On 27 June 2007, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) contacted the EPA Region 6 hotline to report a mercury release at a home in Chalmette Louisiana. The EPA subsequently notified the National Response Center (NRC 840234) of the release. The release was originally reported to the LDEQ by the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, La. The residents’ youngest child became ill a few weeks ago and was being treated at the Children’s Hospital. After several examinations, the residents brought to the doctor’s attention that they recently had found mercury within their home. The child was then tested for mercury poisoning, and tests indicated that the child had mercury levels approximately 40 - 70 times that of normal levels.
On 28 June, START-3 conducted an assessment of the residence. Initial air monitoring conducted by START-3 indicated levels of mercury in air of up to 60 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). Based upon the START-3’s report, senior management was briefed on the situation. On the morning of 29 June, ERRS was verbally tasked to conduct a site walk the same day utilizing the OSC’s warrant authority for emergency actions.
June 29, 2007: in the yearly afternoon, EPA OSCs John Martin and Mark Hayes mobilized to the site, accompanied by an LDEQ representative, START-3, and the Emergency and Rapid Response (ERRS) contractor Response Manager and foreman. EPA, START-3, and ERRS entered the residence to evaluate the situation and to begin planning for an emergency removal action. START-3 conducted videotape documentation inside the residence and ERRS began to procure the appropriate resources for the project. The residence’s back door was opened to allow air to vent from the house. START-3 conducted perimeter monitoring to ensure that the neighborhood was not impacted. In the early evening, a concerned neighbor called the fire department to express concern that mercury had impacted other houses in the neighborhood. EPA met with the fire chief and sheriff’s deputies who responded and explained the activities. The neighborhood is in the impacted area of a catastrophic oil release during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina from the Murphy Oil facility. The fire department and sheriff’s office offered to help find the source of the release. The residents of the mercury contaminated house have maintained that they have no idea of the source of the mercury as they moved into the house only four months ago.
June 30, 2007: ERRS mobilized a crew to begin the cleanup. Air monitoring was conducted during an initial entry into the house and 1-3 μg/m3 of mercury were detected throughout the house. ERRS vacuumed visible beads of mercury, began to place potentially contaminated items into bags in preparation for screening, and vented air from the house. Frequent air monitoring was continued from within the house and from around the perimeter of the yard. Readings within the house during the day sometimes measured up to 65 μg/m3. The house was secured at the end of the day.
July 1,2007: work resumed. The initial air monitoring of the house detected over 140 μg/m3 of mercury throughout the house. ERRS resumed placing items into bags and exhausting air from the house, and START-3 continued perimeter air monitoring. All of the carpet was removed from the house. At the end of the work day, the interior air monitoring indicated mercury levels of 8-25 μg/m3. The residents reported that test results for the mother and another child had indicated elevated levels of mercury. Test results were pending for the father and the third child.
Continue to remove contaminated items from the house, mercury-vacuum visible mercury, “clean” areas with a specialized commercial product, and ventilate the house to the backyard area.
Source of the mercury release has not been identified.
Three members of the family have been found to have elevated levels of mercury, and test results are pending on other members of the family.
There is a heighten community concern most likely due to the mercury-contaminated residence being in the footprint of the Murphy Oil release. However, numerous analytical results of the materials from the Murphy Oil release indicated non-detects for mercury.
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