MARTINEZ, Calif. — A mercury spill at the Martinez Amtrak station has led to a health advisory for the city’s downtown after the spill area was discovered to be larger than originally realized.
KPIX-TV reports that by Tuesday afternoon, traces of Mercury had been found in a five-block area, according to county agency Contra Costa Health. The material was inadvertently spread by a garbage truck picking up contaminated trash from a container at the station. People were advised to use sidewalks and avoid walking on the streets in a five-block area around the station until the residue can be removed, to avoid tracking the material indoors.
The Amtrak station remained closed Tuesday, with trains stopping at the former station site at Ferry Street and Marina Vista Avenue. The source of the spill remains unknown.
The spilled mercury, which can be highly toxic as a vapor, was originally discovered Monday afternoon, leading to closure of the station [see “Amtrak station in Martinez, Calif., closed…,” Trains News Wire, May 9, 2023].
It’d be interesting to hear why this dangerous substance was discarded in common garbage in the first place, and not in a hazmat compliant container and facility.