The Postal Service is working with the mailing industry to develop procedures to ensure that sanitization of the mail will not damage sensitive items in the mail. Sanitization technology is currently being tested on a wide range of film products, digital and magnetic storage devices, laboratory samples, food and plant products, and "smart" credit cards with embedded chips to ensure that all business mail can be safely processed through the postal system.

The first commercial irradiator was used in the 1960s to kill any lingering anthrax germs in lambswool sweaters. Though safe to people, it will kill germs, biological substances and any DNA, and can damage chemicals. Electron beam technology is currently used in food processing. It is not based on nuclear radiation and is considered safe.

The Postal Service is using a three-tier approach is for sanitizing the mail:

1. Immediate action - Using available off-site facilities to decontaminate.
2. Short-term action - Identifying key postal locations for the centralized processing and sanitization of mail.
3. Long-term action - Identifying and building into existing processes sanitization equipment that is completely safe for employees and customers.

Postal Service facilities, including the Mail Transport Equipment Service Centers (MTESC), are following established procedures to inspect all mail transport equipment and notify the appropriate agencies as necessary. In instances where there is a confirmed exposure, the equipment is decontaminated. In instances where the material is unknown but suspect, the Postal Service treats the scene as a HAZMAT instance, isolating equipment until a determination is made of the nature of the suspect material.

Mail is held on site when a plant closes. The Postal Service will not be allowed into the facility until cleared by the CDC and/or appropriate local health officials. No specific timetable can be determined because each instance is unique in nature.

Costs include, but are not limited to: testing and treating employees, safety equipment for employees, sanitization of the mail, and testing and decontamination of postal facilities. The White House has authorized $175 million for the Postal Service to purchase masks and gloves for postal employees and sanitization equipment for processing mail. On November 8, Postmaster General Jack Potter testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Treasury & Postal Affairs to ask for a one-time appropriation of up to $2 billion to help offset the unanticipated decline in mail volume this year. In addition, Potter said the Postal Service is asking Congress to provide about $3 billion to help cover one-time direct costs, including the purchase of sanitization equipment; and the testing, cleaning and restoration of NY facilities lost or damaged in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The most up-to-date information can be found in the Mail Facility/Service Updates page of the special section dedicated to security of the mail on the U.S. Postal Service website at http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/mailsecurity/updates.htm.

The U.S. Postal Service website features a General Services Administration (GSA) training module with information on how to respond to an anthrax threat in a mailroom, which is available at http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/serviceupdates.htm. The module lays out actions that can be taken if there is a potential anthrax threat in a mailroom, including countermeasures for staff to defend and protect against these threats.

If it is determined that the powder is a substance that is normally used in these processes such as cornstarch, then yes. However, in an effort reduce the number of “false calls” related to anthrax contamination concerns, many printers and mail preparation centers have voluntarily stopped using ink-drying and wrapping processes that are known to leave residual powder.