Anthony said a joint state and federal investigation will try to determine how much mercury is missing. Some passed from kid to kid. State health inspectors and crews from the Army Corps of Engineers visited the pump house Tuesday to determine the extent of the mercury problem and see if any other contaminants have been left at the site. The cleanup has now been expanded to include PCBs and fuel. Doug MaKitten, spokesman for the Corps of Engineers, said the extent of cleanup efforts at the site will depend on what they find, but PCBs probably are present.
Elemental mercury is an odorless, silvery liquid metal.
It can cause burns to the skin and eyes and, if inhaled, could lead to problems such as pulmonary edema and neurological and kidney damage. MaKitten said the survey crew confirmed finding mercury on the ground, but did not go into the building because they did not have environmental safety suits. Carroll Cox, president of Enviro Watch Inc., a local chapter of a national environmental watchdog group, said health officials are not taking the cleanup at Pu'uwai Momi seriously. Cox said he has interviewed more than 20 children in the neighborhood who easily point out mercury spills in the area. We are talking about the health of the entire community.