United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Site, Kidney Specialist of Savannah Clinic, is a business housed within a single story, brick building located at 500 E 66th Street, Savannah, GA. Geographical coordinates for the Site are North Latitude 32.03029 x West Longitude -81.09736. In response to NRC Report #874319, and at the request of Savannah Fire Departments' Hazardous Materials Division (Hazmat), EPA mobilized to the clinic to provide air monitoring at the incident involving the release of elemental mercury inside the clinic. The release originated from a Sphygmomanometer. Savannah Hazmat, first responder to the Site, recovered and staged the mercury but lacked the specialized equipment needed to provide adequate screening for mercury vapors.

June 28th

- Kidney Specialists of Savannah continues business as usual although that business is confined to the south end.  No patients were seen today, but administrative functions continued.
- The site access and egress continues to allow for the operation of the facility.  PRP contractor mobile command post continues to be used to provide respite for extreme heat, improve communications capabilities, and augment logistical support.
- The OSC is allowing accompanied administrative access to the north side offices. Lumex readings of the doctor's office next to the 2 source areas indicate ATSDR attainment goals will likely be met when confirmation sampling is performed.  
- The additional venting installed both in the existing attic vent and new gable vent appears to have vented the stagnant mercury vapor as evidenced by this mornings lumex readings.
- Additional screening was performed this morning in the source area.  Immediately after shutting down the negative air system, ambient breathing zone levels were approximately 400 ng/m3, but rose to approximately 1500 ng/m3 within one hour.  Several source locations were identified at floor level in both isolated rooms with readings spiking to over 20000 ng/m3 at several places.
- Drywall adjacent to the mercury source in the exam room was removed.  It has screened at about 25000 ng/m3.  In coordination with the Savannah Fire Department, the PRP contractor propane flame heated the concrete floor in both the doctor's office and the exam room while operating the negative air system.  This work was done in modified level B with Nomex suits over Saranex with work schedules as appropriate considering heat stress restrictions.  Negative air exhaust pipe readings ranged from approx 1000 to 20000 during this operation.
- Post lumex screening indicated additional hot spots located in the concrete floors of both the doctors office and exam room.  Please see photos at https://www.epaosc.net/image_zoom.asp?counter=63616
- PRP contractor work times have shifted to 4am till 1pm in order to adjust to the extreme heat and minimize the risk of heat stress.
- Contaminated furniture and personal items that are currently staged in the large onsite tent undergoing passive venting are undergoing segregation and more aggressive decon and venting. The PRP met with the contractor and identified to be discarded items as well as items that they wanted further deconned in an attempt to recover them.
- The perimeter continued to be monitored for mercury vapors using the Lumex.

- Both the attic and doctor's office next to the source areas will undergo confirmation testing on Sunday.  This will be conducted by the PRP contractor.  The contractor has been briefed and instructed on this methodology.
- All other operations except site security will be suspended for Sunday with work to resume on Monday at 4 am.

- OSC consulted with PRP and contractor and discussed continued torching versus epoxy paint sealant options for concrete floor.  PRP elected to continue torching residual hot spots to achieve ATSDR attainment goals.

- Due to the pressing nature of providing health care to kidney compromised patients, the OSC is providing oversite aimed at achieving acceptable air quality in the building while simultaneously isolating/containing and remediating the 2 source areas.