By Contra Costa Health

After receiving a call from a resident this morning, our hazmat team identified an additional location in Martinez contaminated with mercury – this one near Rankin Park where Buckley Street hits a dead end. The team immediately conducted cleanup operations at this location after confirming the presence of mercury in the street. We did a visual inspection in the park itself and did not find any evidence of mercury in the park. (See related article)

Contra Costa Health spoke with the City of Martinez maintenance team and determined that the same garbage truck that collected trash at the Amtrak Station also serviced this location near Rankin Park on Monday, May 8. We have updated the map showing the route the garbage truck took after emptying the contaminated trashcan at the Amtrak station.

Hazmat cleanup crews are currently in the process of decontaminating parts of streets in the Martinez downtown area where mercury has been seen. We estimate the cleanup will take 1-2 days. There will be rolling street closures throughout the day today and possibly into tomorrow as the cleanup work is being done.

The Amtrak station remains closed and we don’t have an estimate for when it will reopen.

Anyone at the Amtrak station Monday or anyone who walked along the affected streets that thinks they may have stepped in mercury should take precautions to avoid contact with it. Shoes or clothes that have touched mercury should be double bagged and sealed shut and placed outside. Call our Hazmat Program at 925-655- 3200 during regular business hours for further handling instructions.

Spread of mercury contamination first discovered at Martinez Amtrak station wider than initially believed

Avoid parts of downtown, sections of streets temporarily closed over next several days

By Contra Costa Health

Last updated: May 9, 2023, 8:09 pm

Further investigation by county health officials shows traces of mercury was inadvertently spread by a garbage truck while traveling on its route after picking up contaminated trash from a waste receptacle at the Amtrak station in downtown Martinez on Monday.

To reduce the potential risk of exposure to mercury, Contra Costa Health (CCH) asks the public to avoid walking on the streets in affected parts of downtown Martinez and use the sidewalks until the residue of a spill is removed, so people or pets do not track the material indoors.

The contamination is limited to the street and has not been detected in amounts great enough to create an immediate risk to health.

“From a health standpoint, our primary concern is that people don’t step in the mercury on the street and bring it inside their homes where indoor vapors may pose a health hazard,” said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, the County’s health officer.

Dr. Tzvieli added that while the health risk posed by exposure to mercury from this release is low, it’s important for the community to be informed of any potential health risks and take appropriate actions. CCH issued a health advisory to the community earlier this evening.

Initially, the mercury release was thought to be contained to the area immediately outside the train station. But after examining the five-block route taken by the city of Martinez garbage truck today, Contra Costa Health’s hazmat team and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified small amounts of mercury in the roadway, primarily on Marina Vista and Alhambra Avenues and Berrellesa Street.

Sections of these streets will be temporarily closed over the next several days while cleanup takes place:

Marina Vista Avenue between the station and Alhambra Avenue; Alhambra from Marina Vista to Buckley Street; Buckley from Alhambra to Berrellesa Street; Berrellesa from Buckley north to the Martinez City Public Works yard.

The train station has been closed since mid-afternoon on Monday after ambulance paramedics from Confire at the site, who were there for another matter, saw mercury on the ground. Mercury has also been detected inside the train station itself.

Anyone at the Amtrak station Monday or anyone who walked along the affected streets that thinks they may have stepped in mercury should take precautions to avoid contact with it.  Shoes or clothes that have touched mercury should be double bagged and sealed shut and placed outside. Call our Hazmat Program at 925-655-3200 during regular business hours for further handling instructions.

Instructions

Shoes or clothes that have touched mercury should not be brought inside if it can be avoided. Never attempt to wash an article that may be contaminated with mercury, by hand or with a washing machine. This can increase the risk of the mercury being vaporized.

It is not known who dumped the mercury at the Amtrak station or why. Local law enforcement is investigating the matter.

 

Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) has earned an A grade for hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit evaluator of healthcare services.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade evaluates nearly 3,000 general acute-care hospitals across the U.S. for occurrence of preventable safety problems such as surgery-related infections or complications, observed safety incidents, and the presence of staff training and procedures to prevent errors in care.

The latest grades, released Wednesday, show that CCRMC, which is part of Contra Costa Health (CCH), provides its patients with some of the safest, highest-quality healthcare in the nation.

“Our county’s commitment to health and equity for all underscores our belief that our county’s most vulnerable and lowest-income residents deserve the highest quality medical care,” said John Gioia, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “We are proud that Contra Costa’s full-service community hospital has been recognized for the excellence and quality of its care.”

Leapfrog assesses several dimensions of patient safety including medication safety, complex surgeries for pediatric and adult patients, maternity care, intensive care unit staffing, patient safety practices, managing serious errors and outpatient procedures.

“It really comes down to our staff. It’s an honor to work with so many dedicated, talented health professionals, all of them focused on delivering the best possible care for our patients,” CCH Chief Executive Officer Anna Roth said. “Their daily efforts are reflected in this grade.”

CCRMC is a full-service, 164-bed county hospital that offers patient-centered healthcare services in a modern hospital, including a 24-hour emergency department, and 10 satellite health centers providing high-quality care throughout the county.

CCRMC has been recognized in recent years for many efforts to improve health in Contra Costa County, including the California Association of Public Hospitals, Cal Hospital Compare and the Lown Institute. In 2020, Leapfrog and Newsweek rated CCRMC among the nation’s top hospitals for maternity care.

“We are proud and grateful to be recognized by Leapfrog for patient safety, because safety is our top concern,” said Dr. Samir B Shah, Chief Executive Officer of CCRMC. “Developing, teaching and following best practices improves outcomes, prevents mistakes and improves our patient’s experience. Our clinical system emphasizes a culture of safety where every staff member knows the importance of their contribution in risk reduction at CCRMC. It’s part of our mission, to care for and improve the health of all Contra Costa residents.”

Read the Spring 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for CCRMC here.