Mercury was playground toy
Two pilfered jars of liquid prompt evacuation, decontamination
BY LAURA YUEN
Pioneer Press
Jamie Lembke was pushing his little sister on a playground swing early Monday evening when he noticed two older boys showing off small jars of a beguiling silvery liquid. Jamie, 12, briefly let the liquid roll through his hands, thinking it looked like "the kind of stuff Mario turned into in the video game."
"Look, I got liquid metal," one of the teens announced to the children playing at the park, according to Jamie. The boy poured the liquid on Jamie's hand and shoe, flung a container in the air and spilled the substance on at least one girl's head, said children who were at the park.
Environmental cleanup workers say the eye-catching substance was mercury, a discovery that has touched off unease and anger among parents in the Rosemount Woods manufactured home community at Connemara Trail near Minnesota 3.
Nearly 40 residents spent Monday night and at least a part of Tuesday in an Apple Valley hotel as city, county and state crews assessed the amount of spillage and cleaned up traces of the toxic metal.
Police continued to investigate whether criminal charges would be filed against the teens who allegedly took two quart jars of the mercury from a demolition site of the nearby Brockway glass factory, which is now a commercial storage warehouse.
The teens used "a great deal of force" to break into an outside shed where the mercury was stored, said Rosemount Police Chief Gary Kalstabakken.
"I'm very angry at these two kids for causing all this grief for all these people," said Darrell Wayman, whose family evacuated after his 9-year-old daughter was splashed with the mercury. "I'm not sure when we'll get back in our homes � I'm not sure if it's tomorrow, the next day or next week."
Authorities did not release the name of the two boys, ages 15 and 16, because they are juveniles. But the duo has cooperated with police in retracing their steps for the cleanup, said Alan Cox, a Rosemount city spokesman.
Crews detected the chemical in seven spots throughout Rosemount Woods � including the playground and residential streets, Cox said. It was too early to estimate the cost of the cleanup, but an investigation led by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will help identify who should pay the bill, he added. Crews expect to inspect all 182 units.
For at least six hours late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, 49 people were quarantined, showered and decontaminated in the park. One child was taken to a hospital for further evaluation, Cox said.
"It's been a little overwhelming," said Connie Lembke, Jamie's mom. After he was decontaminated and tested, her son had to part with his new back-to-school sneakers that were speckled with mercury. The Lembkes received a voucher for new shoes from American Red Cross volunteers who helped provide lodging, meals and clothing to about 13 families at the AmericInn in Apple Valley.
Lembke and her husband blamed the property owners for not properly securing the site. A vice president with the company that is developing the property, Roseville-based Contractor Property Developers, did not return a phone call for comment. The firm bought the old factory and the adjacent golf course with plans to build 624 housing units on the 113-acre site.
Cox said the developer said an inventory of the property showed no missing items except for the two jars the boys allegedly took.
Mercury that is released outdoors eventually vaporizes into the air. The greatest health danger is if mercury is inhaled, but the amount of mercury in outdoor air usually is low and should not pose health risks. Acute exposure to mercury can cause problems such as pneumonia-like symptoms, kidney damage and nausea. Chronic exposure can be fatal.
The city issued leaflets to residents urging them to call 911 if they come across the silvery mercury beads.
Some parents were alarmed to hear the teens were trying to sell mercury to the children for $5 a cup at the park. As one boy threw a container, a few drops of the mercury fell on Ashley Wayman's arm and hair. She came home and took a bath with sister Breanna to get ready for her first day of fourth grade.
She didn't say a word about the mercury until neighbors showed up at the front door, alerting her parents about the incident.
"These kids don't know better," said Ashley's older cousin, Duane Wayman, 24, who often cares for the girls. But Duane described the boys who allegedly stole the mercury as "neighborhood punks" who often stir up trouble.
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