On Nov. 17, 2025, EPA Region 7 was notified of an elemental mercury spill at a residential property in Haviland, Kansas by a resident who contacted the National Response Center (NRC). The resident contacted the NRC to report a mercury spill in a basement apartment at the property. The mercury source was identified as a jar of elemental mercury stored in an enclosed pantry closet in the basement.
An EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) mobilized to the site and confirmed the presence of elemental mercury and mercury vapors at the property, which is a multi-story farmhouse with an apartment in a finished basement. One unit comprises the upstairs floors and one unit comprises the basement area. A Mercury Vapor Analyzer (MVA) confirmed mercury levels in the basement unit exceeded the residential removal action goal for indoor air, but below concentrations which would warrant temporary relocation of the residents. Screening in the upstairs unit indicated mercury levels were well below the residential removal action goal for indoor air. Mercury vapor concentrations were observed in a pantry closet where the spill occurred at concentrations indicating the likely presence of elemental mercury in the basement apartment.
EPA response operations were initiated on Nov. 17, and cleanup actions were completed on Nov. 21. Removal and mitigation measures were effective in reducing the concentration of mercury vapors in the home below removal actionable levels. Off-site transportation and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated during the response was completed on Dec. 26, 2025, and a Final Pollution Report (PolRep) was published and distributed to stakeholders involved in the cleanup on Jan. 9, 2026. The emergency removal action is complete, and no further response activities are anticipated.
