Campus Alert Archive
EKU

Ten Teaspoons of Mercury Shut Down Two EKU Science Buildings During Finals Week

KYhazmatadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On December 1, 2011, equipment being relocated from Moore Building to EKU's new science facility on Kit Carson Drive leaked an estimated 10-12 teaspoons of mercury, contaminating both structures and triggering a simultaneous two-building evacuation during final examinations. Students in the middle of semester finals were told to leave immediately; the Madison County Emergency Management Agency and state environmental regulators were notified. EKU contracted with a certified hazmat cleanup firm to decontaminate both buildings.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Public Masters · KY
~15,000 studentsEKU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPA System
Approximate reconstruction158 chars
Attention: The Moore Building is being evacuated due to a mercury spill. Please exit the building immediately and follow the direction of emergency personnel.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The spill was discovered at approximately 12:20 PM EST in Room 108 of the Moore Building; students taking semester final examinations were interrupted mid-exam and directed to leave
Mercury contamination was traced to equipment being moved from Moore Building to the new science facility on Kit Carson Drive during the inter-semester transition
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction607 chars
EKU Environmental Health and Safety has confirmed that mercury was released during the relocation of laboratory equipment from Moore Building to the new science building. Both Moore Building and the new science building on Kit Carson Drive are closed to all activities except authorized assessment and cleanup personnel. Required notifications have been made to the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection and the Madison County Emergency Management Agency. EKU has contracted with CMC Industries of Nicholasville for professional remediation. The closure is expected to last at least through today.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The estimated 10-12 teaspoons of mercury was small in volume but required professional HAZMAT remediation because mercury vapor accumulates in enclosed spaces and is toxic at low concentrations
Closing both the source building (Moore) and the destination building (new science facility) simultaneously was unusual; it reflects concern that contaminated equipment may have tracked mercury into both structures
CMC Industries of Nicholasville, Kentucky, is a licensed environmental remediation contractor; their involvement indicates EKU escalated beyond routine EHS response
Context

Background

Moore Building at Eastern Kentucky University is a central science facility on the Richmond, Kentucky campus. In December 2011, the university was in the process of relocating laboratory equipment to a newly constructed science building on Kit Carson Drive. During the move, equipment leaked approximately 10-12 teaspoons of elemental mercury, a quantity small in volume but significant in hazard: elemental mercury vaporizes at room temperature and is toxic when inhaled, making enclosed-space exposure a serious concern. The spill was discovered at about 12:20 PM EST on December 1 in Room 108 of the Moore Building, interrupting students who were sitting final examinations. Both Moore Building and the new science building were immediately closed while state environmental regulators and the Madison County Emergency Management Agency were notified. EKU contracted CMC Industries of Nicholasville to perform the professional remediation. The incident illustrates a recurring hazard in academic science buildings: mercury was historically used in a wide range of laboratory instruments including thermometers, barometers, manometers, and vacuum gauges, and decommissioning or relocating older equipment concentrates that risk into a single move.
Analysis

Key Findings

Mercury spills during laboratory equipment relocation are a well-documented hazard; the dual-building contamination at EKU resulted directly from moving older instruments that contained elemental mercury between facilities
Closing both buildings simultaneously during final examinations imposed a significant academic disruption, underscoring the institutional cost of mercury incidents beyond remediation expense
Kentucky state environmental regulations required immediate notification to KDEP and county emergency management, reflecting the regulatory framework that governs mercury releases even at educational institutions
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Mercury spilled in move to new EKU science building (Richmond Register, December 2011)
    richmondregister.com
  2. Source
    Mercury leak at Eastern Kentucky University shuts down two buildings (Spill Hero)
    spillhero.com
Tags
mercury-spillhazmatlaboratory-equipment-relocationfinals-weekdual-building-closuremoore-buildingkentuckypublic-mastersno-injuries
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion