Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Flint Northern to be closed Thursday and Friday because of mercury spill
©2006 The Flint Journal ? Bruce Edwards ?
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Members of the Genesee County Hazardous Materials Team move to investigate a mercury spill at Northern Academy in Flint on Wednesday morning. Two ounces (by volume) of mercury was spilled in a science classroom. It is believed that the teacher cleaned up the material.
JOURNAL STAFF REPORTS
FLINT ?? Flint Northern Academy will be closed Thursday and Friday after extremely high levels of mercury were found in the hallway of the school today.
The Genesee County Health Department and an environmental company will continue to clean up and monitor the school, according to a news release from the Flint School District.
The school will not reopen until the spill is cleaned up and federal health and safety standards have been met, the release said.
The release quoted health department official Gene Wood as saying it's possible mercury could have been tracked outside the building. Wood said if parents have any concerns about their children's exposure, they should consult with their family physician.
Physicians may call Wood at (810) 257-3603 if they have questions.
Northern staff members are to report to the McKinley School auditorium at 7:22 a.m. Thursday and Friday. Staffers concerned about possible mercury exposure will be given medical forms so they can seek medical assistance.
Authorities earlier ordered cleanup crews to return to the scene for decontamination.
Some mercury residue was found in pants, shoes and other clothing of the crews. Bags of clothing were to be taken away to be disposed.
Students were evacuated after a science teacher discovered mercury spilled in a drawer in a storage room adjacent to a third-floor classroom.
Authorities said the veteran teacher scooped up the beads of mercury with sheets of paper and placed them in a plastic bag.
Officials said the spill involved no more than about two ounces of mercury. But police and school officials were checking to see whether another vial of mercury was missing.
Students on the third floor of the building were evacuated to the school's gymnasium, said spokesman Craig Carter. Students were in the midst of MEAP testing when the incident occurred.
The teacher who discovered the spill was taken to an area hospital for observation, Carter said.
Even tiny amounts of mercury, such as the amount in some dial-type thermometers, are a health threat, according to the Genesee County Health Department.
Cleaning up a mercury spill can be costly and there are specific procedures for removing it. For instance, a spill should not be vaccumed because the heat from the motor will vaporize the mercury quickly.
Breathing in mercury vapors can cause headaches, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and coughs.
