Hazmat Team on 4th Street

Between 6th and 7th Avenues in Park Slope. Apparently there are firemen, cops, and people in Hazmat suits. What is going on?

http://gothamist.com/2008/04/21/breakinghazmat.php

yeah, someone spilled something.
not much to see, run along now [said in the tones of my long-dead Irish great-great grandfather city of Brooklyn cop]

dw438 wrote: yeah, someone spilled something.
not much to see, run along now [said in the tones of my long-dead Irish great-great grandfather city of Brooklyn cop]

When I spill something I usually take a couple of paper towels and clean it up. I don't call a Hazmat team. Its probably nothing, but it does seem like a big to-do over a spill.

they dropped one of those "energy efficient" mercury containing light bulbs.

eggcream wrote: they dropped one of those "energy efficient" mercury containing light bulbs.

The report is that they removed an unidentified liquid from the premises. And the mercury in bulbs is not in a liquid state.

I live right across the street. They removed a body a little while ago. Police have been here since 8am. It's now 2pm. I asked if the hazardous substance was anything to be concerned about and was told not to worry.

They removed a body? As in, a corpse?

And an unidentified liquid?

Yikes.

Yes... a corpse. Medical examiner is still here. I'm really creeped out here, because I am right across the street watching this all unfold through my windows!

Subject: Could have been a decomposing body

Usually biohazard teams are needed at the scene if a corpse has been decomposing for awhile. Of course this is speculation, but it could have been an elderly person who passed away unnoticed a number of days ago.

There are companies that specialize in this kind of cleanup. Not a job I would want... (article is not for the easily queasy).

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/nyregion/22cleanup.html?_r=2&sq=gospodarski&st=cse&oref=slogin&scp=1&pagewanted=print

There are always people in and out of that house. I somehow doubt it was a decomposing body, but I guess you never know. ABC News was here a little while ago.

I'm the one that took that pic on Gothamist. That was 10:55 this morning on my walk to work. Anyone have an update besides the body removal? I agree about people leaking fluids when they've been gone for a couple of days, but I've also seen instances where that has happened and have never seen this big of an issue made out of it.
Does anyone know if that brownstone is apartments or a single family?

Matt.. I thought I was the kind of person who didn't get queasy but reading that article was pretty disturbing. Faint of heart... don't click on that link.

UPDATE: POISON.

UPDATE: According to the NYPD, the incident in Park Slope this morning involved one fatality: 65-year-old Robert Siegel, whose body was found by his wife. The DEP tested the toxic liquid and determined the substance to be cyanide. Police say they do not suspect criminality at this time.

veets wrote: Matt.. I thought I was the kind of person who didn't get queasy but reading that article was pretty disturbing. Faint of heart... don't click on that link.

I live in 4th st...I've heard it was a suicide with cyanide.

Where did you guys get the cyanide info and the name of the victim?

rij73 wrote: Where did you guys get the cyanide info and the name of the victim?

I've got the cyanide info from an email from 4th st Block Association...I didn't know the name of the victim.

How do I get on that email list? I live on the same block as this...

rij73 wrote: How do I get on that email list? I live on the same block as this...

We've got it in the block party last summer. We put our email in a list when you give some money to help the block party celebration.

AHA... OK, that's what I get for being antisocial.

Subject: Re: Could have been a decomposing body

Matt Foley wrote: Usually biohazard teams are needed at the scene if a corpse has been decomposing for awhile. Of course this is speculation, but it could have been an elderly person who passed away unnoticed a number of days ago.

There are companies that specialize in this kind of cleanup. Not a job I would want... (article is not for the easily queasy).

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/nyregion/22cleanup.html?_r=2&sq=gospodarski&st=cse&oref=slogin&scp=1&pagewanted=print

Um, no clicky here. But I hear that it's really good money!

rij73 wrote: Where did you guys get the cyanide info and the name of the victim?

I got it from the Gothamist link....they posted an update.