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MDCH Finalizes Two Public Health Assessments for the Torch Lake Superfund Site in the Keweenaw Peninsula

For Immediate Release: September 30, 2014

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has finalized two Public Health Assessments for the Torch Lake Superfund site and surrounding areas located in the Upper Peninsula, specifically Houghton and Keweenaw counties. The assessments focus on breathing air that contains stampsands dust, as well as potential exposure to chemicals in stampsands at beaches and by eating fish from the area. These documents include responses to comments received at a community meeting and during an open public comment period last summer.

The Public Health Assessment regarding the inhalation of airborne stampsands evaluated concentrations of metals in airborne stampsands from the Torch Lake Superfund site and the surrounding areas in Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. MDCH estimated the air concentrations using site-specific data, when available, and relying on regulatory guidance. MDCH found that exposure due to excavating or riding off-road vehicles at the Gay tailings pile along Lake Superior are not expected to cause harm. More information is needed to determine the public health implications of exposure during street-sweeping activities in Calumet, when stampsands that were applied to the roads in the winter become airborne.

The Public Health Assessment about recreational use at beach areas at Lake Linden and along Torch Lake in Houghton County looked at potential chemical exposure from recreationally used areas around Torch Lake, Boston Pond, and Calumet Lake. Even though contaminated soil and sediment have been removed from several areas, additional sampling is needed to determine if the remaining chemicals present may harm people's health. Fish from Torch Lake, Boston Pond, and Calumet Lake are under waterbody-specific and statewide fish eating guidelines. Visit www.michigan.gov/eatsafefish for more information.

The assessments are online at www.michigan.gov/mdch-toxics under "Health Assessments and Related Documents." Copies also are available at the Lake Linden-Hubbell Public School Library located at 601 Calumet St. in Lake Linden and the Portage Lake District Library located at 58 Huron St. in Houghton.

The department's Division of Environmental Health conducted the Public Health Assessments 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 can be found on the ATSDR web page at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.

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