On May 4, 2009, EPA was contacted by the Lawrence Kansas Fire Department regarding a spill of mercury from a toilet bowl. The toilet bowl was located in a bathroom of a residential rental home at 831 Alabama Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Initially, it was thought that the property owner's insurance company would cover cleanup costs, but the insurance company eventually denied coverage. It is not known how the mercury ended up in the toilet, but it was discovered when the property owner was replacing the wax ring that joins the toilet to the flange. Initial concentrations of mercury in the home did not exceed 208 ng/cubic meter except for the bathroom at 15,000 ng/cubic meter (all measurements with the Lumex TM Mercury Vapor Analyzer). The house had a separate apartment at 829 Alabama with no concentrations of mercury vapor above background. It is estimated a pound of mercury was spilled onto the floor, most of which was recovered by physical means. The toilet and various other smaller debris in the bathroom were contaminated with small amounts of mercury and had to be disposed of. After removing the mercury and contaminated debris the, bathroom had concentrations of mercury at 2200 ng/cubic meter. A concurrent police investigation of the residence found numerous illegal substances in the residence resulting in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment restricting occupancy until it was properly cleaned. The Kansas State Fire Marshall monitored the site on May 7, 2009, and determined the mercury vapor concentrations exceeded action levels. Therefore, the subfloor of the bathroom was removed and all visible mercury trapped between the floor and ceiling was removed. Additionally, the carpet on the first floor underneath the toilet was removed as some mercury had made its way through the water damaged ceiling underneath the upstairs toilet.
OSC Ferguson screened the property on Friday, May 15, 2009, and determined mercury vapor concentrations are still above action levels. The apartments remain unoccupied but, posessions of the tenants in the home will prevent the property owner from further remediating the site until the tenants remove their belongings at the end of the lease period (July 31, 2009).
OSC Ferguson screened the rental property on August 18, 2009, with a LumexTM Mercury Vapor Analyzer and determined mercury vapor concentrations in the residence were well below levels of concern for human health.
