Bus also involved in Clovis Unified mercury cleanup

The Clovis Unified student who brought mercury to school Thursday also rode a bus, which will have to be cleaned in addition to the two campuses, according to district spokeswoman Kelly Avants.

Clovis East High School and Reyburn Middle School are expected to reopen Tuesday after an assessment and cleanup of classrooms potentially impacted by the silvery metal substance.

Clovis Unified said it identified the student who brought the mercury and a small number of students known to have come in contact with it.

Although the bus was involved, it’s “the least of our worries,” Avants said Saturday. “It will be the last thing we clean. We want to get the school open on time.”

Avants said the student got the mercury from someone who lives in Hanford and brought it to school Thursday.

The Kings County Health Department released a statement addressing the bottle of mercury found at the Hanford home. It was discovered as early as October by someone in the home and 6 to 8 ounces may have been shared in unknown quantities among the middle-schoolers, the statement read.

Avants said everyone involved has been cooperative, and she doesn’t believe the student will be punished. “The student didn’t understand the risks associated with mercury,” she said, adding that no one has come forward showing symptoms.

Although there hasn’t been a mercury scare at Clovis Unified before, Avants said there have been hazardous chemical cleanups.

This story was originally published January 13, 2018 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Bus also involved in Clovis Unified mercury cleanup."