Postal News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2002
Contact: (202) 268-2155
Release No. 02-063
Postal Service And D.C. Dept. Of Health Announce Results Of Testing At Brentwood Facility
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Postal Service and the District of Columbia Department of Health today announced the results of the July 29, 2002 testing in the Washington D.C. Processing and Distribution Center (Brentwood) to evaluate the capability of the chlorine dioxide gas delivery systems which will be used to decontaminate the facility.
All test samples cultured came back negative for the presence of B. Anthracis, showing the effectiveness of the chlorine dioxide treatment's ability to kill the anthrax bacteria in the building.
"Just as important," noted Thomas Day, vice president, Engineering, for the Postal Service, "the engineering worked as designed. We were able to sustain the required concentration of 750 parts-per-million in 75 percent humidity at 75 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours. This proves that the procedure we designed for decontaminating the building works."
The test was done in an enclosed environment over Line 17, the most contaminated equipment in the building. Three automated processing machines were sealed in a tent-like structure within the facility. There were 194 liquid samples and 10 air samples tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All test samples came back with negative results, showing no anthrax spores survived the chlorine dioxide gas treatment.
Theodore Gordon, Senior Deputy Director of Public Health Assurance for the District, said, "These test results should assure the community that the fumigation process will be a success. We support the Postal Service in their larger decontamination effort and expect the same positive results when the entire building is fumigated."
Preparations for the full building fumigation will continue. Plans for a community meeting to explain the process and answer the public's questions will be announced in the next few weeks.
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