The De Soto Post Office, 950 Boyd Street, has been temporarily shut down since Thursday afternoon, Oct. 26, when a small amount of mercury leaked from a package and a Post Office employee was taken to an area hospital as a precautionary measure, De Soto Fire Chief Tony Ochoa said.
Mark Johnson, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said an unknown amount of elemental mercury was released from a package on the conveyor system that sorts mail at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) distribution facility in Hazelwood.
“There were large beads found around one of the conveyor collection points (in Hazelwood),” he said. “The large beads were collected and removed from the facility. Upon further investigation, more (mercury) was found at another facility in De Soto.”
Johnson said an investigation was still underway this afternoon, Oct. 27.
“A contractor was hired and is currently remediating both facilities,” he said. “The affected employees of the Hazelwood facility were all surveyed and cleared of (mercury) contamination.”
The USPS released a one-sentence statement today, acknowledging the USPS was investigating a potential hazardous matters concern at the distribution center in Hazelwood and the De Soto Post Office.
Officials said it will be up to the contractor to determine when the De Soto Post Office will reopen.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mercury is a neurotoxin, and exposure to it can be severe, subtle or may not occur at all.
According to the U.S. Postal Service website, liquid mercury in any amount and devices containing a visible amount of mercury are prohibited from the U.S. mail, so people must find another carrier for those items. Some consumer devices, like compact fluorescent light bulbs, contain tiny amounts of mercury vapor, which are considered restricted but mailable.
The website further states that anyone who knowingly mails materials that are dangerous to life, health or property could be fined at least $250 but not more than $100,000; could be ordered to cover the cost of cleanup and damages; and could face possible criminal penalties.