On Thursday, February 12, 2009, Avondale Fire Department received notification of a mercury spill at 615 Hill Street. Upon response, they discovered that a young adult had brought mercury to the residence and was playing with the material in the yard and the street. When they questioned the young adult, he claimed that the mercury had come from Agua Fria High School, where he attends. There students had played with mercury in several rooms and split it up into containers and took it to their other classes and then home.
Avondale Fire Department hired a contractor to perform the cleanup of the street and notified the school of the situation. The School District hired the fire department's contractor to assist them with assessment and cleanup of the school. Agua Fria High School also requested technical assistance from USEPA and an OSC was mobilized on Friday morning.
