***************

	The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wishes to
acknowledge the cooperation and support efforts of the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources(PADER), the
PADER Region I Office, the Pennsylvania Department of Health,
Bureau of Epidemiology, the Delaware County Commissioners,
Chester City Council, Mayor Barbara Bohannon-Shepard, Chester
Citizens Concerned for-Quality Living, Public Interest Law Center
of Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Toxics Coalition, and Pacific
Environmental Services Inc.

                  ***************************************

	This report is a condensed version of the Chester Risk
Study, Technical Support Document written by staff at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Region III Office in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and which is currently undergoing a
scientific peer review as required by Agency policy.

	The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy for
releasing technical studies of the type outlined in this summary
document is that they must clear the peer review process prior to
release to the public. The interim draft report summary presented
here is being made available to the public for a dual purpose:
         
	1.) in order to begin the follow up and mitigation process
necessary to better define and subsequently reduce the risks to
human health in the City of Chester, Pennsylvania.

	2.) to provide general guidance as a "model protocol"
related to methods of performing aggregated risk studies at other
locations. It is generally accepted that cumulative risk studies
are needed to provide technical information and-a framework for
decision-making related to proposed and/or current sources of
pollution.

                   ****************************************

Environmental Risk Study for the City of Chester, Pennsylvania

	The Chester Risk Assessment Project was part of an
initiative by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) Region III and agencies of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania to study environmental risks, health, and regulatory
issues in the Chester, Pennsylvania area.

Study Conclusions and Recommendations

CONCLUSIONS

1 - Blood lead levels in the children of Chester is unacceptably
high with over 60% of the children's blood samples above the
Center for Disease Control(CDC) recommended maximum level of 10
micrograms per deciliter(ug/dl).

2 - Both cancer and non-cancer risks, e.g. kidney and liver
disease and respiratory problems, from the pollution sources at
locations in the city of Chester exceed levels which EPA believes
are acceptable.

3 - Air emissions from facilities in and around Chester provide a
large component of the cancer and non-cancer risk to the citizens
of Chester.

4 - The health risks from eating contaminated fish from streams
in Chester and the Delaware River is unacceptably high.

5 - Drinking water in Chester is typical of supplies in other
cities throughout the country.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1 - The lead paint education and abatement program in the City of
Chester should be aggressively enhanced.

2 - Sources of air emissions which impact the areas of the city
with unacceptably high risk should be targeted for compliance
inspections and any necessary enforcement action.
         
3 - A voluntary emission reduction program should be instituted
to obtain emissions reductions from facilities which provide the
most emissions in the areas of highest risk.

4 - Enhanced public education programs to communicate the reasons
behind the existing state mandated fishing ban should be
implemented.

5 - While fugitive dust emissions have not shown to be a
significant component of risk in the City, a program to minimize
fugitive emissions from dirt piles and streets should be
instituted to alleviate this nuisance.

6 - While noise and odor levels were not shown to be a
significant component of risk in the City, a noise and odor
monitoring program should be instituted in areas most likely to
suffer from these nuisances. If significant levels are found, a
noise and/or odor reduction program should be implemented in
those areas.

Last modified: 11 November 1997

http://www.ejnet.org/chester/epa-sum0.html