The site is a residential property located in Lutherville, Maryland, a northern suburb of Baltimore. The site consists of a single house and its associated property. The property is located within a residential neighborhood.
MDE responded to the property on December 20th, and based upon air quality readings and the visible presence of mercury requested that the family evacuate the home. Elemental mercury contamination was observed by MDE personnel in the basement and on the ground floor.
On Thursday, February 12, 2009, EPA On Scene Coordinator Ham and START mobilized to the Site and met with MDE and the homeowner. START conducted air monitoring using a Lumex mercury vapor analyzer. Concentrations up to 10,000 ng/m3 were detected in the basement of the residence. Mercury vapor was also detected at elevated levels in the kitchen of the home. Beads of elemental mercury were also visibly present in the area around the furnace, in cracks in both rooms of the basement floor, and on the steps leading up to the first floor. Trace levels of mercury vapor were identified in the remaining areas of the house. Based on these readings and observations, the OSC issued a Special Bulletin on February 12, 2009 authorizing cleanup of the mercury. EPA, START, and an EPA cleanup contractor mobilized to the site on February 17, 2009, to begin the cleanup of the site.
Cleanup work at the site was completed the week of March 2, 2009. Air sampling using NIOSH methods during the previous week indicated that the mercury vapor levels inside the home were less than 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter. Most of the contaminated items that had been removed from the home were returned to the homeowners after repeated heating cycles reduced the mercury vapors to acceptable levels. Some items did need to be disposed of, and a list of these items was provided to the homeowner. The solid wastes were disposed of at the County landfill.
The air sampling data and other information about this cleanup were provided to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and on March 18, 2009, ATSDR issued a Record of Activity concurring with EPA's conclusion that the home was safe for reoccupancy. A final report on this cleanup was completed on April 20, 2009 (see documents section of this web site for both of these documents).
On May 27, 2009, EPA and it's contractor returned to the site to ship the one drum of wastewater from the site. This drum contained nonhazardous water and mercury absorbing solution from the cleaning of floors in the home. This waste was shipped to an approved disposal facility.
No further removal actions are anticipated at this site.
EPA appreciates the cooperation of the homeowners, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the County, and all others involved in this cooperative effort.
|
