State reaches agreement with company to remove mercury from Wayne County bridges

Dec. 20– The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has entered into an agreement with Wayne County and Occidental Chemical Corporation to assess and remove or contain mercury at specific bridges in Wayne County believed to be constructed of former mercury cell parts.

As part of an ongoing investigation, the Department of Environment and Conservation has identified a total of 64 bridges as potentially being constructed of hazardous former mercury cell parts.

The mercury was found in material on the underside of the bridges that has characteristics similar to concrete.

The bridges in question are small, typically one-lane, weathered bridges with metal driving surfaces primarily used on small public roads and for private driveway crossings.

The formal agreement outlines an initial path, focusing on the first three bridges to be remediated, as well as parts located at the Wayne County Highway Department yard.

Located in Duck Springs, Tenn., Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Occidental Chemical Corporation, will be responsible for implementing the agreement.

According to its website, GSHI was created in the early 1990s to manage property restoration for Occidental Petroleum and lands once held by other companies that were later acquired by Occidental.

Occidental Chemical is a leading North American manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, chlorine and caustic soda – key building blocks for products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals and water treatment chemicals.

"We believe these bridges were constructed of former mercury cell parts from a chlor-alkali plant," said Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan.

"It is important to point out that Occidental Chemical Corporation does not own these bridge materials. We commend Occidental Chemical Corporation for cooperatively applying their expertise to work with TDEC and Wayne County to find a timely solution that is protective of both human health and the environment," he said.

As part of the agreement, the cooperating parties agree to share technical data and other information about the bridges, and will continue to keep the public informed, according to TDEC.

Regarding the three bridges and yard material outlined in the agreement, Occidental Chemical Corporation will be responsible for: developing work plans for TDEC’s review and approval; containing or removing bridge materials containing mercury and cell parts at the highway department yard; and assisting TDEC in inspecting other bridges as identified by the department.

Glenn Springs Holdings has mobilized technical resources for Occidental Chemical Corporation and is to begin field work immediately.

Wayne County has agreed to provide property as needed for staging areas and to arrange access to private property; provide employees and equipment as needed; and to obtain any necessary permits.

Elemental mercury is toxic, particularly in vapor form, and should never be handled or inhaled.

As has been widely publicized for many years, exposure to mercury can cause adverse health effects. Eliminating the exposure mitigates those effects.

If you are in an area where you can see a bridge that meets the description above, do not go under the bridge, stay out of the creek in the vicinity of the bridge and do not consume fish from that area.

It is also important that people do not tear down these bridges because this could break up the mercury-containing material, creating an inhalation hazard.

TDEC says driving and walking over the bridges, however, does not pose a risk and they remain open to daily vehicle use.

Anyone with information about the bridges in Wayne County or surrounding counties should call the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Columbia Environmental Field Office at 931-380-3371.