(Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 1, 2008) - E.P.A. Region seven emergency response teams and Crawford Co. Health Department staff are expecting to complete the screenings of at least a dozen more homes in Pittsburg, Kan., today for mercury exposure, as a joint agency response to a spill of the toxic metal at a local skate park enters its 2nd day.
E.P.A. staff and contractors, along with local health department staff, have been working with the Pittsburg police and fire departments, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in response to the spill, which was reported Monday at a skating area located in Schlanger Park.
On Tuesday, E.P.A. teams and local health department staff completed the screenings of about 40 local homes of children who were known to have played at the park during or after the time of the spill, as well as screenings of local school buildings. No major health issues were detected during those screenings, which were conducted to see if mercury had been carried back to the homes or schools on the children's clothing or belongings. At least twelve more residences in Pittsburg will be screened for mercury exposure today.
Meanwhile, EPA, KDHE and local health department staff were continuing to provide screenings of residents' clothing, shoes and belongings. Persons who think they may have come into contact with mercury from the spill are urged 1st to call the Crawford Co. Health Department at 620-231-5411 to assess their need for screenings.
Investigators believe the source of the spilled mercury is a container housed in a local building owned by the Kansas City Southern Railway. Police believe juveniles entered the building without permission and obtained an unknown quantity of mercury from a barrel at that site, and later poured the toxic liquid metal on the surface of the nearby skate park.
Local officials and E.P.A. and KDHE staff will continue working today with staff from Kansas City Southern to develop cleanup projects for the railroad's building, and for the skate park.
Mercury can cause serious health effects, especially for young children, when its vapor is breathed, or when it comes into contact with skin. A shiny, silvery metal that is liquid at room temperature, mercury is often found in thermometers, barometers, thermostats, electrical switches, and science labs.
