Trace amount of
mercury found in restroom
at park in Waipio

By Nelson Daranciang
Star-Bulletin

Honolulu fire officials yesterday found a mercury spill in a public restroom of the Waipio Neighborhood Park.

Fire officials determined that the source of the spill, at 94-1111 Oli Loop, was an unused conduit in the back wall of the bathroom.

The size of the spill was described as a trace amount, but the city is building a fence around the bathroom anyway to provide 24-hour security and has hired a vendor to clean up the site, said Carol Costa, city customer services director.

This is the second mercury spill discovered on Oahu this week. On Monday state officials found mercury in an abandoned pump house and warehouse near Pearl Harbor.

The Waipio discovery was made after an anonymous caller alerted the state Health Department just before 10 a.m. yesterday, which in turn alerted the Fire Department.

The Hazardous Materials Response Team determined that the substance at the restroom was mercury, contained it, cordoned off the area and turned it back over to the city Parks Department with a recommendation to seal off the bathroom until it can be cleaned, said Capt. Richard Soo, Honolulu Fire Department spokesman.

"Department of Health has to orchestrate the cleaning, and they have to monitor it. And they said they can't come here for a week," Soo said.

That worries Principal Vernon Young of neighboring Kanoelani Elementary whose students play in the park during recess.

"The kids are going on spring break next week. I don't think they should be playing in the area until it's cleaned up," Young said.

Area resident Wes Ching does not share that concern. He let his 22-month-old son Dennis run through the park after police notified him of the mercury spill.

"They told me it was up to me if I wanted to let him run. So I let him run one time. I just avoided the marked area," Ching said.