• Four pairs had readings between 1000 and 5000 ng/m3 and were returned to their owners with precautionary warnings that they should not be played with by small children/toddlers/infants;
• One pair had a reading of approximately 10,000 ng/m3 and was returned with the same precautionary warning above, as well as a warning that it should not be worn to school again;
• One pair had a reading of approximately 25,000 ng/m3 and the owner was advised that the shoes should be thrown away; and,
• Two pairs had a reading in excess of 50,000 ng/m3 and the owners were advised that the shoes should be thrown away.

For the four students, information regarding the shoes and the readings that were measured will be communicated by school staff to the parents of each student.  The school also concluded that as a precautionary measure, none of the eight shoes will be allowed to be worn in the school again (the school may choose to offer a reimbursement to at least one owner for a pair that was recommended to be thrown away).

After the school had been vacated for the day, EPA conducted an initial screening of mercury vapor readings in several areas of the school to assess the level of potential contamination.  Of initial interest were three indoor classrooms, five detached modular classrooms, two bathrooms, one storage room, and an area of the gymnasium.  The initial screening levels reported the following:

• Gymnasium: floors and doors near the table-tennis area were assessed but no readings above background were found.  A silver plastic bead was discovered which may have incorrectly been reported as mercury;
• Mobile Unit #1: all breathing air zone levels and floor levels were below  100 ng/m3;
• Mobile Unit #2: no entry conducted; levels exceeded 50,000 ng/m3 within 3 feet of the doorway, the measurement was taken while windows were open.  The fan was turned on and the room was left for later assessment;
• Mobile Unit #3: all breathing air zone levels and floor levels were below 300 ng/m3;
• Mobile Unit #4: all breathing air zone levels and floor levels were below 100 ng/m3;
• Mobile Unit #5: all breathing air zone levels and floor levels were below 100 ng/m3;
• Room 707: breathing air zone levels range from 1200 to 1400 ng/m3 and floor levels range from 1800 to 1900 ng/m3 with a hotspot of 3000 ng/m3;
• 700 Boys Bathroom: breathing zone levels are approximately 1300 ng/m3 with a peak of 4000 ng/m3, floor levels are approximately 2000 ng/m3 with a peak of 11,000 ng/m3; the highest values occur near the sinks and there is a floor drain in the center of the room where readings directly above it exceed 50,000 ng/m3;
• 700 Girls Bathroom: all breathing air zone levels and floor levels were below *700 ng/m3;
• Room 605 (science room): all breathing air zone levels and floor levels were below 400 ng/m3, but there was a hotspot in excess of 1500 ng/m3 at the drain of the instructor’s sink; and,
• Room 604 storage closet: levels immediately around the sealed bags of confiscated materials (jar of mercury, contaminated bookbags, contaminated vacuum, etc.) ranged from 5000 to 10,000 ng/m3.

*Note: levels in Mobile Unit #3 and 700 Girls Bathroom may have reported higher than actual readings due to the intensity of values that were measured in areas (Mobile Unit #2 and floor drain in 700 Boys Bathroom)immediately prior.

The above results were confirmed and expanded by START monitoring on 11/13/2010, which sought to delineate potential hot spots.  Also, an additional eight rooms were assessed based on the daily schedules of the students involved in the initial release; results indicated only one hot spot in a cleaning supplies closet but no other impacted classrooms.

After the initial assessment in the rooms of the highschool, OSC Huyser determined that Mobile Unit #2, Room 707, and 700 Boys Bathroom would have to be remediated for ongoing mercury vapor issues, in addition to disposal of the confiscated items in Room 604 storage closet (confiscated items consisted of book bags, mercury jars, shoes, a vacuum cleaner, and other cleaning supplies).

On 11/12/2010 and 11/13/2010, EPA visited five residences whose occupants (students or faculty) may have come in close contact with the mercury.  The initial screening levels of homes reported the following:

OSC Huyser determined that the residence on McLemore Street would have to be remediated to some extent but that the resident could remain at the location for the evening provided that ventilation was conducted throughout the night and next day; also, the residence at Chestnut Street would need a reevaluaiton due to the fact that the measured levels were very closely near EPA's residential cleanup levels.  After it was discovered that one of the affected residences belonged to the LaFayette Housing Authority, OSC Huyser contacted the LHA manager on-duty and informed them of the pending situation.  EPA START contractor, OTIE, was told to mobilize beginning on 11/13/2010 to provide technical and assessment support.