Riverview Sanitation receives Earth Day Award

NEW ULM -- Riverview Sanitation on Wednesday received the Excellence in Conservation Award for their alert, quick action to keep a Feb. 7 mercury spill in New Ulm contained.

Riverview Sanitation personnel noticed a suspicious material in a truck hopper while running a routine residential job.

Truck driver Craig Blackstad showed great concern by alerting Riverview co-owner Brent Kucera, who recognized the spill as mercury. Fast action was taken to eliminate the threat of contamination due to the Blackstad's actions.

"As a result of the quick thinking of Blackstad, and the by-the-book response by everyone at Riverview Sanitation, an environmental catastrophe may have been prevented," said John Crudo, President of Green Lights Recycling.

Authorities believe a property owner removed about two and one-half gallons of mercury from a garage and disposed of it in the trash. The mercury was believed to be isolated to the dumpster, alley, and garbage truck where the mercury was found.

Mercury vapors are toxic to the nervous system. Cold outdoor temperatures prevented the mercury from vaporizing. The cleanup took about a day to complete.

"Four or five of our people helped with the mercury here," Kucera said. "The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was extremely cooperative in helping with it."

Only one teaspoon of mercury can pollute a 20-acre lake forever. To put the New Ulm spill in perspective, the possible mercury damage could have contaminated a water mass the size of Lake Vermillion forever, according to a press release from Green Lakes Recycling. The lake has 313 miles of lakeshore,

Mercury is a silvery, liquid metal at room temperature. Like water, mercury can evaporate and become airborne. It's vapors are dangerous to inhale because they are toxic to the human nervous system.

The MPCA responds to about 10 mercury spills a year and collects about 100 pounds of mercury. If people suspect they have mercury or other potentially hazardous materials, they should call their local Household Hazardous Waste program.

For spills of mercury or other suspected hazardous materials, call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 1-800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The duty officer will connect residents and companies with someone who can advise on dealing with the spill.

The MPCA advises to check your kitchen, bathroom, and garage for mercury thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, fluorescent bulbs or other mercury-containing devices and bring them to household hazardous waste programs for disposal.

It is unlawful to place mercury or mercury-containing devices in ordinary, household garbage. For more information, visit the MPCA mercury webpage at www.pca.state.mn.us/quick-links/mercury.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.