On 01 November 2007, At approximately 1040 hours, EPA was requested, to respond to a residence in Goodrich, Texas and investigate a home that had been contaminated by Mercury. The home is a single family dwelling in a remote residential area. A 15 year old child had possession of 8 lbs of mercury for approximately four years at this residence. On 30 October 2007, dogs living at the residence, family pets, somehow got access to the bottle containing the mercury and while playing with it punctured a hole in the bottle and spread mercury about the interior of the residence. Upon the discovery of the spill that evening by the residents the Polk County Sheriffs Department was called in to give advice on what to do. They recommended leaving the house and the 15 year old left but his mother remained. EPA dispatched the START-3 to investigate on 1 November 2007 and arrived on scene that afternoon at about 1630 hours.
START-3 met with a TCEQ representative and the Polk County Fire Marshall at the scene. START-3 used a Lumex Mercury Detector to confirm the presence of Mercury Vapors. START-3 entered the house in Level C and monitored with a Lumex Mercury Detector (Lumex). The Lumex indicated concentrations above 10 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) mercury and the START-3 members exited the house. Start-3 was able to recover a laptop computer owned by the residence owner. It was cleaned and monitored by the lumex unit and found to indicat <10 ug/m3 and released to the owner of the residence. START-3 Then monitored two little dogs belonging to the owner of the residence and found both to read 0.4 ug/m3. START-3 released both dogs and the computer back to the owner.
START-3 went to another residence to monitor for mercury vapors. One of the children from the primary residence had stayed the night at this residence after the spill occured. START-3 used the Lumex and found the max reading to be 0.46 ug/m3 (below the screening level or 10 ug/m3).
The Polk County Fire Marshall lead START-3 to 2778 Mangum in Livingston, Texas to recover the source material of the spill at 570 Vicksburg Lane in Goodrich, Texas. START-3 monitors the source location with the Lumex unit and finds readings to be non-detect. START-3 then removes nine 6oz bottles from a 5 gallon bucket. Each bottle weighs approximatly 8 lbs, is plastic and sealed shut. All nine bottles are packaged into two 5 gallon plastic buckets with absorbant material and sealed shut. The Polk County Fire Marshall will maintain custody of the mercury until the EPA can arrange proper disposal.
EPA will determine the extent of contamination and initated an emergency removal action.
START-3 will continue to assess residences were mercury may have been spread.
START-3 was able to locate the source of Mercury through the Polk County Fire Marshall's office. Nine 6 oz bottles containing approximately 8 pounds of Mercury each were confiscated. The bottles were packaged in absorbent material in two 5 gallon buckets and sealed. The Polk County Fire Marshall took possession of the buckets and they are currently locked up at the Polk County Fire Marshall's Office. EPA will recycle this mercury during the Goodrich Mercury Response.
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