Postal News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2002
Contact: (202) 268-2155
STATEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
Enhanced testing of Scrubber System Scheduled at the Joseph Curseen, Jr. and Thomas Morris, Jr. Processing and Distribution Center
An enhanced test of the carbon bed portion of the Chlorine Dioxide Scrubber System is planned at the United States Postal Service's Joseph Curseen, Jr. and Thomas Morris, Jr. Processing and Distribution Center in Washington, D.C. (formerly the Washington, D.C. P&DC) on Thursday, October 24, 2002. The Scrubber System will be used during fumigation to remove the chlorine dioxide gas used to decontaminate the building.
The Scrubber System is a two-phase process. During the first phase, the scrubber utilizes chemical agents to remove the bulk of the chlorine dioxide gas (95 to 99.9 percent). This first phase is referred to as a liquid or "wet" system and draws the gas from an air vent stream through the building. The by-products of the first phase are salt and water.
The second and final phase employs carbon beds to scrub and neutralize the residual chlorine dioxide gas. During this enhanced test, approximately 137 pounds of chlorine dioxide gas will be generated and immediately removed from the air stream and filtered through the carbon beds. This enhanced test, which is expected to last three hours, will establish the efficiency of the carbon system to operate with no detectable chlorine dioxide. The by-products of this process are carbon dioxide and water.
The Postal Service continues to work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP), DC Department of Health and the DC Emergency Management Agency in the rehabilitation of this facility.
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