EPA Region 6 was contacted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as well as the Texas Department of State Health Services on March 18, 2014, regarding a release of approximately 1 liquid ounce of elemental mercury inside Hood Junior High School in Odessa, Texas.
Early reports on the release indicated that a student found the mercury in a bottle near the school and he brought it inside the school where he shared it with other classmates. Once school administrators recognized that the students were playing with mercury, the exposed students were isolated from the rest of the students then sent by school bus to two local hospitals.
The school district has hired local hazmat contractors to conduct a cleanup of the school. Early assessment activities conducted appear to indicate that the contamination is limited to two classrooms and the cafeteria.
An EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) as well as two START personnel mobilized to the school on March 20th to provide assistance to the school district and the Ector County Health District.
