Purpose
This story provides information on practical approaches and solutions to a potentially harmful Mercury exposure at a childcare center in New Jersey.
Mercury Levels at a New Jersey Day Care Center
Kiddie Kollege Day Care opened in 2004 — in a contaminated building that was a former thermometer factory. For 2 years, children and staff breathed in mercury vapors above health guidelines. When the problem was uncovered, the children and staff were tested. One (1) out of three (3) of those tested had above-normal levels of mercury in their urine.
The incident was largely the result of a breakdown in communication between state and local agencies.
New Jersey's Environmental Department knew that the manufacturer had never cleaned up the property. However, they did not have a policy for sharing information about contaminated sites.
Local permitting and licensing staff didn't communicate clearly with New Jersey's Environmental Department after Kiddie Kollege signed the lease.
The operators closed the facility to protect children and staff from mercury vapors. But the legal and financial fallout has been ongoing. This includes $6.1 million in cleanup costs and damages (paid by the manufacturer) and a $1.9 million settlement.
As a result, New Jersey passed some of the strictest regulatory requirements related to environmental exposure in the nation. The program has been a notable success. Since it started in 2007, New Jersey identified 87 childcare centers where harmful exposures were possible. They then determined where action was needed, protecting an estimated 1,512 children from harm.