On 12/13/2018, a staff member of the Springdale Jobs Corps campus in Troutdale, Oregon, removed and transferred two blood pressure cuffs from a medical building to offices inside of a maintenance building, causing mercury to be spilled into one examination room, as well as multiple rooms in the maintenance building, a desk and soil outside of the maintenance building. During handling of the cuffs the next day (12/14/18), more mercury was spilled in the building, as well as onto the clothing and skin of two other facility staff. Three cars, several campus buildings, and another remote campus were potentially threatened by the tracking and potential release of mercury by contaminated staff who were walking and driving cars throughout the campus and offsite without having gone thru decontamination.
After reporting of the spill by facility staff on 12/14, the Gresham Fire/Hazmat Team responded to the site and notified EPA. Springdale also notified the National Response Center. The EPA Region 10 Phone Duty Officer contacted Springdale and provided technical assistance to the facility. Gresham Hazmat arrived onsite, secured the scene and assisted with decontamination of staff members. An EPA On-Scene coordinator and the EPA START contractor also responded and began conducting assessment and air monitoring activities of facility buildings and personnel. Springdale hired a hazmat response contractor who mobilized to the site and began removal activities with EPA's oversight. Final cleanup was completed on 12/17, and EPA conducted final air monitoring sampling and clearance under ATSDR guidelines on 12/18/2018.
