On October 4, 2019, at approximately 1300 hours, the Utah Department of Health contacted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 (EPA) requesting that the EPA assist the Salt Lake County Public Health Department (SLCPHD) with a mercury spill at a single-family residence in a residential neighborhood in Magna, Utah (Site). Elemental mercury had been spilled in a workshop located at the back of the garage of the residence. Visible, beaded mercury was present, and SLCPHD recovered a vile of mercury and approximately one table spoon of spilled mercury. SLCPHD requested that EPA respond and perform an emergency removal of the remaining spilled mercury.

1. Mobilize to the Site.

2. Assess the Site to determine the extent of mercury contamination.

3. Remediate spilled mercury at the Site to acceptable cleanup levels.

4. Keep public and stakeholders informed.

5. Demobilize from the Site.

On October 5, 2019, an EPA On-Scene-Coordinator (OSC) mobilized to the Site with a Superfund Technical Assessment Response Team (START) and an Emergency Response and Removal Services (ERRS) to assess the extent of mercury contamination and conduct an emergency removal action. The ERRS contractor recovered all visible elemental mercury from the workshop with a Merc-Vac recovery unit and applied a mercury vapor suppressant to the flooring. Cracks in the cement flooring were sealed with caulking. The workshop was then subjected to a series of heating and ventilating cycles until ambient mercury measurements were below levels of concern.