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Presentations May 23 – 25, 2005

Presentations May 23 – 25, 2005 Portland, Maine For related information visit: http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/conferences. Cleaning Up Small Liquid Mercury Spills.

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Presentations May 23 – 25, 2005

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  1. Presentations May 23 – 25, 2005 Portland, Maine For related information visit: http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/conferences

  2. Cleaning Up Small Liquid Mercury Spills Terri Goldberg NEWMOA/IMERC

  3. Background • 2001 found high number of reports on small mercury spills • Found inconsistency in guidance on cleaning up small household & “business” spills of liquid elemental mercury • 2002-2003 initiated project to develop consistent guidance on small spill cleanup • 2003 published guidance on NEWMOA’s website

  4. Small Spill Clean-up Guidance • Coordinated effort of CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, & VT environmental agencies • Reviewed guidance available from all of the participating states & consulted with officials with experience cleaning up spills • Could not address every possible situation • Focused on spills of a few drops of liquid elemental mercury, such as a typical thermometer breaking

  5. Guidance (continued) • Guidance urges users to contact environmental authorities if the spill exceeds the states’ reportable quantities or if the spill occurred on a porous surface or the droplets are widely dispersed • Provides state specific advice & contacts • Does not address lamp breakage & cleanup

  6. Clean-up Steps • Evacuate the spill area if people are in the room • Lower the temperature • Turn off central ventilation or air conditioning • Close interior doors • Assemble clean-up supplies

  7. Clean-up Steps (continued) • Dress appropriately • Contain the spill • Pick up all visible mercury droplets • If available, sprinkle elemental sulfur or “flowers of sulfur” or fine powder zinc if available on the spill site to bind remaining mercury

  8. Clean-up Steps (continued) • Place broken product & all materials used to clean up the mercury in a sealed plastic container or airtight, sealable bags & dispose according to state or local requirements

  9. Steps to Take After Spill Clean-up • Ventilate the room or spill zone with outside air for a minimum of two days, if feasible • Wash humans & animals that came into contact with the mercury • Replace the broken mercury device with a non-mercury alternative

  10. Final Step to Take After Spill Clean-up • If there is uncertainty about whether all of the spilled mercury was recovered & the room is frequented by small children or pregnant women, it may be prudent to test the room for residual mercury using a portable Jerome Meter or Lumex Meter Analyzer. Some state agencies have this capacity.

  11. Small spill guidance document available at the following: www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/smallspills.doc Summary of data on spill reports available at the following: www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/SpillReport.doc Terri Goldberg, (617) 367-8558 x302 For More Information

  12. Summary of Spill and Consumer Roundtable is included in the “Roundtable Summaries” folder

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