Calexico High School Shut Down Due to Mercury Spill.

ivfootball.com

Calexico High closed until further notice
Emergency responders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Imperial County Public Health Department are investigating and assessing mercury exposure that may have resulted from a mercury spill Jan. 29 at Calexico High School.

On Jan. 29, students at Calexico High School were handling a blood pressure cuff, which burst, causing a mercury spill. School officials were unaware of the incident until the mercury spill was reported late Jan. 30.

School district officials acted quickly to notify the Imperial County Public Health Department on Monday, and emergency response procedures were immediately initiated.

After consulting with Imperial County Public Health Department staff and the U.S. EPA, the local health officer made the decision to close Calexico High School on Tuesday until further notice.

This is being done as a precautionary measure against potential health hazards and to protect students and staff. Parents were notified Tuesday to not send students to school until further notice.

Federal, state and local experts are working together to conduct air quality tests and to oversee clean up efforts and expect classes to resume at the high school soon.

A preliminary investigation of the site will determine whether the mercury contamination was limited to those in the immediate vicinity of the campus. The EPA, DTSC and a private contractor are conducting air monitoring at the campus and at several residences.

School officials have contacted about 200 students to report to the school cafeteria at 1 p.m. today to be screened. The students are a wide pool of those who may have walked through the material or have had some kind of contact with it.

RandR

I'm just glad there were no tea parties going on at the time or else all hell would have broken loose.

elchrist · Posted: 05 Feb 2009 10:29 AM Post subject:

I heard it was Freddie Mercury's ashes that were spilled...

locoinclx · Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:45 AM Post subject:

so you think that with the this little issue, Calexico unified would get rid of everything that has mercury right... which reminds me...

Which idiot over at Calexico high/Calexico unified waited until late Tuesday to close the school/area down when the spill happened the previous Thursday???

you gotta love the idiots @ Calexico high...

realneo · Studying Hard Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 1258 Votes: 5