November 9, 1998

KU Medical Center to Hold Public Meetings to Discuss

Final Protocol for the Southeast Kansas Health Study

KANSAS CITY, KAN. — Researchers from The University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas will hold two public meetings in Independence, Kansas, on Wednesday, November 18, 1998, to review and discuss the final protocol for the Southeast Kansas Health Study.  The meetings will be held at 2:30 and 7 p.m. in the Civic Center of Memorial Hall, 416 Pennsylvania Street, Independence, Kansas.  Residents from the counties and towns involved in the study are invited to attend one of these important meetings.  Those communities and counties are Chanute (Neosho County), Coffeyville (Montgomery County), Fredonia (Wilson County), Independence (Montgomery County), and the control community, Sedan, located in Chautauqua County west of the study area.

Commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Southeast Kansas Health Study is directed at investigating possible health effects related to the operation of four commercial hazardous waste burners and other potential sources of environmental releases located in southeast Kansas.  The hazardous waste burners are operated by Ash Grove Cement Company in Chanute, Lafarge Corporation in Fredonia, Heartland Cement Company in Independence, and Safety-Kleen, Inc. (formerly known as Aptus/Laidlaw Environmental Services) in Coffeyville.  

“The November 18 meetings will be devoted exclusively to reviewing the study’s final protocol,” says Dr. H. William Barkman, principal investigator of the study and director of  the Center for Environmental and Occupational Health at KU Medical Center.  “We will review the protocol section-by-section.  After each section is outlined, we will take questions and comments on it, and then move on to the next section,” Barkman explains.  “We hope to have a good turnout at the meetings,” Barkman continues   “Individuals who have concerns about the study’s protocol or who have not had a chance to attend our other public meetings held in the area during the past year will have another opportunity to learn firsthand about the study before the data collection phase of the project begins.”

Copies of the study’s final protocol were delivered to public libraries in the study and control communities during the week of October 5.  News releases were sent to all local newspapers, radio and cable TV stations at that time announcing that copies of the study protocol were available in the public libraries.  At the same time, copies of the protocol also were delivered to other key stakeholders in the area.

Individuals who wish to comment on the final protocol but cannot attend one of the meetings on November 18 can call a toll-free number, 877-511-2167, and give their comments to the study team by phone.  E-mail messages can be sent to the study team through its web site address: http://www2.kumc.edu/gsr/ceoh/skhs or to mwalker 3@kumc.edu.  The study team’s mailing address is: Center for Environmental and Occupational Health, 1034 Breidenthal Building, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas 66160-7417.

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