INTRODUCTION TO A SUMMARY

The State of North Carolina’s Departments of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conducted environmental screening assessments of homes, schools, businesses, and a church in Apex, NC that are near the EQ facility. The NC Division of Air Quality chose the testing sites. The sites are located from 0.16 to 2.17 miles from the EQ facility. The purpose of the assessments was to: determine if these selected sites were affected by the October 5, 2006 fire at the EQ facility; determine if there was a need for additional sampling; and determine if there needed to be more guidance on cleaning nearby structures. The Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) in DHHS conducted indoor environmental evaluations of 31 sites in Apex. The evaluations consisted of collecting wipe samples that were tested for selected metals, total cyanides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition, indoor and outdoor air monitoring for mercury vapor was done at 26 sites because a private consultant had allegedly found high mercury levels inside a structure that was near the EQ fire and there was some community concern regarding mercury.