No Anthrax Found at IRS Building

March 31, 2005 - 7:37am

WASHINGTON - Hazardous materials crews determined Tuesday that a powdery substance found in a letter at the IRS building downtown was not anthrax.

But the substance was some type of a poison, possibly something along the lines of rat poison, says Alan Etter, D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman.

"We determined that this material has a biological presence," said Etter. "It has a protein. Precisely what it is, we're not quite sure. It has set off enough alarms for us to send this material out to have it tested further."

The hazardous materials team was called to the scene at 12th and Constitution, NW, Tuesday morning after the substance was found Monday in an Overnight Express envelope on the 7th floor of the IRS building.

Two women who came in contact with the substance inside the envelope have taken every precaution, Etter says.

He says there have been no reports of illness.

Hazardous materials crews also responded Tuesday morning to CNN's offices in the 800 block of First Street, NE, because of a report of a suspicious package. Etter says a letter was found to have some ammonium phosphate on it, but that is not harmful.

WASHINGTON - Hazardous materials crews determined Tuesday that a powdery substance found in a letter at the IRS building downtown was not anthrax.

But the substance was some type of a poison, possibly something along the lines of rat poison, says Alan Etter, D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman.

Two women who came in contact with the substance inside the envelope have taken every precaution, Etter says.

He says there have been no reports of illness.

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