Mercury Testing Services

Huntington Beach, California, July 29, 2025

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California (USAO-EDCA) recently announced that a California City councilmember had been charged with hazardous waste transportation conspiracy that risked death or serious bodily injury.

USAO-EDCA reports the councilmember owned a car wash business and, in 2024, learned that a mercury exposure incident had occurred at his car wash. An individual had spilled a jar containing several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of a sports utility vehicle and had attempted to clean up the mercury using a vacuum cleaner. The individual then drove the contaminated SUV to a residence in California City, where he called 911 because he was experiencing symptoms related to mercury exposure.

Emergency services personnel responded to the scene and scanned the SUV for mercury, detecting approximately 20 times the allowable limit of mercury inside the SUV’s cabin. They also shut down the car wash business. The councilmember is accused of conspiring with another person the following day to move the contaminated SUV outside city limits. That person also ended up complaining of symptoms related to mercury exposure.

If convicted, USAO-EDCA states the councilmember faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to transport hazardous waste and a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine per day of violation for placing another person in imminent danger. 

“Elemental mercury can evaporate to become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “The heavy metal can cause long-term health concerns as mercury is a known neurotoxin. To help in cases of a known or suspected spill, LA Testing’s California laboratories offer environmental testing for mercury and other hazardous materials. These tests can be used to identify the scope of the hazard, document the contamination, and then, following cleanup actions, verify environmental conditions are once again safe. LA Testing also provides sampling supplies and personal protective equipment. These resources protect people and the environment, while also helping to keep businesses and institutions in regulatory compliance.”

LA Testing has sponsored an educational video about mercury exposure and health effects that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/QVu5js60PWI 

To learn more about mercury or other environmental, material, occupational, health, and safety testing resources, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com, or call (800) 755-1794. 

 

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for environmental and indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, bacteria, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.