High school signs mercury-free pledge
Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kan., has become the first high school in the nation to sign a mercury-free pledge. As a result, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed 5 pounds of mercury embedded in 155 thermometers and 1 barometer. The agency replaced the materials with digital thermometers. If all goes as planned, other schools will join the effort to get rid of mercury before it spills and requires a massive cleanup effort. The EPA says mercury spills have increased dramatically--it has responded to more than 55 spills at schools in the four-state region since 2003.