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 24th
- The PRP was escorted in the south side for administrative business functions. START continuously monitored for mercury vapors using the Lumex to assure acceptable air quality.
- Polyvinyl barriers continued to be maintained separating the north and south parts of the building.
- The exhaust pipe for the 2 source rooms is currently discharging approx 1000 ng/m3 on a continuous basis. While the negative air pressure system is operating, the contractor is conducting demo and decon work in level C. The lower wall of the exam room continues to exceed 100,000 ng/m3 so further demolition is needed.
- The contractor conducted a decon of the northern part of building that's outside of the 2 source areas using mercury cleaning solution and maintaining level D protection. Having conducted this deconning, the contractor then installed a negative air pressure vacuum to vent the residual air and allow fresh air intake through an opened window. Post venting Lumex monitoring indicates approximately 500 ng/m3 in the breathing zone.
- The contractor also upgraded the HVAC isolation/containment system for the 2 source areas by physically disconnecting and blocking off the intake and exhaust pipe to the 2 source areas.
- An HVAC air quality test was performed for the north side system exclusive of the 2 source areas which are isolated and shut down. Lumex readings of approx 500 ng/m3 indicate no appreciable difference between the HVAC system and the current average breathing zone of the ambient air in the north side of the building. Both the previously tested south side and north side HVAC system will run thru the night to create a stable atmosphere before running the recommended 8 hr. confirmation tests on the 25th. START will conduct this confirmation test.
- The perimeter continued to be monitored for mercury vapors using the Lumex.
The contractor has submitted a transportation and disposal working plan for review.
The offsite disposal facility has been selected by the contractor. Notification and compliance checks for the facilty have been verified in accordance with the CERCLA Off-site Rule. The facility has received approval. This approval is valid until August 22nd for the wastestream described in the transportation and disposal workplan.
A spatially oriented perimeter air monitoring report is being prepared by the contractor and is expected to be available on the website within the next 24 hours.
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.
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