Mercury leak from package closes Beech Grove post office
BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) — A mercury cleanup is underway at the Beech Grove post office, which has been closed until further notice, the postal service said Tuesday in a statement.
County health officials were called to the post office about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, and the contamination came from a package, said Curt Brantingham, a public information coordinator for the Marion County Health Department. The concern of health officials was that mercury can become airborne.
“It was determined a package had been shipped from Michigan with mercury in it, and the mercury was found to have leaked from the package,” Brantingham said Tuesday.
Beech Grove Fire Department was called at 9:14 a.m. Thursday on a report of a leak of mercury about the size of a quarter, said Lynn Rekeweg, a battalion chief with the fire department. The caller from the post office wanted to know how to dispose of the mercury.
But the mercury was not confined to the initial leak. “Basically, it looks like people’s boots were tracking it in and out,” Rekeweg said as he looked at a report on the incident.
The Health Department nor the postal service had issued any warning for customers who may have been to the post office since the mercury was found. Mary Dando, a spokesperson for the post office, could not confirm when the post office first closed, but said the statement was issued to show the post office has the safety of its customers and employees as a priority.
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency webpage says exposure to metallic mercury most often occurs when metallic mercury is spilled. The mercury vapor’s health effects include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia and headaches.
The contamination has temporarily closed the retail lobby until the cleanup is complete, the post service said. The post office is at 202 Main St.
Beech Grove post office box users can get their mail from Greenwood post office, 345 W. Main St.
Mail is no longer being routed through the post office. The post office said customers who usually use the Beech Grove branch can visit these nearby post offices: Garfield Station, 1636 Legrande Ave.; Southport branch, 1701 E. Edgewood Ave.; and Wanamaker branch, 7950 Southeastern Ave.