants in different areas of the United States. These estimates were used to calculate a hypothetical cancer risk and non-cancer hazard in the Newtown Community.

ATSDR reviewed air pollutant emissions and air data between 1983 and 1998 in the Newtown community. Hazardous air pollutants present in the community are the result of emissions to the atmosphere from stationary sources (e.g. manufacturing plants) and mobile emissions (e.g., car, trucks, and lawn equipment). Many of the more toxic contaminants identified in this evaluation are a product of mobile emissions in Newtown. This is a common problem in urban areas throughout the United States.

The estimates of modeling historical air emissions in this document are limited. Older historical emission rates and potential exposures could not be evaluated because TRI emissions data are only available from 1986 to present. Facility air permit records were also somewhat limited and are available from 1983 to present. Many residential concerns are about exposures that occurred previous to this time period. ATSDR is unable to make conclusions about the risk of adverse health effects that may occur as a result of exposure to emissions previous to these dates.

ATSDR does not expect a noticeable increase in cancer from exposure to modeled or measured levels of hazardous air pollutants in ambient air in the Newtown community. However, other respiratory effects may be experienced by residents from the air quality in the south side of Gainesville. Respiratory health is probably most impacted by mobile emissions in the community.



SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY

Introduction

On April 10, 1995, a member of the Newtown Florist Club petitioned the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to investigate the potential public health impact of combined industrial emissions on the Newtown Community [2]. A finalized version of a public health assessment was released to the public on March 15, 2001. The purpose of the health assessment was to identify potential human exposures and to recommend appropriate public health follow-up activities. ATSDR evaluated community concerns and available soil, methane gas, groundwater, tap water, stormwater runoff, air, and biological data and determined the potential and extent of residential exposure to environmental contamination. Recent environmental data do not suggest a threat to human health. Moreover, the environmental ambient air data may not have been representative of community exposures. ATSDR recommended further evaluation of particulate concentrations in ambient air; potential past exposures to industrial emissions; and whether or not the current ambient air monitor is in an optimal location for measuring community concentrations of air pollutants. This document evaluates the follow-up to these recommendations.

Background

Newtown is a residential area located in the southeastern section of Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia. Before 1936, the area currently known as Newtown was reported to be the site of the Gainesville/Hall County landfill. In 1936, a tornado passed through the community and destroyed many homes. Debris from the tornado were disposed of in the landfill, the fill materials were burned, and the landfill was covered with soil. No records of the landfill existing before the 1936 tornado can be found, and the landfill does not exist in city planning maps dated 1930. Approximately 75 homes were rebuilt on top of the debris landfill and the surrounding area with federal Reconstruction Finance Corporation loans within a few years following the tornado [3,4].

The Newtown Community is located in an industrial and commercial area of Gainesville, Georgia. Within three miles of the community, there are 14 facilities required to report to the TRI, and 56 additional businesses that are regulated by EPA because they handle, store, or use hazardous materials [5]. The area directly south of Newtown is zoned heavy industrial. To the east and west, properties are zoned as a mixture of general business, light industrial, and residential; the properties include a number of businesses, restaurants, and industries. To the north of the community, properties are zoned as residential. A railroad track borders the community to the south/southeast and provides rail access to the many facilities in the area. The railroad track is within 20 feet of the community playground. There is a hospital and a school within 0.25 miles of the community. For maps of the community, refer to Appendix A.

Demographics

Newtown is a community consisting of a 10 block area with 143 households and a population of 350. The community is predominately African-American. The median age is about 5 years older than the median age for the county (40.2 and 35 years of age, respectively). The area appears to be relatively stable in that the median length of residence is over 18 years, in contrast to the county which has a median length of residence of 9.7 years [6-9]. For additional demographic information, see Appendix B.

Community Health Concerns

Specific health concerns expressed by Newtown residents were related to exposure to toxic emissions, discharges, and fallout from surrounding industries. Residents believe a number of health conditions in the community may be attributable to industrial emissions, including lupus, cancer, kidney failure, respiratory ailments such as chronic bronchitis and asthma, and heart conditions. The community was built over a landfill in 1936, and residents have concerns about exposure to contamination from landfill soils and gases [1]. In addition, a junkyard nearby is a source of concern for many residents who believe stormwater runoff from the site may be contaminating community soils with metals, oil, grease, and gasoline. Residents have also expressed concern about lead contamination of their homes and drinking water. Finally, for a number of years, residents noticed a fine dust that settled on houses and cars that could have been attributed to two different facilities located within one-tenth of a mile from the community. They believe exposure to this dust has compromised their respiratory health.

The ATSDR Public Health Assessment, dated March 31, 2001, addressed these community concerns except for past industrial emissions and dust which are addressed here.

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