VA- Powder scare hits Capital One

5-9-2009 Virginia:


CHESTERFIELD — Employees of Capital One in Chesterfield were allowed to go home early after a white powder scare at the office yesterday.

According to Chesterfield County Police Lt. Matt Botset, around 1:20 p.m. the county police received a call about an envelope containing an unknown white powder.

“All the employees were kept away from the envelope and the building security isolated the envelope and powder,” Botset said. The envelope came by mail to the Capital One location in the 12700 block of Kingston Avenue, just east of Chester.

The county’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to the scene and contained the material. Botset added that the material would be transported to the state lab for testing.

Employees were not allowed to leave the building and held in quarantine while emergency crews investigated the situation. Employees who were out of the building were not allowed back in.

The heating and air conditioning system was shut down as a precaution to prevent the spread of any possible harmful substances.

County Hazardous Materials teams and police remained on the scene for a little more than two and a half hours Friday afternoon ensuring the safety of the workers. Botset added that employees were released for the day by Capital One after the powder was removed from the scene around 3:30 p.m.

“Capital One worked with authorities to ensure the safety of our associates. As always, we follow appropriate protocols as their safety is of paramount importance,” said Julie Rakes, a Capital One spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement.

No further comment was available from the company and there was no date available for when the exact nature of the substance could be determined.

Yesterday’s incident follows an incident Wednesday in which a white, powdery substance in an envelope was mailed to the Virginia State Police headquarters in northern Chesterfield.

Spokeswoman Corinne Geller said an employee found the substance while opening mail in the criminal justice information services division. It was in an envelope with a sex-offender registration form, but there was no written threat.

Geller said the ventilation system was shut down on that floor, which was evacuated. Hazardous-materials teams determined that there wasn’t any immediate danger, and transported the powder to the state laboratory.

The employee, supervisor and two others who were near the substance were quarantined and monitored. Geller said they haven’t shown any symptoms of illness.

Police officials are awaiting lab test results. ..News Source.. by