TMENT OF HEALTH AND



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MEMORANDUM



TO:       Bob Ramhurter                                         JUL 09 W
          Bureau of Environmental Analysis and Review
          Department of Natural Resources

FROM:     Richard DeMarse, WEPA Coordinator 44W
          Division of Management Services

RE:       Exxon Mining Project:   Review of Draft Environmental Impact
          Statement



Attached are comments from Department of Health and Social Services staff
on
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Exxon mining
project at Crandon. Please note Dr. Henry Anderson's concerns that there
is
little written regarding the possible health effects directly resulting from
the construction and operation of the mining project. Dr. Anderson also
expresses concern regarding the added burden on the health care system in
the Crandon area resulting from the introduction of the mining project.

I hope these comments prove helpful in your final review of the DEIS. For
your convenience, I have also attached a copy of the March 15, 1983 letter
referred to by Dr. Anderson.

Please contact me at 266-9863 if you have any questions.

RD:bd

Attachments

cc: Greg Robbins
     Henry Anderson, M.D.
     Gerald Berge


164wp.rd



DIVISION OF HEALTH
       MAIL ADDRESS:
  I WEST WILSON STREET
         P.O. BOX 309
MADISON, WISCONSIN 53701



Date:     June 27, 1986

To:       Richard Damarse, WEPA Coordinator
          Office of Planning and Operations

From:     Henry A. Anderson, M.D., Chie    k)
          Bureau of Community Health an t     ention
          Section of Environmental and
             Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Re:       Exxon Mining Project:   Review of Draft Environmental Impact Statement



     Recently, ECDE was requested to review the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement
     (DEIS) prepared by the Department of Natural Resources regarding the
proposed
     Exxon mining project at Crandon, Wisconsin. This draft is an updated
version
     of a similar document that myself and my staff reviewed in March, 1983.
Please
     refer to the memo from Kenneth Rentmeester, Division of Health, to Richard
Hanson,
     Division of Management Services dated March 15, 1983. In that memo I
outlined
     possible areas of concern regarding occupational and environmental health.

     As noted previously, the DEIS deals only indirectly with possible health
effects
     directly resulting from the construction and operation of the mining
project
     under the section "Impact to the Socioeconimic Environment."
There is little
ewritten about the potential health effects of toxicology of the raw products,
bulk
     reagents used, by-products, and finished products. No description of
the potential
     carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic effects associated with the raw
or finished
     products or the by-products of production is given. In summary, health
effects are
     not directly considered.

     An additional concern relates to the added burden to the health care
system in the
     Crandon area. Are the present facilities and providers adequate to care
for the
     health care needs of those involved in the construction and operation
of the mine?
     Does Exxon plan to incure that health care providers skilled in matters
related to
     occupational and environmental exposures associated with Zinc and Copper
mining are
     available in the Crandon area.

     I hope the above comments will be of assistance to you in reviewing
the DEIS.

     cc: Kathryn Morrison
          Division of Health

          William Schmidt
          Division of Health



July J. 1986