Published: August 27, 2008 08:46 am      

‘White powder’ shuts down consular center

Pouch indicated package originated from U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem; Hazmat called to inspect package

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg shut down its loading dock Tuesday and called the regional hazmat team after a package was found containing an unknown white powder.

The box containing the powder came from the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and was in a “diplomatic pouch” — an escorted, sealed package from a U.S. post overseas, said Consular Director John Coe. From Jerusalem, the package arrived at Washington D.C. and was then shipped to the consular office in Williamsburg.

Testing by the Kentucky Post 11 Hazardous Materials team didn’t determine the nature of the substance, but did rule out the possibility of it being harmful.

“Anytime we have a white powder or powder substance coming out of boxes, the government makes sure it’s not anything threatening,” Coe said.

Employees discovered the unknown white powder at approximately 11 a.m. when they opened the pallet containing the box. The consular office’s loading docks and ventilation system were immediately shut down, Coe said, and the Hazmat Post 11 team from Laurel County was called in to inspect the package.

Coe said five tests were performed on the substance, all of which came back negative. He said the substance was possibly packaging material, and said the threat level was extremely low, considering it came from a U.S. Consulate office.

“It was really playing it safe and being on the safe side,” Coe said.

The Hazmat team cleared the scene just after 2 p.m. Coe said other than shutting down the loading docks — and maybe causing some anxiety at the office — the package had little effect on most of the office’s 250 first-shift employees.

The Williamsburg consular office is one of two locations in the United States that process visa requests, with the Williamsburg location processing primarily non-immigrant visas.

Though Coe said these sort of procedures aren’t unusual for the federal government, it is fairly rare for the Kentucky Consular Center. The last “false alarm” package was received at the Williamsburg office in fall 2001.