Naples Community Health Awareness

Frequently Asked Questions

What YOU Can Do

Q: When will the PHE be completed?

A: Our goal is to complete the Public Health Evaluation by the end of 2009. Completion means that both Phase I and Phase II reports are officially released and include the evaluation of the potential health risks associated with air, water, soil and soil gas in the greater Naples area.

Please look for the “Contact Us” link on the Naples Community Health Awareness page of the NSA Naples website. This has been established for you to ask questions which will be forwarded to the appropriate subject matter experts.

Q: Will my home be sampled in Phase II if it has already been tested in Phase I? A: No. Approximately 200 homes in the nine study areas are being selected for testing in Phase II using a statistical approach from Phase I results.

Q: Where are the “New Lease Suspension Zones”?

A: The “New Lease Suspension Zones” (NLSZs) are identified as the areas around Arzano, Casal di Principe, Casapesenna, Marcianise, San Cipriano d’Aversa, Villa Literno and Villa di Briano. These areas are outlined in blue on the map found at the Housing Office or in the link found on our website.

Their boundaries are based on a combination of Navy and Italian sampling data.

Q: Will I have to move if I live in a NLSZ? A: Families who live in the NLSZs do not need to move at this time. Sampling will continue in the areas near the homes with high VOC concentrations and personnel will be contacted if there is any indication of a potential risk to their health. Navy leadership recommends the continued use of bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice to mitigate health risks.

Q: What happens when the free bottled water being distributed at the Support Site runs out?

A: To ensure off-base personnel have access to potable water, landlords are now required to provide containerized water through an approved vendor source. This is a requirement for every new lease signed. Existing leases can be renegotiated.

• ATTEND Town Hall meetings when they occur.

Your input is valuable.

• STAY INFORMED. Seek information through these official sources:

Naples Community Health Awareness

- Naples Health Awareness website https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Naples/Programs/Health Awareness/index.htm - Environmental Health Information Center U.S. Naval Hospital, Support Site Ph. 081-811-6071 (commercial) Ph. 629-6071 (DSN) - All Hands e-mails - Town Hall forums - AFN Radio and TV - Panorama - Community Action Group forums

• Most importantly, talk about this information with your family. If you are not receiving updates, please ask your chain of command.

• Specific questions pertaining to individual health care matters should be addressed directly with your primary health care provider.

Look for this logo on the Naval Support Activities Naples website: www.cnic.navy.mil/Naples

March 2009

Historical Timeline 2007

A Message from Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activities Naples  Long-term challenges in Naples and Campania Region with garbage collection, illegal waste dumping and open burning of trash prompted Navy leadership to launch a comprehensive environmental study to evaluate the potential health risks associated with living in the Naples area. Early test results mandated mitigation actions by Navy leadership that affect off-base housing.

To date, we have sampled air, soil, soil gas and water of approximately 200 off-base and on-base residences. With Public Health Evaluation (PHE) Phase I completion in November 2008, PHE Phase II began and will provide us, by the end of 2009, with additional sampling analysis and a comprehensive health risk evaluation by the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC). The PHE Phase I report will be available for review in spring 2009.

Your safety and health are our top priority. We are committed to doing everything we can to answer your questions and to keep you informed.

This brochure provides a timeline of activities to date and answers some frequently asked questions.

For more information please check our website; our base newspaper, Panorama; and stay tuned to AFN Radio and TV. Robert B. Rabuse Captain, USN

June-December:Commander Navy Region Europe, Africa and South-West Asia (CNREURAFSWA) requests assistance from the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center to conduct a Public Health Evaluation (PHE) in the greater Naples area.

The PHE will be comprised of epidemiological studies on asthma, cancer and birth defects; analysis of air, water, soil and soil gas samples; and, risk evaluation of sample testing results.

2008 March: Navy leadership contracts Tetra Tech to perform environmental sampling and analysis of air, tap water, soil and soil gases.

April: A pilot study is launched by sampling soil gas and tap water at seven off-base residences.

May: Pilot test completed. Navy officials mail 1800 letters and questionnaires to off-base residents announcing the commencement of PHE Phase I. June: Phase I begins by sampling soil, soil gas and water of 166 homes. Seven pilot study homes test positive for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

July: NSA and Region leadership recommend use of bottled water to all off-base residents. Nine regional air monitoring stations set up for one-year.

August: Forty-eight homes test positive for coliform bacteria and three residences identified with high VOC concentrations from PHE Phase I water sampling results.

September: As an interim solution, NSA Naples begins distributing free bottled water to all U.S. personnel living off-base.

October: Asthma report indicates no significant association between exposure to Naples environment and asthma severity over the period of study (October 2006 - June 2008).

November: Additional homes identified with high VOC concentrations. Phase I results prompt Navy leadership to establish three “New Lease Suspension Zones” and to relocate 17 families whose homes have unacceptable levels of VOCs in tap water. PHE Phase II begins.

December: NSA Housing drops pre-lease water sampling requirement following PHE Phase I mitigation actions.

2009 March: Birth Defects Study released.

April: Phase 1 Report release expected.

Current Mitigation Actions NSA Naples Housing Office no longer requires pre-lease tap water sampling at all homes as a result of the PHE results and mitigation actions put into place by NSA Naples and CNREURAFSWA. Mitigation actions include: - Recommend off-base residents use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice. Water on base is safe to drink and regularly monitored.

- Lease homes supplied by city water or certified wells only.

- Establish “New Lease Suspension Zones” (NLSZs), three areas north of Naples where the Navy Housing office has suspended support of any new leases.

- Require landlords to provide an approved containerized water service for tenants in all new leases.

- Require landlords to clean and sanitize all tanks and water distribution systems, prior to leasing, with regular maintenance and cleaning every six months.

- Renegotiate existing leases for landlord provided water. Personnel can initiate the process of modifying their lease by filling out a form at: https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Naples/ Programs/HealthAwareness/WaterSer viceRequestForm/index.htm OR visit the NSA Housing office.