White Powder Scare False Alarm

A powder scare at a South Jersey post office turned out to be a false alarm. The Williamstown Post Office was evacuated for a short time Tuesday. Members of the Gloucester County hazardous materials squad entered the building Tuesday afternoon in an effort to identify the substance, according to Cathy Yarosky, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service.

Police and postal inspectors were notified immediately after the mail carriers made the discovery.

"As a precaution, the building [was] closed and evacuated," Yarosky said.

Eight people were sent to the hospital, examined, and released. Tests on the powder came back negative. The post office was reopened.

Last week, a powdery substance determined to be the poison ricin was found in a Senate office building in Washington, D.C. Officials have said they don't know if ricin was mailed to the New Jersey post office.

The mail processing facility in Hamilton, N.J., was shut down in October 2001 after letters containing anthrax passed through the building. Officials announced this week that the anthrax had been cleaned from the facility.

Author: NBC10