U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Sitka St Mercury Spill - Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV
|
|
Subject:
|
POLREP #2
Cleanup begins
Sitka St Mercury Spill
Tampa, FL
Latitude: 28.0214650 Longitude: -82.4397780
|
|
To:
|
|
|
From:
|
Subash Patel, On Scene Coordinator
|
|
Date:
|
12/3/2010
|
|
Reporting Period:
|
November 23 to December 20, 2010
|
|
1. Introduction
|
|
|
1.1 Background
|
|
|
|
|
Site Number: |
B4D8 |
|
Contract Number: |
EPS40703 |
|
D.O. Number: |
|
|
Action Memo Date: |
11/25/2010 |
|
Response Authority: |
CERCLA |
|
Response Type: |
Emergency |
|
Response Lead: |
EPA |
|
Incident Category: |
Removal Action |
|
NPL Status: |
Non NPL |
|
Operable Unit: |
|
|
Mobilization Date: |
11/23/2010 |
|
Start Date: |
11/24/2010 |
|
Demob Date: |
12/3/2010 |
|
Completion Date: |
|
|
CERCLIS ID: |
|
|
RCRIS ID: |
|
|
ERNS No.: |
|
|
State Notification: |
|
|
FPN#: |
|
|
Reimbursable Account #: |
|
1.1.1 Incident Category
Emergency Response
1.1.2 Site Description
Residential House
1.1.2.1 Location
1712 E. Sitka Street, Tampa, FL 33614
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
High levels of mercury vapors within the residence. A four-year-old child went to the hospital. The child had have high levels of mercury in his body. X-rays and other tests showed visibile beads in his digestive and respiratory system. Eight people, which consists of three children under the age of five, live on this property.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
EPA obtained access from the family to assess and treat the home. Florida Deparment of Environmental Proteciton (FDEP) and EPA screened the house using a Lumex mercury vapor analyzer. Concentrations ranged from 5,000 ng/m3 to 7,000 ng/m3 throughout the house. A dresser located in Bedroom 1 where the parents and the sick child slept had a mercury concentrations exceeding 50,000 ng/m3. Beads of mercury were also found in this room. OSC Subash Patel contacted Warren McDougle, MPH of Florida Department of Health and Bob Safay of ATSDR to inform them of findings. The source of elemental mercury was never found.
EPA and FDEP informed the residents of the concentrations and recommended the residents temporarily relocate until decontamination was complete. The residents relocated to a nearby hotel on November 24.
|
|
2. Current Activities
|
|
|
2.1 Operations Section
|
|
|
|
2.1.1 Narrative
The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) reported a private residence was found with high levels of mercury due to unknown causes. A child was taken to the hospital and was found to evaluated levels of mercury. FDEP screened the residence with a Lumex mercury vapor analyzer on 11/23/10. EPA Phone Duty spoke with FDEP personnel on-site concernin g mercury readings and remediation efforts. Mercury concentrations within the house ranged from over 50,000 ng/m3 within the affected child's bedroom to 2,000-15,000 ng/m3 throughout the remainder of the house. Based on the levels of mercury vapors within the house the EPA mobilized resources to Site for remediation activities.
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
EPA OSC Subash Patel, START OTIE contractors and ERRS WRS contractors were mobilized on 11/23/2010.
After obtaining access from residents and completing the initial assessment with FDEP, items including furniture and clothes from the home were moved outside onto a tarp for screening and deconning. Small items were placed in plastic bags and set aside in a sunny location. Items too large to fit in plastic bag were set aside in a sunny location. Concentration of each bag and large item was checked periodically with a Lumex. By Saturday, items that exceeded 10,000 ng/m3 were discarded. In addition, children's items that exceeded 1,000 ng/m3 were discarded (ATSDR recommendation). Items discarded were photographed and documented. No elemental mercury beads were spotted on items.
Readings of the house were found to be below Removal Action Levels if windows and doors were kept open and/or if the air conditioning unit was operating.
The floor tiles of the house were presumed to contain asbestos due to its size (9" x 9"). After discussions with ATSDR, the Removal Action Level for the home was increased from 1,000 ng/m3 to 2,000 ng/m3 in hopes to avoid removing the floor tiles due to the risk of releasing asbestos fibers. A sample of the floor tile was sent to a lab to confirm the tiles contained asbestos. Lab results showed the floor tiles contained 5% asbestos.
The house was heated and vented to drive off mercury vapors from Wednesday to Friday. To heat the house, the home's HVAC unit was set to 90˚F. Space heaters were also used. Windows were cracked open to allow mercury vapors to escape during day time and closed at night time. Heating continued throughout Wednesday night. In addition, floor tiles were treated with HgX (mercury decontaminant) and vacuumed with a mercury vacuum several times. Baseboards were removed in the bedrooms where the Lumex was reading elevated concentrations. Sinks and toilets were treated with vinegar.
Attempts were made to clear the house using the Eight Hours Clearance Confirmation Sampling on Friday. Using a Lumex, concentration of the breathing air (three feet from floor) at the center of each room was obtained each hour for eight hours. HVAC unit was turned off and windows/doors were kept close. Temperature of the house was at least 75˚F throughout the test. The results of the tests would then be compared to the adjusted Removal Action Level of 2,000 ng/m3. The tests failed midway.
Heating and venting efforts then continued after test failure. To determine where vapors were being emitted, the house was reassessed. The walls of the house was emitting less than 500 ng/m3 throughout. Concentration of the floor tiles throughout the house ranged from 1,400 ng/m3 to 1,800 ng/m3.
Floor tiles where mercury beads, vapor, and tracking were less likely to impact the tiles were measured. The concentration was found to be about 1,400 ng/m3 A sample of the tile from the back of the kitchen pantry with a box on top of it was cut and placed in a ziploc bag and microwaved for fifteen seconds. The bag was then placed into another ziploc bag and measured with the Lumex. The reading spiked to 16,000 ng/m3 and the Lumex was removed to avoid saturating the instrument.
By Friday evening, the HVAC unit was turned off and the windows were shut in order to determine the ambient air concentration of the house. On Saturday morning, the house's mercury concentration uniformly ranged from 4,000 ng/m3 to 5,000 ng/m3. Heating and venting efforts restarted. Another effort was made to clear the house using the Eight Hours Clearance Confirmation Sampling, but it failed midway. The Regional Response Team was activated. The team included EPA, ATSDR, and FDOH. A conference call occurred at 1300 hours on Saturday to update and discuss findings. It was determined that the floor tiles that were unlikely to be impacted by the mercury spill needed to be sampled to determine if it contained mercury. EPA and contractors demobed on Saturday and most residents remained in the hotel. Residents that lived in a section of house that had minimal impact from the mercury spill (readings were below 500 ng/m3), had different floor tiles than impacted house, and had no access or keys to impacted area of main house were allowed to stay at home.
On Saturday night, November 28, START took a piece of tile from the kitchen pantry in a certified sampling jar with a teflon lid and placed in microwave for 20 seconds. Vapors were measured with a Jerome mercury analyzer. Concentration was 515,000 ng/m3.
On Tuesday, November 30, result from the kitchen pantry tile sample was nondetect for mercury. However, the detection limit was 90 mg/kg which appears to be too high. Result for asbestos again showed the tile contained up to 5% asbestos. OSC Patel then had a conference call with the Section Chief of Technical Services Section, Science and Ecosystem Support Division, and OSC Chris Russell (Florida outposted OSC). It was determined that an air sample of the head space with a Lumex and Jerome with tile contained in a box in ambient temperature needed to be done.
OSC Patel and START returned to the site on Monday, November 29. A whole tile from the back of kitchen pantry with a box on top of tile, back of bathroom closet with items on top of tile, and back of Bedroom #2 closet was removed. Each tile was then placed into its own tupperware box with a thermometer. The following tables were peak sampling results taken on December 1. Temperatures vary depending if tupperware boxes were placed in vehicle or sun to heat.
|
Tile Location
|
Instrument
|
Peak (ng/m3)
|
Temperature
|
|
Kitchen Pantry
|
Lumex
|
595
|
86˚F
|
|
Bathroom Closet
|
Lumex
|
2,400
|
86˚F
|
|
Bedroom #2 Closet
|
Lumex
|
668
|
85˚F
|
|
Tile Location
|
Instrument
|
Peak (ng/m3)
|
Temperature
|
|
Kitchen Pantry
|
Lumex
|
300
|
75˚F
|
|
Bathroom Closet
|
Lumex
|
730
|
75˚F
|
|
Bedroom #2 Closet
|
Lumex
|
140
|
75˚F
|
Tile Location
|
Instrument
|
Peak (ng/m3)
|
Temperature
|
| Kitchen Pantry |
Jerome |
7,000 - 8,000 |
100˚F |
| Bathroom Closet |
Jerome |
7,000 - 8,000 |
100˚F |
| Bedroom #2 Closet |
Jerome |
~ 1,000 |
100˚F |
The following results are from analytical sampling where the tiles were digested using the SW846 Method.
A sample tile that was not in the enclosed home was not available. Therefore, it cannot be determined if the tiles absorbed mercury from the release of the spill and/or mitigation efforts or if tiles' construction material contained mercury.
On Wednesday, December 1, EPA and START began the Eight Hours Clearance Confirmation Sampling. After completion, results were sent to Bob Safay and Larry Cseh at ATSDR. ATSDR stated that they do not anticipate any adverse health effects from the levels obtained from the test. FDOH and FDEP were informed of ATSDR's statement.
To obtain more information and to support FDEP and FDOH, EPA and START conducted an eight hour sampling test following the NIOSH Method 6009 on Thursday, December 2. Bedroom #1, Bedroom #2, Bedroom, #3, Dining Area and Living Area were screened using this test. A duplicate was placed in Bedroom #1. Vacuum pump's flow rate was set to about 1 L/minute. Sorbent tube was placed about three feet from the floor. Efforts were made to keep house temperature at around 75˚F; however, HVAC had to be turned on several times during the test to heat the home in the morning. Concentration of each room were also measured hourly with a Lumex. NIOSH results are as follow:
Residents were informed on December 2 that they can return home on December 3. START demobed from site on December 2. OSC Patel met with residents at the house on December 3 from 1500 to 1700 hours to answer additional questions and to perform a quick walkthrough of house with residents. Residents have been advised to continue to ventilate home when possible to help dissipate mercury vapors. A box fan was purchased for the resident to use to help ventilate the house. The residents did not own a fan. A copy of November's electric bill was obtained for reimbursement to the residents. Residents were also informed that the four drums and two garbage bags taped to drums will be picked up for proper disposal next week. They are not to open or move these items since they were generated from the response. A document stating the temporary relocation assistance program was ending and that the residents can return home was given. OSC Patel demobed from site on December 3.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
The residents are the PRP. The title of the house is currently under the head of household's name (father of sick child). No source or container that may contain elemental mercury was found. The house appears to be insured.
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
| Waste Stream |
Medium |
Quantity |
Manifest # |
Treatment |
Disposal |
| 55-gallon nonhaz drums |
Solid |
4 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.2 Planning Section
|
|
|
|
2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
Four drums of nonhazardous contaminated items that had to be discarded will be sent for disposed. Residents have been informed to not touch or open drums. Drums are secured and located outside of house on concrete slab with a roof.
Once in a Blue Moon Online Thrift & Consignment and Ebay were used to help appraise the value of items that were discarded because of contamination.
2.2.2 Issues
OSC Patel met with Tampa Police Department District 1 on November 24 to hire overnight security. Overnight security was not available; however, District 1 stated they would increase patrols by the house. On Thursday morning, November 25, the space heaters were missing and a plastic bag containing paperwork was ripped open. Forced entry was not apparent. The Tampa Police was contacted and they completed their walkthrough at the house. A police report was not obtained since the Tampa Police requires a crime lab to inspect the house since it is considered a burglary. This process would have taken a minimum of three hours to complete. Space heaters were replaced with industrial heaters, but were removed from the house at night time.
|
|
|
2.3 Logistics Section
|
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
|
2.4 Finance Section
|
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
|
2.5 Other Command Staff
|
|
|
|
2.5.1 Safety Officer
2.6 Liaison Officer
2.7 Information Officer
2.7.1 Public Information Officer
There was no media or press attention during the response.
2.7.2 Community Involvement Coordinator
Sherryl Carbonaro was contacted for relocation information and appropriate paperwork that needed to be complete prior and during temporary relocation of residents.
|
|
3. Participating Entities
|
|
|
3.1 Unified Command
3.2 Cooperating Agencies
Florida Department of Health
Florida Department Environmental Protection
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
|
|
4. Personnel On Site
|
|
|
OSC Patel
START OTIE (2)
ERRS WRS (7)
|
|
5. Definition of Terms
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
6. Additional sources of information
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
7. Situational Reference Materials
|
|
|
No information available at this time.
|
|
|
