Jet passenger held in airline mercury spill
August 27, 2009
An airline passenger faces United States federal charges after illegally carrying mercury that leaked inside his suitcase, forcing Puerto Rico's main international airport to shut down several terminals and delay numerous flights, an FBI spokesman said Wednesday.
Pedro Rafael de Pena de La Cruz, 52, of The Dominican Republic, was held overnight in a federal detention centre and was to appear in court on the charge of transportation of hazardous materials, FBI spokesman Harry Rodriguez said.
If convicted, he faces fines and a possible prison sentence of up to five years.
The spill Tuesday morning delayed more than a dozen flights as the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport closed three terminals out of concern for dangerous vapours.
De La Cruz told Puerto Rican authorities he was bringing the mercury to a dentist in the Dominican Republic.
Toxic metal
He was carrying about 20 pounds (nine kilogrammes) of the toxic metal and only a small amount spilled inside the suitcase, police said.
While too much mercury can damage the brain and nervous system, it is widely used as an ingredient in dental fillings.
The US Food and Drug Administration says silver fillings contain too little of the substance to harm people.
Author: Gleaner Reporter
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
