Thursday, October 8, 2009

A package leaking mercury was recently identified by postal employees at the Wichita Processing and Distribution Center at 7117 W. Harry St. The area was secured, hazmat crews were called in, and the mercury was cleaned up.

Unfortunately the mercury contaminated 170 nearby small packages, which have been isolated and withdrawn from processing due to safety concerns. The Postal Service is currently working with local health departments, as well as private companies certified to work with hazardous materials, to determine whether the affected packages can be decontaminated and delivered. Virtually all of the packages were mailed from within a 50 mile radius of Wichita.

Customers whose packages were affected have been notified by mail of the situation.

“As always our concern is first and foremost the safety of our employees and our customers,” said Wichita Postmaster Mark Talbott. “This is a rare and unfortunate occurrence. We will follow the advice of the experts as to what to do with the packages.”

The individual who mailed the mercury has been identified and the Postal Service is investigating. Like virtually all hazardous material, mercury is not mailable.

According to Talbott, it is the mailer’s responsibility to ensure mailed items comply with all Postal Service regulations. He encouraged customers to learn about items that cannot be mailed by visiting their local Post Office, calling 1-800-ASK-USPS, or go online to usps.com. Posters informing customers of non-mailable items are posted in all Post Offices, and Postal clerks regularly ask customers if their package contains anything fragile, liquid, perishable or potentially hazardous.

Some examples of commonly-used items restricted or considered hazardous under USPS regulations include: perfumes, nail polish, flea collars or flea sprays, aerosols, bleach, pool chemicals, paints, matches, batteries, fuels or gasoline, airbags, dry ice, mercury thermometers, cleaning supplies, and items previously containing fuel, glues, and fireworks. Other items, such as alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, liquor), are not considered hazardous but are prohibited, and boxes displaying such markings are also prohibited.

“If you’re unsure if what you’re sending is mailable, please give us a call first,” said Talbott.