LAWRENCE — Hazardous waste from a mercury spill that occurred 3 1/2 years ago has been stored in a Mount Vernon pumping station, posing a potential threat to the residential neighborhood.
Two sealed 55-gallon drums, one marked both "Hazardous Waste" and "Mercury," and two 5-gallon buckets also marked "Mercury" were found in the Water Department pumping station on South Street, off Route 28 near the Andover town line.
After an inspection Thursday morning, the Fire Department said the waste should be removed as soon as possible. All city workers were barred from entering the pumping station until it is tested for contamination, and the building was marked with an "X" sign to indicate it was dangerous to enter.
"Anytime something like that is left sitting there, there is the potential for a problem," said Deputy fire Chief Brian Murphy, a hazardous materials expert. Hazardous waste collected after a spill "should be removed right away," Murphy said.
Public Works Director Frank McCann, who oversees the Water Department, said he was unaware the hazardous waste was inside the pumping station until a supervisor told him about Thursday's inspection.
The waste will be removed and properly disposed of "as soon as we get a hauler," said McCann, noting the South Street station was taken out of service 20 years ago.
City Planner Michael Sweeney said whether it was an active pump station or not, the building "is not a site meant for the long-term storage of hazard material."
It was Sweeney who reported the spill in a letter to Mayor Michael Sullivan last Wednesday.
"I reasonably believe that the mercury spill, lack of complete clean-up, improper storage of hazard material and the lack of public disclosure poses a risk to public health," Sweeney wrote.
Sweeney said the presence of the hazardous waste was brought to his attention by a "concerned person" he refused to identify.
In his letter, Sweeney took the unusual step of asserting his rights under the state's Whistle Blower Protection Act. The law forbids retaliation by employers against employees who report dangerous work conditions or criminal activity.
Sweeney said he had no choice but to submit the information under the whistle-blower law.
"It's sad, but that's indicative of the politically hostile environment I work in," he said.
Sweeney is a staunch ally of Sullivan but has had a rocky relationship with the City Council.
After a recent public spat with Sweeney, Councilor Grisel Silva called for his firing. City Council President Patrick Blanchette, a longtime foe, also urged Sullivan to fire Sweeney.
"I shouldn't be the issue here," Sweeney said. "The issue should be the health and safety of the citizens of Lawrence."
Sweeney said the whistle-blower claim was not filed to protect his city job when Sullivan's leaves office. Sullivan is finishing his second and final term. A new mayor will be sworn in next January.
"I made it very clear, when I was hired, that there are other things I'd like to do in my life," Sweeney said. "This is not about job security. This is about a serious matter that was not disclosed to the public."
Sweeney said he was extremely concerned the hazardous waste was stored within "70 feet of a residential neighborhood with families."
"It is disconcerting that the barrels, clearly marked as hazard materials related to the mercury spill and clean-up, have not been properly disposed of," Sweeney wrote to Sullivan.
"The South Street building has never been marked to warn city employees or the public that a mercury spill occurred and that clean-up was not completed. Additionally, there is no notification that hazard materials related to the mercury spill and clean-up are still being stored within that location," Sweeney added.
Dates on the containers found in the pumping station coincide with a mercury spill the city paid $5,318 to have cleaned up on Dec. 12, 2005, according to city documents.
The city hired Clean Harbors Environmental Services to clean an "emergency mercury spill" that involved pump houses and pump rooms on South, Ames, Andover and Water streets, according to city documents.
Sweeney said it's not yet clear how the mercury was spilled or how the other locations were involved, but those questions will be investigated.
Numerous Clean Harbors technicians and foremen were involved in the cleanup. Three safety suits, 50 pounds of rags, two 55-gallon drums, specialized mercury vaporizers and analyzers were used, according to an itemized breakdown of costs associated with the spill.
Clean Harbors billing slips also indicate "additional clean up should be done on the South Street station," with a notation to "pick up drums at a later date."
Mark Griffin of the Lawrence Water Department was the city contact person for the job, according to documents.
It remains unclear when and why the mercury waste ended up in the South Street station and why it was never picked up. Neither Griffin nor a Clean Harbors representative could be reached for comment.
When such spills occurred in the past, McCann said, the company hired to clean up the spill was "also supposed to do the disposal."
Mercury is a toxic substance that can pollute the environment, contaminate fish and cause serious harm to humans who come in contact with it or inhale its fumes, Sweeney wrote.
Sullivan said he's assuming a worst-case scenario: the hazardous waste has been stored in the South Street pump house since December 2005.
"This is extremely alarming to me," Sullivan said. "Contaminated waste has been sitting in a city-owned building for almost four years." "People have some questions to answer on this one," Sullivan added.
