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1. Introduction
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1.1 Background
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Site Number: |
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Contract Number: |
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D.O. Number: |
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Action Memo Date: |
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Response Authority: |
CERCLA |
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Response Type: |
Emergency |
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Response Lead: |
PRP |
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Incident Category: |
Removal Action |
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NPL Status: |
Non NPL |
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Operable Unit: |
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Mobilization Date: |
3/20/2014 |
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Start Date: |
3/20/2014 |
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Demob Date: |
4/5/2014 |
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Completion Date: |
4/4/2014 |
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CERCLIS ID: |
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RCRIS ID: |
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ERNS No.: |
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State Notification: |
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FPN#: |
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Reimbursable Account #: |
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1.1.1 Incident Category
Release of hazardous substance (elemental mercury) inside a school
1.1.2 Site Description
1.1.2.1 Location
Hood Junior High School - 601 E. 38th Street, Odessa, Texas 79762
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
EPA Region 6 was contacted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as well as the Texas Department of State Health Services on March 18, 2014, regarding a release of approximately 1 liquid ounce of elemental mercury inside Hood Junior High School in Odessa, Texas.
Early reports on the release indicated that a student found the mercury in a bottle near the school and he brought it inside the school where he shared it with other classmates. Once school administrators recognized that the students were playing with mercury, the exposed students were isolated from the rest of the students then sent by school bus to two local hospitals.
The school district has hired local hazmat contractors to conduct a cleanup of the school. Early assessment activities conducted appear to indicate that the contamination is limited to two classrooms and the cafeteria.
An EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) as well as two START personnel mobilized to the school on March 20th to provide assistance to the school district and the Ector County Health District.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
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2. Current Activities
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2.1 Operations Section
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2.1.1 Narrative
Upon arrival, EPA met with Ector County Independent School District (ECISD) officials and their contractors to evaluate response actions to date. Allied International Emergency and CTEH have been contracted by ECISD to remediate Hood Junior High School. While clean-up activities are ongoing, students are attending class at the nearby Technical High School. EPA continues to conduct oversight and further investigate any possible spread of the mercury into the surrounding community by students who were potentially exposed.
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
A complete assessment of all rooms inside school (137,000+ sq ft.) using the "activity based" method was completed by contractors for ECISD. This method monitored the headspace (mercury vapors released) of recovered shoe covers after personnel walked in the area of concern for ten minutes to simulate student potential activities.
All areas of school that exceeded the clearance standard of 3 ug/m3 by means of headspace readings were then remediated by one of two methods: (1) merucry binding MercX product or (2) polymer chelation (gel).
Activity based sampling was repeated in areas requiring additional remediation until headspace values were below 3 ug/m3. By 1800 hours on April 1, 2014 all impacted areas of the school had been remediated and no activity based headspace reading levels exceeded 3 ug/m3.
NIOSH 8-hour air sampling in remediated ares was conducted between March 31, 2014 and April 2, 2014. All air samples measured below the ATSDR guidance of 3 ug/m3. ECISD contractors were unable to complete sampling in three locations: rooms 108,115 and hallway near main entrance due to the fact the sample pumps fell off their respective tripods.
On April 4, 2014 EPA used a lumex to conducted air monitoring in the two school buses used to transport decontaminated students/faculty to the hospital on March 18, 2014. All monitoring values from buses measured <27 ng/m3.
The final round of results from the last rooms where NIOSH sampling took place were received on April 4, 2014. All reported concentrations were below the ATSDR/EPA guidance of 3 ug/m3. The ECISD was given the okay to re-occupy the school on April 4, 2014.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
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Treatment |
Disposal |
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2.2 Planning Section
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2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
EPA anticipates no further activities associated with this response.
2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
The response activities associated with this action have been completed.
2.2.1.2 Next Steps
No further actions are anticipated.
2.2.2 Issues
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2.3 Logistics Section
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No information available at this time.
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2.4 Finance Section
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No information available at this time.
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2.5 Other Command Staff
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No information available at this time.
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3. Participating Entities
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3.1 Unified Command
3.2 Cooperating Agencies
Ector County Independent School District
Ector County Health Department
Texas Department of State Health Services
TCEQ - Midland District
U.S. EPA
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Weston Solutions, Inc.
Allied International Emergency Services
Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, LLC (CTEH)
TAS Environmental
Hazmat Response
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4. Personnel On Site
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No information available at this time.
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5. Definition of Terms
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No information available at this time.
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6. Additional sources of information
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No information available at this time.
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7. Situational Reference Materials
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No information available at this time.
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