Police still investigating September mercury incident at Las Vegas junior high school

Police are still investigating how mercury ended up at Johnson Junior High School more than two months ago — a discovery that prompted a large-scale decontamination effort and sparked frustration from parents.

Meanwhile, the cost of cleanup is expected to reach about $157,000 after repairs are completed.

The incident prompted a response from the Environmental Protection Agency in September, after a teacher spotted the substance on the gym floor during an assembly.

The discovery — which kept students at the school overnight as they were screened for the substance — caused concern from parents who felt they had little information about the incident.

Nearly 1,500 people were screened for contamination after a campus lockdown, and the school remained closed for three days. About 80 student and staff homes also were checked for mercury.

Capt. Ken Young of the Clark County School District police said this week that the case is still open.

Police suspected a student brought the toxic liquid to school, but Young said they have not determined the source.

EPA officials found that the contamination was most concentrated in the gym and locker rooms.

The district has paid roughly $92,417 for cleanup and restoration — which included off-site removal of the mercury and replacing parts of the school floor that was torn up in the decontamination process, according to a district spokeswoman.

The district expects to pay about another $65,000 to repair the gym floor that was also torn up during the process.

Contact Amelia Pak-Harvey at 702-383-4630 or apak-harvey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AmeliaPakHarvey on Twitter.