Liquid mercury found at Bellingham clean-up site
Apr 25, 2013, 10:37 AM | Updated: 12:11 pm
Clean-up crews have discovered liquid mercury in the soil at the contaminated former site of a pulp mill on the Bellingham, Wash. waterfront.
High levels of mercury contamination turned up in two small areas, about the size of four parking slots, at the former Georgia Pacific property. State Ecology Department site manager Brian Sato said you can actually see beads of liquid mercury in the soil.
High-powered vacuums are sucking out the volatile compound. It’s being transferred to a special hazardous waste facility for treatment, said Sato. Crews have removed 500 tons of contaminated soil and recovered about a quart of liquid mercury.
Increased digging and the discovery of the mercury has driven up the cost of the clean-up from $1.8 million to $3.2 million. The mercury clean-up should be done by early summer, part of a much larger 64-acre restoration effort at the Port of Bellingham property.
