DECONTAMINATION: Calusa Planetarium closed after close call with mercury

It’s a day of decontamination for the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium after a mercury exposure sent three people to the hospital on Thursday.

I was there in the hours after it happened, and I came back to check-in on how the clean-up is going.

You could see the planetarium building still taped off as environmental agents used mercury detectors to decontaminate the interior. Watch my full report here...

Meanwhile, people were still coming and going, enjoying the nature center as usual. But, it looked a lot different there the day before, with a parking lot full of firetrucks and hazmat crews.

“For those that know about mercury, they know that a very small amount can do a lot of harm,” said Eric Raddatz, the planetarium’s director.

Austin Schargorodski

The planetarium is currently being renovated, so Raddatz said they donated the old projector to a college in Fort Pierce. But, when three of the college’s employees came to pick it up, they broke a bulb that exposed them to mercury, sending them to the hospital.

However, Raddatz said they’ve since been released.

“I was very happy to hear that this incident was one that caused no serious harm to anyone. That was our biggest concern - the safety of our patrons and our families,” said Raddatz.

Austin Schargorodski

But, in order for the planetarium’s renovations to continue, Raddatz said an extensive decontamination is required.

“We’re using the right team - we’re using a team that works with the department of environmental protection agency so we can be certain to get a full bill of health from them,” Raddatz said.

Austin Schargorodski

Plus, out of an abundance of caution, Raddatz said he’s replacing all the carpets, so the planetarium will remain closed until that happens.

“In the next month or so, we hope to reopen to a brand new roof, a brand new carpet, brand new seats, and our new projector. So, we’re excited about moving forward,” said Raddatz.

Raddatz said the nature center will remain open during the rest of the planetarium decontamination and renovations.