This site is a residential property. Mercury was spilled in the basement from a defunct fire detection system installed by the original owner of the house in the 1960's. The system included a glass u-tube filled with an estimated 1.5 lbs of mercury. If fusable links (which were located in the ceiling throughout the house) melted due to heat from a fire, pressure in the system would be released, allowing the mercury to move in the u-tube and connect an electrical circuit, setting off an alarm. In late December, the u-tube apparently began to leak, spilling mercury onto the basement floor.
At the request of the Maryland Department of the Environment, EPA assessed the site, and on February 12, 2009, OSC Gregory Ham issued a special bulletin (See Documents Section below) activating a cleanup action at the site.
