Source of Mystery Mercury Spill in Arizona Remains Unknown

On March 31st, the El Mirage Fire Department released a news bulletin about a mercury spill at a bank-owned home in the town. Fire crews from El Mirage and hazardous materials teams from the nearby towns of Peoria and Surprise responded to the scene. It is not known how a quantity of greater than one pound of mercury was spilled at the vacant home. Anyone with information concerning this incident is urged to contact the El Mirage Police Department at 623- 433-9500.

Kary Environmental Services, a local haz-mat remediation firm, and Clark Seif Clark, a leading environmental consulting firm, were contracted to execute the cleanup. To date, the situation is contained and the nearby residents are not at risk. Cleanup efforts are complete, pending only the results of a few outstanding soil samples.

Mercury is a liquid metal at room temperature, but can easily evaporate. An article in the September 2010 issue of Indoor Environment Connections (IEC) newspaper entitled “All that Glitters is Not Gold – Sometimes it’s Mercury” discusses the hazards the element posses to people. According to the article, “It can get in your body via your gastrointestinal system if you eat or drink contaminated items, via your pulmonary system if you inhale mercury vapor, and via your integumentary system (skin) if you handle it. Mercury is difficult for the body to eliminate. It can accumulate in the body, reaching dangerous concentrations over time.”

“The mysterious mercury spill in El Mirage was quickly stabilized and efficiently remediated to prevent area residents and future home buyers from exposure to this toxic metal,” reported Derrick A. Denis, V.P. Indoor Environmental Quality at CSC. ”Sadly, this apparently nefarious act of vandalism places yet another economic burden on Arizona businesses, real-estate and taxpayers at a time when budgets are seemingly at their tightest.”

To learn more about how CSC can help with mercury spills or other environmental and indoor air quality (IAQ) services please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both the public and private sectors address environmental health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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