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On June 13, 2012 the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry published a Health Consultation for Tyndall Elementary School at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida. The school, which serves the public at large as well as military dependents, overlaps a former small arms range. I will post a link when the report appears on line. ATSDR concluded, "Lead shot (pellets) and lead fragments found on the Tyndall Elementary School grounds presented an urgent public health hazard to children who may have ingested the lead shot (pellets) prior to the removal action. The Time Critical Removal Action was warranted." The agency found that current regulations, procedures, and methods have "failed to address the major health hazard to children - the direct ingestion of lead." It added, "Ingested metallic lead shot is made more soluble by stomach acids and can cause a spike in blood lead levels." Among its recommendations, ATSDR calls upon the Defense Department to "adopt the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council's recommendations for the characterization and remediation of Soils at Closed Small Arms Firing Ranges (2003)." The ITRC document is available at http://www.itrcweb.org/Documents/SMART-1.pdf. Lenny Siegel
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Lenny Siegel Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight a project of the Pacific Studies Center 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041 Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545 Fax: 650/961-8918
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