Hazmat Cleanup Underway In Martinez, Including Near Rankin Park

MARTINEZ, CA — As cleanup continued along certain Martinez streets that became contained with mercury, the chemical was found Wednesday in another location — this one near Rankin Park, Contra Costa County health officials said.

A resident called the county Wednesday morning to report finding mercury on Buckley Street where it hits a dead end near the park. The county's hazmat team immediately responded and confirmed the presence of mercury in the street. The roadway was cleaned and a visual inspection of the park was done but there was no evidence of mercury in the park, county health officials said.

The presence of mercury was first discovered in the city around 3 p.m. Monday by a Con Fire ambulance crew who went to the Martinez Amtrak Station on an unrelated call and found the substance in the parking lot.

By Tuesday afternoon, investigators from Contra Costa Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found traces of mercury in several locations in the street and gutters along a five-block route taken by a garbage truck. It was later determined the mercury was dumped in a garbage bin inside the Amtrak Station at 601 Marina Vista Ave., then loaded onto the garbage truck.

Contra Costa Health spoke with the City of Martinez maintenance team Wednesday morning and determined the same garbage truck that collected trash at the Amtrak Station also serviced the location near Rankin Park on Monday.

An updated map shows the route the garbage truck took once it left the Amtrak station.

The contamination is limited to the street and has not been detected in amounts great enough to create an immediate risk to health, according to county officials.

A public health advisory was issued late Tuesday related specifically to the potential for people and their pets to walk through contaminated areas of the street and track mercury indoors, where it could potentially cause health problems related to long-term exposure. To reduce this potential risk, Contra Costa Health asked the public to avoid walking in the affected area of downtown Martinez until the spill residue is removed.

Hazmat cleanup crews Wednesday were working to decontaminate parts of streets in the Martinez downtown area where mercury has been seen. The county estimated the cleanup will take 1-2 days, with rolling street closures throughout the day Wednesday and possibly into Thursday to accommodate the work.

The Amtrak station remained closed Wednesday and the county did not have an estimate for when it may reopen.

County officials urged anyone who was at the Amtrak station Monday or who walked along the affected streets where they may have stepped in mercury to take precautions to avoid contact with the substance.

Shoes or clothes that have touched mercury should not be taken inside or placed in a washing machine. Instead, contaminated clothing and shoes should be double-bagged, sealed shut and kept outside. For further handling instructions, call the Hazmat Program at 925-655- 3200 during regular business hours.

RELATED COVERAGE:

• City Officials Address Mercury Contamination, Hazmat Cleanup
• Health Advisory: Mercury At Martinez Amtrak Station More Widespread
• Hazmat Spill Closes Martinez Amtrak Station