CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake emergency responders were called to a hazmat situation at a post office in the Western Branch section of the city on Thursday.
They were called to the Jolliff Post Office at 4417 Portsmouth Boulevard just before noon, after employees reported finding a small amount of a metallic-like substance inside the building.
Members of Chesapeake's Hazardous Materials Team determined the substance to be the element mercury.
It's not known at this time where the spilled mercury came from, but investigators don't think it's suspicious at this time.
The building was evacuated and no employees were exposed.
The fire department said a clean-up contractor will remove the mercury and run some tests to ensure the building is safe to reoccupy.
In the meantime, there could be potential for delays to local mail delivery in the area. The Postmaster will report if there are any service interruptions.
