September 5, 2007

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) will hold a community meeting to discuss the health consultation released earlier this month regarding manganese in the soils in River Rouge and Ecorse.

The consultation discusses exposure to airborne soils that contain elevated levels of manganese. The meeting is open to residents of Ecorse and River Rouge.

The meeting will be held in the Court Room at the River Rouge City Hall, 2nd Floor, 10600 West Jefferson Avenue, River Rouge, on Wednesday, September 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Staff from MDCH and the Department of Environmental Quality will attend the meeting.

The health consultation and its summary document are on-line at www.michigan.gov/mdch-toxics, under "Health Assessments and Related Documents."

MDCH is taking public comments on the health consultation until October 1, 2007. Comments may be submitted at the meeting or sent to Christina Bush, Toxicologist, Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Environmental Health, Capitol View Building, P.O. Box 30195, Lansing, MI 48909. People may also send comments via e-mail to bushcr@michigan.gov or call the toll-free telephone number, 1 800 648-6942 (1-800-MI TOXIC). All comments received will be evaluated and considered and responses will be provided in the final version of the consultation.

The MDCH Division of Environmental Health conducted the health consultation for this site under a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Information concerning the human health effects of exposure to environmental contaminants such as manganese can be found on the ATSDR web page at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html.