Houston Chronicle by Jay R. Jordan Dec. 16, 2019
Federal authorities have taken a man into custody as they investigate if a west Houston mercury spill was intentional, the FBI announced early Monday morning.
Christopher Lee Melder, 19, is being charged with burglary and unlawful disposal of hazardous material, according to the FBI. Officials at the agency tweeted that Melder was being questioned in Sunday’s mercury spill, which centered around the intersection of Westview Drive and the West Sam Houston Parkway. Up to 60 people were decontaminated after possible exposure to the mercury, which can be dangerous when ingested or inhaled.
However, officials with the Houston Health Department said that the mercury found Sunday posed an “extremely low†risk to the public, because trace amounts were found on the ground outside. A pregnant woman was the only person hospitalized during the cleanup, according to Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña. He added there was no risk to anyone outside the contaminated area.
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