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The site is a doctor's office on Mercer Island.
On November 5, 2007, EPA was requested for technical support by the Mercer Island Fire Department to handle a mercury release at a medical clinic. A blood pressure cuff containing mercury had been broken by one of the staff members.
OSC Smith and START-3 responded to the site around 1730. The clinic had requested NRC Environmental Services to handle the cleanup who arrived around the same time as the OSC. START-3 who had arrived somewhat earlier was performing limited screening of the general site, using the Ohiolumex Mercury Vapor Analyzer, and did not enter the room where the mercury had been spilled. Mercury vapor concentrations were elevated with respect to background, 1270 ng/m3, in the lobby of the building. The elevated reading was likely due to the mercury vapors from the room in which it was spilled.
During the spill the staff member got mercury on the top of one shoe and nylon stockings. Her stockings were removed and left in the room where the spill occured. START-3 and the response contractor screened the staff member's shoe and determined it had mercury on it. The response contractor recommended that she allow them to dispose of the shoe and she gave both shoes to them, which they placed in a plastic bag inside a five gallon bucket for later disposal.
In a brief meeting between Mercer Island Fire Department chief, NRC Envrionmental Services, and the clinic manager, the OSC determined there was no significant threat to the outdoor environment from the mercury and that the response contractor could manage the removal without EPA assitance. The OSC checked with Fire Chief Kenworthy if he thought he needed further assitance from EPA who said he did not. EPA and START3 demobilized at 1820.
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