By Bay City News.
Contra Costa Health issued an advisory Tuesday night for areas of downtown Martinez near the Amtrak station, where a mercury spill occurred Monday.
Authorities found "minor" mercury contamination in the street from Marina Vista Avenue to Alhambra Avenue to Buckley Street and Berrellesa Street, they said at 8:20 p.m.
Authorities advise that if residents must be in the area, they should stay on the sidewalk.
The mercury spill that closed the Amtrak station in Martinez on Monday was larger than initially thought and may have spread to the platform, inside the train station and out onto the street, Contra Costa Health (CCH) officials said.
The station remained closed as of Tuesday and Amtrak is using the old train station a few blocks away at Ferry Street and Marina Vista Avenue.
CCH Deputy Director Matt Kaufmann said the county will bring in a contractor later Tuesday to help with the cleanup. County officials initially estimated that between one pound and 1.5 pounds of mercury was spilled.
“We have not confirmed that amount,” Kaufmann told the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “What we can say is that we can monitor mercury in the air, which is really the primary concern. What we have found is about a thousand times less than what would be considered immediately dangerous to life and health.”
Kaufman said CCH was informed of the spill by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District around 3 p.m. Monday. The station was then closed.
Kaufmann said CCH is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board to further assess the situation and conduct additional monitoring.
There is no timetable for reopening the station and the source of the mercury remains unknown.
Kaufmann said anyone who was in the area Monday should check shoes and clothing. Anyone who thinks they may have tracked in mercury should double-bag their clothing and shoes, put them outside and call the county's hazardous materials team at (925) 655-3200.
She reminded people that they should not try to wash their clothes or put them in a washing machine, as that could spread contamination.
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