uspsnewsbreakpm

Oct. 22, 2003		6:30 p.m.

Greenville, SC, AMF closed for tests after 
poison ricin found in small, sealed container  

A suspicious envelope discovered by an employee processing mail at the 
Greenville, SC, Airport Mail Facility (AMF) was later found to contain a 
small sealed metal container with the poison ricin inside.

As a precautionary measure, the AMF was closed so it can be tested for 
the presence of the toxic chemical. When the envelope was found last 
Wednesday, the supervisor on duty took immediate action to isolate the 
item from the mailstream and notified county officials and the FBI. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested the 
envelope's contents and found that it contained ricin (pronounced 
RICE-in). Additional testing is being done to make absolutely sure about 
the container's contents.

The CDC said there are no indications of employee exposure or adverse 
health effects as a result of the incident. The Department of Homeland 
Security said it doesn't believe the incident is an act of terrorism. 
The department noted that the sealed envelope contained a threatening 
note and said the FBI and the Inspection Service - along with other 
federal, state and local law enforcement officials on the FBI's Joint 
Terrorism Task Force - are cooperating to determine the source of the 
ricin.

USPS sent a nationwide message to all employees today alerting them to 
the incident and asking them to remain alert for suspicious letters or 
packages.