Post by IAMCAPER on Sept 9, 2004 22:22:41 GMT -4
Anthrax and ricin have been ruled out after an employee at Canada Post’s undeliverable mail office on King Street, North Sydney, found a powdery substance in a letter Tuesday.
An RCMP bomb disposal unit, which was on its way to Marine Atlantic’s terminal in North Sydney responded and conducted tests on site.
At this point, police aren’t sure what the substance is and it has been sent to Halifax for analysis.
The return address on the letter was in the Toronto area.
As a precaution, two workers exposed to the substance were taken to hospital but showed no sign of illness. Earlier in the afternoon, nine other employees were checked on site by EHS personnel, sent to hospital and released.
North Sydney Fire Department and police responded to the call at around 11 a.m. and police quickly secured the scene.
The Cape Breton Regional hazardous materials team arrived shortly after and set up its decontamination tent.
Since the substance is not biohazardous, Canada Post communications manager Avril Vollenhoven said the employees would be back to work as soon as the area is cleared.
“The safety of our employees and customers is paramount,” she said.“Our employee followed the process when a suspicious or dangerous item is found in the mail stream.”
Vollenhoven added that the mail that comes to the undeliverable mail office can’t be delivered as addressed or returned to sender.
“Our employees open the mail in hopes of finding a piece of identification or a clue as to who we can send the item on to. That is why this employee opened the letter.”
The letter was immediately isolated, those who came in contact with the letter were isolated and the hazardous maaterial team was contacted.
An RCMP bomb disposal unit, which was on its way to Marine Atlantic’s terminal in North Sydney responded and conducted tests on site.
At this point, police aren’t sure what the substance is and it has been sent to Halifax for analysis.
The return address on the letter was in the Toronto area.
As a precaution, two workers exposed to the substance were taken to hospital but showed no sign of illness. Earlier in the afternoon, nine other employees were checked on site by EHS personnel, sent to hospital and released.
North Sydney Fire Department and police responded to the call at around 11 a.m. and police quickly secured the scene.
The Cape Breton Regional hazardous materials team arrived shortly after and set up its decontamination tent.
Since the substance is not biohazardous, Canada Post communications manager Avril Vollenhoven said the employees would be back to work as soon as the area is cleared.
“The safety of our employees and customers is paramount,” she said.“Our employee followed the process when a suspicious or dangerous item is found in the mail stream.”
Vollenhoven added that the mail that comes to the undeliverable mail office can’t be delivered as addressed or returned to sender.
“Our employees open the mail in hopes of finding a piece of identification or a clue as to who we can send the item on to. That is why this employee opened the letter.”
The letter was immediately isolated, those who came in contact with the letter were isolated and the hazardous maaterial team was contacted.