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Cover up?

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  • popper

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    Apr 23, 2013
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    Go to the USPS site and find mail centers closed as there is TXDOT construction on the road! You'd think they could get organized.
    Actually, where can you get that much mercury? School lab, merc. lamps and the old starters for fluorescent lights? None in thermometers since the 60's
     
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    Kar98

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    Aug 8, 2016
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    DFW
    This video says the package weighed 25 lbs and that 28 oz (1.75 lbs) spilled.

    Typical initial news reporting. When they got a news “deadline” to meet, they’re going to take whatever information they’ve got and to hell with whatever the real *facts* may be.
    {Ain’t nobody got time for that}

    (See @2:11 mark of this video)


    I'm thinking they did water math. Badly. 25 lbs of liquid? If it was water, it would be five gallons!
     

    Buckshot Wade

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    Jul 28, 2018
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    Gone
    Been a week and my local tv station out of Tyler just gives scant details and spin it up as a public interest story. Really making light of incident. Media this morning made a bigger deal over the choices of male underwear!
    Today's media is simply a joke.
     
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    dsgrey

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    Oct 25, 2015
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    Denton County
    Been a week and my local tv station out of Tyler just gives scant details and spin it up as a public interest story. Really making light of incident. Media this morning made a bigger deal over the choices of male underwear!
    Today's media is simply a joke.

    I turned on the news last night and they had a poll - Would you give up Whataburgers for life if it meant you'd have a perfect body. About 2/3 said no. What the hell is wrong with the other 1/3??
     

    gdr_11

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    Aug 1, 2014
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    Filed an online complaint with USPS a couple of days ago and they passed the buck to our local postmaster who sounds like my grandmother (probably put her on the front line so no one would tear her up) who called me this morning with the standard party line that the mail is moving but slowly. When I pushed and asked what she meant by moving she admitted that our small local post office usually receives 3,000 pieces of mail a day and that on Friday and Saturday they got around 200 letters. Today is day 6 with absolutely nothing in my box. There is a $26,000 check to me floating around there somewhere and nothing I can do about it.

    When I asked about restart on the delivery she said they know nothing and said that the EPA is holding things up by refusing to allow them to open the DC.

    I am sure she knows no more than I do and probably less since they have no choice but to believe the party line coming from upstream.
     

    busykngt

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    Jun 14, 2011
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    McKinney
    I agree. Tomorrow it will be week since this minor “spill” and our mail is still screwed up (in McKinney). Good thing it wasn’t a *real* problem!
     

    gdr_11

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    Dallas CBS tv station just reported that Coppell D.C. is back up and running today. Let's see how long it takes for them to catch up
     

    Dad_Roman

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    Apr 1, 2018
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    Teague
    Spoke to the mailady today...

    ....she said "nuttin".

    Gonna be bad when the reopen the floodgates.

    Like gdr_11.....Im awaiting a class "A" license out of Austin. Kinda important.
     

    TheMailMan

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    Dec 3, 2015
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    North of Kaufman
    Mercury is a total bear to clean up. It's a multi-step process that for an agency like USPS, requires testing at every step.

    25 lbs of mercury on a hard floor could easily cover 100s of square feet. Add in all the equipment that would need to be moved, cleaned, and then reinstalled and you've got a true mess.

    Way back when I worked at the Portland DC we had a formaldehyde spill, two gallons. Happened on and around equipment and machinery. Took 48 hours for the clean up. Formaldehyde is easy to clean up compared to mercury.
     

    busykngt

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    Jun 14, 2011
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    McKinney
    Don’t trust the Irving Fire Department? They said less than two pounds actually spilled (see video in post #5).
     

    busykngt

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    Jun 14, 2011
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    Dallas CBS tv station just reported that Coppell D.C. is back up and running today. Let's see how long it takes for them to catch up

    I detected what I think was a return to normalcy with yesterday’s mail delivery. (We’ll see if it’s sustained today). I’m cautiously optimistic this little disruptive episode has been put behind them.

    Now the question remains, will we ever hear from the postal inspectors as to who was responsible and what legal repercussions they were held to?
     

    Kar98

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    Aug 8, 2016
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    From the Dallas Morning News (full quote because paywall. Screw'em):

    A postal service distribution center that was shut down after a mercury spill in Coppell last week has resumed service.

    In the week since the Aug. 7 spill closed down the facility and delayed mail delivery around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, environmental teams evaluated, cleaned and certified the safety of the plant, said Albert Ruiz, a spokesman for the United States Postal Service.

    It remains unclear how much mercury spilled at the North Texas Processing & Distribution Center. Initial reports indicated about four gallons spilled, but the United States Postal Service has not confirmed that figure.

    At least one fire official said the amount was much lower — about 28 ounces, which is far less than a gallon.

    Hazmat teams quickly contained the spill, but the center was closed for days afterward and operations were dispersed to other facilities.

    No one was injured.

    Ruiz did not specify why the mercury was at the center, but described it as part of a "mailed package." Whoever mailed it could face criminal charges, the postal service said.

    Anyone mailing injurious or hazardous materials could face civil or criminal penalties," Sean Smith, U.S. postal inspector for the Fort Worth division, said Tuesday.

    He would not confirm whether a criminal investigation was underway and said, "We are assessing the situation and unable to comment further."

    It is not known if the total contents of the package spilled or if a certain amount leaked out.

    Shipping small amounts of mercury is legal by air or surface transportation, according to postal regulations, as long as packaging requirements are met.

    It must be packaged in "a securely sealed glass, or equivalent material, enclosure," according to the law. Each package must not exceed 100 milligrams of mercury and must be labeled saying so.

    Shaun E. Mossman, vice president for USPS Southern Area operations, sent an email to customers Aug. 8 warning them of possible delivery delays.

    "We are currently resolving the issue that caused this situation and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience," Mossman said in his email, which did not mention the mercury spill.

    Because of the extra burdens placed on other distribution centers as a result of the spill, some packages might take longer to deliver, the postal service said in a written statement.

    "We are working hard to minimize any service disruptions to our customers," the statement read. "However, it is possible some temporary delays could occur."

    Ruiz said mail at the disrupted service center has been safe throughout the closure.

    "The mailstream has remained safe throughout the temporary suspension and the mail has continued to move," he said.

    Amid complaints from residents in Dallas, Collin and Denton counties who have gone without mail for days, the postal service issued a second statement Saturday.

    "Our employees are working around the clock to minimize potential service impacts to our customers," the statement read. "Some temporary delays may occur, but we will make our deliveries as quickly as possible. We appreciate the patience of our customers."

    Mossman said in his email that customers should wait at least seven days before declaring their mail lost.

    "We are working to return to normal operations as quickly as possible," he said.
     
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