(Washington, DC) The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) today released the results of the 2013 Follow-Up Spring Valley Public Health Study and Community Health Assessment Survey for Zip Codes 20016 and 20015. The study was conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Today’s report builds upon the Public Health Screening Study conducted by Johns Hopkins investigators in 2007. The 2007 study found that Spring Valley’s overall community health status was very good. However, additional analysis was recommended for several health outcomes. The current follow-up project consisted of three components:
1) Community Outreach Survey for Zip Codes 20016 and 20015;
2) Community Health Assessment; and
3) Environment and Exposure Analysis.
Hopkins researchers concluded that “residents can be assured that community health is very good and most environmental indicators are in compliance with established standards or are similar to conditions in other urban areas.” They also concluded that “regular cancer, community health and environment updates are recommended, as is continued communication and outreach regarding remediation activities.”
“Today’s report is a major step in furthering the District’s review and oversight of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers’ efforts in cleaning up the Spring Valley neighborhood of contamination left over from the World War I American University Experiment Station,” said DDOE Director Keith A. Anderson.
Mary Fox, Ph. D., MPH, Principal Investigator for Johns Hopkins, will present the findings of the study at a community meeting to be held today, Wednesday, July 24, 2013, at the American University School of International Service (SIS), Room 355, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. The SIS building is located at the corner of New Mexico and Nebraska Avenues, NW. Free parking is available in the SIS underground garage or across the street in the Nebraska Avenue parking lot.
To access the report, visit DDOE Website at: http://ddoe.dc.gov/springvalley; Johns Hopkins Website at: www.jhsph.edu/springvalley; or U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Website at: http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Home/SpringValley.aspx
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