Margate man could face $250K fine for nabe’s mercury spill

A Margate man who unknowingly inherited three 2-ounce bottles of mercury from his home’s previous owners is alleged to have subsequently contaminated his driveway with the substance and given some to neighborhood children. Now, he may face a $250,000 cleanup bill from the Environmental Protection Agency. The federal agency is still investigating the party responsible for the contamination, but estimated that the cleanup would take one week. The man, Hubert Jean, had told police that he didn’t know the mercury was dangerous. It could take up to three years for before the EPA comes knocking at the door of anyone to reimburse the remediation costs, however, and even then, if it determines that the person cannot afford them, federal funds would “more than likely” be used instead, according to an agency spokesperson. [Sun Sentinel]

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