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CNN Live Today
In Texas, 70 Exposed to Unknown White Powder
Aired August 20, 2002 - 12:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to bring you up to date now on that breaking news out of McCalen, Texas, 70 people undergoing decontamination after some white powdery substance was sent to the company of hotels.com. We want to talk with Lieutenant Renee Alaniz. He is public information officer with McCalen Fire Department.
Lieutenant, have you been able to identify the powder?
LT. RENEE ALANIZ, MCCALEN FIRE DEPT.: At this point, we have what we call the CRRC. This is the chemical remediation response (INAUDIBLE) of people, which is a recovery team, who is at the scene, is recovering the product at this time. We don't know the exact -- what it contains. We are trying to get that information as soon as possible.
Where I'm standing at, (INAUDIBLE) two of the three team members picking up the packages and putting them in plastic containers. There were 70 people (INAUDIBLE).
Two of the people -- two people did come in close contact with the product and received a reaction. Two other people that came into the system will be treated for coming in direct contact.
Because of 70 people being in the building, we're not taking anything lightly. All 70 people are going to go to a decontamination process, going to be transported to our local hospital, and hopefully as soon as we can identify the product, we will be able to continue to go further.
LIN: Right.
Lieutenant, what are the symptoms that they are coming down with?
ALANIZ: Some of the employees are having reaction to the skin, and also to the nose and to the lips area. So that is the information we gathered. I personally did not get to see the employees. I'm standing away from the -- what we call the cool zone. I'm not in the hot zone, which is where the area occurred. I'm just (INAUDIBLE) the incident commander is relaying us to at this time.
LIN: Lieutenant, describe the scene. We understand traffic is being rerouted, and you've got workers going into to evacuate the building as well. Can you describe some of the activity that you're looking at?
ALANIZ: The area where we are located in Mangana (ph). We are very close to an expressway. The business is located close to a shopping complex. Jackson Road is the main thoroughfare for people to come in from -- to the U.S. So that is the reason why we have to block this Jackson Street, to keep as much traffic (INAUDIBLE), and at the same time, this is because of the width of the street, is the perfect area for us to do the decon process.
So this is what we've done, we set up the decontamination team right at Jackson Road. This is where the decon process is taking place at this time.
LIN: What's involved in the decontamination process? Do they have to know what they're decontaminating of -- from?
ALANIZ: Because we don't know what product is and we don't want to transport this product into people's clothing and contaminate the hospital or other areas, what we do is our firefighters we will go into what we call a level two entry suit, and these people are stripped from their clothing. Their clothing is put in plastic bags. All belongings are put into plastic bags, and the Employees are scrubbed, and then they are put on in a special garment, and then from there, they are transported.
LIN: All right, but it is so far it sounds like, and you probably have specialist on the scene. What are they telling you? Does it sound like anthrax? This does not sound like it would be an immediate reaction to anthrax. Or is it some other chemical irritant?
ALANIZ: At this time, that's one of the first questions that was asked, was it anthrax, and we cannot confirm that yet, because the chemical has not been recovered (INAUDIBLE) gone to a lab.
So I cannot say yet in it is anthrax at this point until we get lab results.
LIN: So they still haven't been able to rule it out then.
ALANIZ: No, we're not going to rule (INAUDIBLE) we can identify what the product is.
LIN: Thank you very much, Lieutenant Renee Alaniz, I hope you stay in the cool zone and avoid the hot zone, 70 people being contaminated at the hotels.com office after a white powdery substance was released after two employees opened envelopes there are and suffering from hives and other reactions.
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