Postal service agrees to investigate response to anthrax contamination

By LAURENCE ARNOLD
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – The post office's inspector general has opened an inquiry into the government's response to the discovery of anthrax spores at a New Jersey mail facility, a congressman said Thursday.

Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J., had requested an investigation into why the Bellmawr, N.J., facility was reopened twice before it had been fully cleaned and inspected.

"We are looking at the processes the Postal Service is using to determine if facilities are contaminated and if cleanup is adequate," said Sandra Harding, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service inspector.

She would not confirm or deny whether Bellmawr is part of the inquiry and said it is not yet clear how many facilities will be covered by the inquiry.

Andrews said he believes postal officials in Bellmawr were pressured by superiors in Washington to reopen the building quickly after each of a series of closures in late October and early November.

Cases of anthrax contamination at the Bellmawr facility and at the central postal facility in Washington prompted complaints that the government was not fully committed to protecting its workers.

A union representing worried postal employees got a judge to order the Bellmawr post office closed on Nov. 7. It reopened the next day after the Postal Service agreed to continue testing for anthrax.

Federal officials were criticized for waiting several days before ordering testing at Washington's Brentwood facility after the discovery of an anthrax-spiked letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Two Brentwood postal workers died after inhaling anthrax spores at the center.

The Bellmawr scare began Oct. 31 when a 54-year-old sorter came down with a possible case of skin anthrax, and the mail facility was closed. The Postal Service opened it two days later after preliminary reports from the FBI showed no anthrax at the site.

The building was again shut Nov. 3 after the FBI's final test concluded anthrax spores were found on a computer terminal. It reopened Nov. 4 but was closed yet again when officials learned a decontamination team had cleaned the wrong computer terminal.

AP-WS-12-06-01 1735EST