Heres how the west Houston mercury spill unfolded – Houston Chronicle

When a 19-year-old walked into the emergency room of CHI-St. Lukes Health in Springfield Village around 2 a.m. Saturday with a lacerated finger, the hospitals staff likely had no idea his presence would soon force the ER to shut down.

As a triage nurse examined his injury, something fell from the teens backpack and pocket. It would later be identified as five ounces of liquid mercury.

The hospital immediately called the Harris County hazardous material response team, briefly shutdown its emergency department and transferred its two other patients to another branch. No injuries were reported from the spill.

The episode, however, was just one small part of a three-day spectacle that culminated with a massive emergency response Sunday, this time in west Houston. Officials there worked to determine the identity of a similarly spilled substance and whether it put the public at risk.

Dozens of people were decontaminated as a precaution and a pregnant woman was hospitalized. Officials have since said the mercury there carried little risk for the public, even though it could have been there since as early as Friday.

Authorities believe the drama began that day, when they say Christopher Lee Melder kicked in the front door of the GeoChem Laboratories building on Brittmoore Road. He later emerged with 11 pounds of mercury and some personal and company checks from the warehouse.

Its unclear whether Melder knew there was mercury in the building.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Police explore possible criminal origin of mercury exposure in west Houston

The company doesnt appear to be active anymore, although it still owns the building, according to property records. It was rated in poor physical condition at its last evaluation.

The buildings front door is tagged with graffiti and there is a sign on the fence indicating its for sale. GeoChem Laboratories Inc., was forfeited in 2012 after failing to file a 2011 franchise tax report, according to the Texas comptrollers office.

Its unclear whether the company was allowed to have liquid mercury as stored in the building. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is assisting with the investigation.

Commercial laboratory waste, including mercury, falls under the jurisdiction of the TCEQ, the agency said in a statement. GeoChem had not provided the TCEQ with notification of waste generation as required by rule.

A representative of the company declined comment Monday, and efforts to reach GeoChems registered agent were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Minute by minute

After midnight Saturday, Melder went to the hospital with a finger laceration. The hospital, which did not identify the teen as Melder, said it could not elaborate on his injuries or treatment, citing privacy laws.

The Harris County Sheriffs Office, which confirmed his identity, said deputies responded to the scene, where they questioned him and tried to check for outstanding warrants.

Melder told them he didnt have an ID and gave them an incorrect spelling of his name, the agency said.

They said they didnt have probable cause to charge him with a crime for the spill.

Its not illegal to possess mercury and we dont have any indication he was attempting to dispose of it at the hospital, said Jason Spencer, spokesman for the sheriffs office.

Melder wouldnt be free for long.

At 11:15 a.m. Sunday, an unidentified concerned citizen who works in the chemical industry reported a white silvery substance on the ground in the 10700 block of Westview Drive, just outside the West Sam Houston Tollway.

At 1:47 p.m., the city sent out its first emergency alert that crews were responding to a chemical spill there. The response was extensive: at least four fire department engines, about 30 police officers, and a decontamination protocol. The FBI led a criminal investigation.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Mercury exposure: How to protect your family

Officials would find small amounts of mercury in Walmart, at a Shell gas station and at a nearby Sonic Drive-In. It was also found later at a Buckys (not Buc-ees) convenience store, where six more people were decontaminated Monday.

Prosecutors said Melder went to the stores trying to sell smaller amounts of the stolen mercury for $20 apiece. He was able to find two buyers for the substance.

The defendant played with the mercury in his hands during the sales and allowed the mercury to spill onto the pavement, a prosecutor said at his initial court hearing.

Its unclear when that occurred. The stores are roughly a 10-minute walk from where the mercury was allegedly stolen, and Houston police said they didnt receive any calls about the warehouse burglary that day. Officials have said the mercury that elicited the response Sunday could have been there since soon after the burglary occurred Friday.

Possible accomplice

On Monday morning, the FBI announced that it had arrested Melder, who lives in a Crosby mobile home. He appeared before a magistrate and was held on $5,000 bail with felony charges of burglary and unlawful disposal of a hazardous substance.

He told investigators at some point after his arrest that he acted with a female accomplice, although a prosecutor said FBI agents havent yet been able to confirm or develop that claim.

Melder is due back in court Wednesday.

The Houston Health Department says people who visited the Walmart, Shell, Sonic or Buckys between Fridayand Sunday should monitor their health for symptoms over the next few days and go to the doctor if necessary.

Those symptoms could include headaches, eye and throat irritation, coughing and nausea. Mercury is a heavy metallic element that is liquid at room temperature, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

With mercury, the biggest concern is long-term exposure, which is not the case in this situation, said Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Department.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com

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Heres how the west Houston mercury spill unfolded - Houston Chronicle

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