News Release 561

DEPARTMENT OVERSEES CLEANUP OF MULTIPLE
ST. CHARLES MERCURY RELEASE SITES

Volume 35-561

Contact: Larry Archer

(For immediate release)

573-751-3807

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 29, 2007 -- A St. Charles woman and her two sons were evacuated from their home Wednesday after emergency responders, including environmental emergency responders from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, found a pound of mercury in the family's basement.

The department's Environmental Emergency Response section was called to a home in St. Charles after the St. Charles Fire Department reported a possible mercury release at the home. Responders from the department's emergency response section at Route 66 State Park found the mercury on the basement floor, performed air monitoring tests and discovered mercury vapors present in the air at levels 28 times higher than levels considered safe.

The family was evacuated from the home and advised to seek medical attention for the possible effects of mercury exposure. Department responders, working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are returning to the house today with a cleanup contractor to remove the mercury from the house. The cleanup is expected to take two to three days.

Additional evidence of the mercury was found on the clothing and shoes of a neighborhood friend at school. The principal of the school first notified fire officials after beads of mercury were found near the desk of one of the boys.

Elevated mercury vapor levels 10 times the level considered safe were discovered the neighborhood friend's home. His clothes had been contaminated. A bag of contaminated clothes and shoes was removed from the house, and the house was allowed to ventilate to reduce the vapors. Air monitoring will be conducted at this house today.

The mercury beads found at the school were removed Wednesday night, and air monitoring of the site determined that no additional action was needed.

Metallic mercury is liquid at room temperature and has no odor. It was once commonly used in thermometers, barometers, switches and blood-pressure measuring devices.

When spilled, some of the metal will evaporate into the air and can be carried long distances. Mercury is toxic when inhaled. Improper clean up with a vacuum, paintbrush or household cleaner increases exposure by dispersing the mercury into the air.

Short-term exposure to high levels of mercury vapors may cause serious health effects including lung damage, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as increases in blood pressure or heart rate, skin rashes and eye irritation. Symptoms from chronic or long-term exposure can develop in just a few weeks. Tremors, decreased eye-hand coordination, memory problems, insomnia and irritability can develop quickly. If these symptoms are not correctly identified and exposure is not prevented, then permanent nervous system damage can occur. For more information on health risks, contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at 573-751-6102.

The Department of Natural Resources Environmental Emergency Response section is called to the scene of more than 300 emergencies each year, including fires, traffic accidents, leaking storage tanks and other incidents that could have a negative environmental impact. The department's 24-hour spill line receives more than 1,600 incident reports annually.

To report an environmental emergency, including fuel spills, please contact spill line at
573-634-2436. For more information contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at
800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443, or visit the department's Web page at www.dnr.mo.gov.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

###