Mercury-contaminated SUV leads to federal charges against California City official
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A California City council member is facing federal charges for allegedly arranging to have an SUV filled with the chemical element mercury moved without proper precautions.
Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested Michael Kulikoff, 39, of California City, on an indictment for charges related to improper transportation of hazardous waste and “placing another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.”
The allegations center around a mercury exposure incident that occurred at a car wash Kulikoff owned. Kulikoff is the mayor pro tem of California City, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.
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Kulikoff, who was released following his arrest, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
California City Mayor Marquette Hawkins issued a statement that said the “health and safety of our residents is always our highest priority, and we take these allegations with the utmost seriousness.”
Hawkins emphasized that “every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
“We are actively working to ensure that city operations continue without disruption and that public trust remains strong throughout this difficult moment,” Hawkins said. “Any necessary steps to safeguard the public interest and maintain ethical standards will be taken in accordance with the law.”
According to the indictment, in February 2024, Kulikoff learned that an individual, identified only as “PERSON ONE,” had spilled a jar holding several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of an SUV.
Also known as quicksilver, mercury is a neurotoxin that can affect the nervous system and kidneys, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When metallic mercury is inhaled, it can result in tremors, headaches and neuromuscular changes.
After the spill, the indictment says, the SUV driver tried to use a vacuum cleaner at Kulikoff’s car wash to clean the spill.
The individual then drove the SUV to their mother’s home, near a school bus stop, and called 911 after experiencing symptoms of mercury exposure, according to the indictment.
When city emergency services personnel responded and scanned the SUV, authorities said they detected approximately 20 times the allowable limit of mercury inside the cabin. They put yellow caution tape around the vehicle and shut down the car wash business because of the contaminated vacuum cleaner.
According to the indictment, Kulikoff attempted to clean up the business himself but was told by emergency services that he needed to stop because it was a hazardous materials scene and was unsafe.
The next day, prosecutors charge, Kulikoff returned to the scene and got a quote from an environmental services company to clean the mercury. He then allegedly sent a video to his brother, then the mayor of California City, through Facebook.
“So they’re coning it off right now and taping it, but that motherf— [is] going to drive it to Boron right now,” Kulikoff told his brother, according to the indictment.
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Later that day, court papers say, emergency services personnel left the SUV to respond to a fire that turned out to be a false report. When they returned, the SUV was gone.
Authorities say Kulikoff conspired with another person to move the contaminated SUV outside of the city. He allegedly directed that person to drive the vehicle to the Kern County town of Boron because he wanted it outside the jurisdiction of California City.
Kern County emergency services personnel found the SUV at the home of the individual who had moved it. The driver, who is not identified or charged, also complained of symptoms tied to mercury exposure.
The environmental services company remediated the SUV and, while doing so, detected high levels of mercury and recovered solid mercury, according to the indictment.
If convicted, Kulikoff faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to transport hazardous waste and up to 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine per day for placing another person in imminent danger.
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