Senate Office Buildings Set to Reopen
The Senate office buildings that were closed after the deadly poison ricin was discovered in a mailroom will reopen today and tomorrow.Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-TN, said the ricin appears to be "very contained" - with none of it being found outside his office, according to wire reports yesterday. Investigators are still trying to figure out how the ricin was brought into the mailroom at Frist's office.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did additional testing to prove that the powder was ricin. No illnesses have been reported.
Also, the U.S. Postal Service said all environmental samples taken Tuesday at Washington, DC's V Street postal facility have tested negative for ricin. Tests were conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Public Health. Test methods included wet swab and bulk samples.
The postal service also has been monitoring the health of V Street employees. None have reported symptoms consistent with ricin exposure.
