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LENOIR, N.C. - Several students at a Lenoir elementary school were exposed to mercury on Wednesday morning.
The incident took place at Whitnel Elementary School off Hibriten Drive SW in Lenoir around 10 a.m. A student brought suspected mercury into the school in a vial and it broke inside the classroom, according to Libby Brown with the Caldwell County School District.
Four students were treated and released at a nearby hospital for suspected mercury contamination.
The school was evacuated and students were taken to Whitnel Central Baptist Church on Highway 321 A in Lenoir. School officials said parents are allowed to pick up their kids at the church.
Authorities from the Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta are headed to the school to investigate the incident, according to Lenoir emergency officials. The American Red Cross said it is supporting the emergency workers helping to clean up the spill.
