Teno assures funding for PCB health testing

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez yesterday said the scheduled health evaluation on May 8 in Tanapag village to find out people’s level of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) will push through as Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio assured him that funding will be made available for the project.

Since most of the people in Tanapag will be covered by the medical evaluation, Mr. Villagomez said this will be an opportunity to make an overall assessment of the health condition of the residents.

The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry will provide expertise in handling the problem while the U.S. Department of the Interior is still looking at the possibility of providing funding for the testing.

Governor Tenorio raised the problem of PCB contamination during the interagency committee meeting in Washington last month which was attended by governors from various states and U.S. territories.

At the same time, the governor has told the public health chief that the CNMI government will not allow money problem to be impede the health evaluation.

Testings in the village will be conducted by a medical team that was formed to make sure that all the residents and even those who have transferred to other villages will be covered to provide a comprehensive health evaluation.

It will be the first time that a medical evaluation will be conducted by the CNMI government among Tanapag residents after more than two decades of PCB exposure.

However, the first batch of village residents who will be asked to give blood samples for PCB examination will be determined based on their exposure history to PCB. Some 3,000 residents are expected to troop to a clinic set up in Tanapag village, where the physical examination will be conducted.

The laboratory analysis on the blood samples will be conducted in the U.S. mainland since there is no facility here capable to make the evaluation. The cost for each blood analysis is $300.

The medical testings will be conducted simultaneously with the risk assessment study of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed at finding out the contamination level in the village and the potential risks to public health and the environment.

Since last week, the Division of Environmental Quality has been gathering information, including interview with residents, to help them trace the presence of chemical contaminants.

Results of the environmental survey will serve as a basis in advising the Army Crops on the risk-based soil cleanup levels for Cemetery 2 and the village. (Lindablue F. Romero)