Mercury brought to school campus prior to Wednesday, officials say

The mercury found at a Las Vegas junior high school Wednesday appeared on campus earlier than officials originally thought, according to Clark County School District Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky.

“Talking with the EPA, they were not able to determine exactly when it came in the building, but they did say it was before that Wednesday,” Skorkowsky said Friday morning outside Johnson Junior High School.

Federal and local officials remain uncertain as to who brought the mercury to the school, but police believe it was a student, according to school district police Capt. Ken Young.

The discovery of the substance, which a Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman said consisted of about five to 10 drops, prompted more than 1,000 students and faculty members to be locked down and tested during a scare that lasted more than 16 hours. A total of nine students and three administrators were initially exposed.

Young said the person or people responsible will likely face consequences, including possible criminal charges.

“It really depends on what we find,” he said. “There’s a chance it could not be criminal.”

Inside Johnson Junior High, black trash bags full of students’ belongings crowded the corridors as workers from the Environmental Protection Agency continued Friday to test the items for traces of mercury.

Most of the bags were filled with shoes and backpacks collected from students Wednesday, though Young said parents voluntarily dropped off belongings “throughout the day” Friday like clothes and shoes students wore Tuesday and last week just in case they may have picked up trace amounts of the substance.

The bags were being placed in the school’s courtyard, where EPA officials wanted the sunlight and heat to evaporate the toxic substance for more accurate test results.

About 1,400 bags still need to be tested, and the screenings take about 10 to 30 seconds each, according to Randy Nattis, federal on-site coordinator for the EPA.

Parts of the school have been cleared by the EPA, but there are concentrated locations in the school that require attention from a licensed contractor, Skorkowsky said.

“We’re confident that on Monday everybody will be back in school,” he added.

If parents have concerns about clothes or belongings that were in the school before or on Wednesday, they are asked to put the belongings in a trash bag and bring it to the school for testing. Once the items are cleared, they will be returned. If dangerous amounts of mercury are detected, the items will be disposed of, Nattis said.

The EPA detected less than 1,000 nanograms per cubic meter of the substance Friday, and the threshold for schools, recommended by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, is 3,000 nanograms per cubic meter, Nattis said.

If parents have information, they need to call the school directly, Skorkowsky said.

The school district expects to have students attend school Nov. 8 for a make-up day.

Review-Journal writer Rachel Crosby contributed to this report. Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Follow @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.