[StBernard] EPA cleaning up mercury found in Chalmette house

[Westley Annis]

EPA cleaning up mercury found in Chalmette house
Posted by St. Bernard bureau June 29, 2007 11:38AM
St. Bernard bureau

A team from the Environmental Protection Agency late Friday was cleaning up
mercury found inside an occupied house in St. Bernard Parish, authorities
said. 


An EPA spokeswomen confirmed that mercury had been found inside the house in
the 2900 block of Corinne Avenue in Chalmette. But, she said she didn't know
how much mercury was there or where it came from. 

"They're in the process of assessing that,'' said Tressa Tillman, a
spokeswoman in EPA's regional office in Dallas. 

Tillman said there was no danger posed to other homes in the neighborhood,
but that the home would be cordoned off during the cleanup. 

"Once we've cleaned it up and deemed it safe the family can move back in,''
Tillman said, adding that she didn't know how long the process might take. 

EPA teams were at the house Thursday and Friday after being contacted by the
state Department of Environmental Quality. Earlier news reports said the
family living in the house had reported possible mercury poisoning after
experiencing soreness, fatigue and headaches in recent weeks. 

According to the EPA, mercury is a naturally occurring element found in air,
water and soil. It exists in several forms: elemental or metallic mercury,
inorganic mercury compounds and organic mercury compounds. While most humans
have trace elements of mercury already in their bodies, high levels of
exposure can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and immune system, EPA
says.