ATSDR

Federal agency seeks comments from the public on new health report in Houma, LA

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

ATLANTA, GA — The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released a new report for public comment for the Delta Shipyard in Houma, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The federal agency invites the public to review the report and submit their comments by July 18, 2016.

The report evaluated the surface soils, sediments, and surface water from on-site and adjacent off-site areas in and around the area pits and ditch located on the Delta Shipyard property. To read the report, visit: Delta Shipyard PHA.

Copies of the report can be reviewed during regular business hours at Terrebonne Parish Library, 151 Liberty Drive, Houma, LA.

The public comment process gives residents the opportunity to review the report, ask questions, and provide their input. ATSDR’s response to those comments will be included in the appendices of the final report.

Comments on the report must be submitted in writing to: ATSDRRecordsCenter@cdc.gov, or mail to:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Attn: Records Center
Re: Delta Shipyard, Houma, LA
4770 Buford Highway, NE (MS F-09)
Atlanta, Georgia 30341

BACKGROUND

When it operated, the shipyard consisted of a cleaning and repair facility for small cargo boats, fishing boats, and oil barges. Prior to 1986, boats were steam cleaned to remove oily wastes. Oil that was easily recovered was sold. The remaining oily waste from the cleaning process was stored in several unlined earthen pits that still exist today. Currently, two people reside on a parcel directly adjacent to the site and a small boat maintenance business operates on a portion of the site. It is unlikely that other individuals are accessing the site regularly.

For more information about ATSDR visit www.atsdr.gov or the Delta Shipyard Public Health Assessment, call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or visit, www.cdc.gov/info.

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ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the potential for adverse human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.

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