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Suspicious powders test nontoxicIncidents under investigation in Florida, Washington state
TACOMA, Washington (CNN) -- Comprehensive testing of a suspicious powdery substance found in two envelopes at a mail distribution center in Tacoma, Washington, determined the substance was not toxic, officials of the federal Homeland Security Department said Tuesday. In a separate incident in Fort Myers, Florida, six Postal Service employees were treated for contact with a potentially hazardous powdery substance at a cargo facility. Preliminary field tests indicate the material is not toxic, according to Homeland Security Department officials, but more tests are under way. In Tacoma, one field test initially gave a "false positive" that showed the powder was toxic. Officials shut down the distribution center and performed more reliable lab tests. The center reopened Tuesday night about 5:30 p.m. [8:30 EDT] after state health officials said the powder cleared all tests. Now that it has been determined that the powder is not toxic, officials said, more testing is under way to identify the substance. The powder was found in two envelopes, one addressed to the city's police department and the other to the U.S. State Department, said Gerry McKiernan, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service. Discovery of the powder prompted the evacuation of the distribution center. A mobile laboratory from the Washington National Guard's 10th Civil Support Team was conducting further tests on the substance, said Ken Parrish of the state's Emergency Management Division. The substance was being taken to the Washington State Health Lab in Shoreline for definitive analysis. Workers released in FloridaSix Postal Service employees in Fort Myers were treated Tuesday for exposure to a "potential hazmat situation" after coming into contact with a white powdery substance at an airport cargo facility. All six men have been released and none had symptoms of illness, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Preliminary field tests indicated that the material is not toxic, according to Homeland Security Department officials, but more tests are under way. The six men who were exposed to the substance were unloading mail containers from a Federal Express plane at Southwest Florida International Airport when the substance leaked out about 8:30 a.m., authorities said. The powder came from a Postal Service container that had both priority and express envelopes in it. The incident happened on the tarmac about a half-mile from passenger terminals, authorities said. "When they opened the container, the powder flew up into one of the guy's eyes," said Debra Mitchell, a Postal Service spokeswoman. A sample of the powder has been flown by helicopter to a National Guard testing laboratory in Marco Island, Florida, said Paul Filla, a spokesman for Lee County emergency management. The rest of the powder is still "quarantined off" at the tarmac of the cargo area. The six workers, all between 30 and 50, were taken to Cape Coral Hospital for treatment. The material came from a container that was delivered to the airport by Federal Express, which has a contract with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail to the airport, Federal Express said. Sandra Munoz, a Federal Express spokeswoman, said, the company is working with the Postal Service to help determine the source of the material. Federal Express said the flight originated in Memphis, Tennessee. Hazardous materials teams and emergency crews responded shortly after the incident was reported. Regular air traffic was not affected. "Passenger terminals are not affected at all, so everyone can come in and take their flights," Wheaton said.
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