Last month, an employee at the Holiday Inn Express in New Orleans opened an envelope containing an unknown white, powdery substance. A subsequent 911 call had New Orleans police, fire, EMS and federal investigators on the scene to investigate the potentially toxic substance. The employee received the envelope at home and opened it in her car on her way to work, according to a spokesperson for the New Orleans Fire Department. The employee initially did not do anything after opening the envelope.
However, once she began working her skin started to itch. She called 911 and investigators from the FBI, ATF and the U.S. Postal service arrived along with local authorities. Officials decontaminated 18 people along with the lobby area where the employee was working. Hotel guests stayed quarantined in their rooms while other guests were unable to re-enter the hotel.
Investigators classified it as a level two incident (level three is the most severe). They are still trying to determine what the substance was, which is difficult because there was no residue left to test. The envelope had a return address from Louisiana State University, according to police. Initial tests did not indicate a toxic substance.
A New Orleans injury lawyer can represent you if you suffer injuries from a toxic chemical or toxic substance. Contact a New Orleans injury attorney for a free and informative case review.