DETAILS ARE SLOWLY EMERGING ON THE SPILL OF POISONOUS MERCURY AT LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL… REPORTED A WEEK AGO.
   

OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE MERCURY WAS STOLEN FROM A SCHOOL LAB ON OCTOBER 20th… AND WAS "PASSED AROUND" AMONG THREE OF FOUR STUDENTS.   DETAILS OF THE THEFT ARE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
   

ON NOVEMBER 3rd, A LOCAL PHYSICIAN ALERTED PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS THAT A PATIENT HAD HIGH LEVELS OF MERCURY IN THE BLOOD STREAM.   PUBLIC HEALTH NOTIFIED THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT THE MERCURY EXPOSURE HAD OCCURED AT LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL.  TO DATE, THAT STUDENT IS THE ONLY REPORTED CASE OF SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE.
   

THE EPA WAS NOTIFIED ON NOVEMBER 12th, AFTER STAFF DISCOVERED BEADS OF MERCURY IN A MOBILE CLASSROOM… AND FOUR AREAS OF THE SCHOOL WERE CLOSED WHEN CLEANUP BEGAN.  THEY REMAIN CLOSED… AND THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE THOSE AREAS OF THE SCHOOL REMEDIATED BY AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR. 
   

IN ADDITION, EPA TESTED FIVE HOMES IN THE LAFAYETTE AREA… FINDING A BOOK BAG AT ONE RESIDENCE THAT TESTED WITH HIGH LEVELS OF MERCURY.