On August 13, 2007, a representative from Country Home Health Inc. contacted the McAlester Fire Department to report seeing mercury in the home of an elderly patient in McAlester, Oklahoma. The Fire Chief contacted the National Response Center (#845467) to make a formal report after visiting the residence and observing free mercury on the floor inside the house.
On December 18 2007, EPA received the laboratory results for mercury air sampling performed on October 17, 2007. These results were forwarded to ATSDR for review and comment. Three mercury air samples were taken within the home. One air sample at 1.2 micrograms per cubic meter was above the ATSDR action level 1 microgram per cubic meter for mercury in indoor air. After evaluating the site and the laboratory results, the ATSDR suggested the following:
(A) "Consideration should be given to attaching to the county records pertaining to this property an administrative notice of some type acceptable to all parties. This notice should emphasize that the radon system installed in the crawl space should remain operational as designed until such time as there is evidence that no mercury remains in the crawlspace."
(B) "In this regard, the owners may periodically wish to obtain environmental data indicating the concentrations in the living quarters. If concentration in the living quarters without the radon system operating reaches 1 microgram per cubic meter or less using standard methodologies, then the notice suggested in recommendation 1 may be removed."
(C) "As opportunity permits, EPA Region 6 may want to consider returning to this home. The purpose of any visit like this would be to evaluate whether the expectation holds true that the concentrations in the home are nearly constant or decreasing. For this, purpose, real-time survey instruments like the Lumex Mercury Analyzer would be sufficient."
The ATSDR concluded that, "Given that radon system in the crawl space continues to function within the parameters as currently exist, any residual mercury contamination in the home at 1012 North G. Street in McAlester, Ok does not pose a threat to current residents. With the provision that the radon system is functioning, no adverse health effects would be expected for other adult of child resident of this building."
The EPA plans no further removal activities at this time.
The EPA anticipates that it will conduct a followup assessment on this property sometime during the summer of 2008.
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