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CNN Live At Daybreak

Latest on Investigation into Discovery of What Authorities Believe to be Ricin

Aired February 03, 2004 - 05:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go back to Washington now and get the latest on the early investigation into the discovery of what authorities believe to be the deadly poison ricin on Capitol Hill. This apparent ricin was found Monday in a mailroom in the Dirkson Senate Office Building.
CNN's Kathleen Koch has a live update now from Washington.

First of all, Kathleen, it's confusing to our viewers. They've done, what, eight tests on this powdery substance that was found in Bill Frist's mailroom and they have not determined yet if, indeed, it was ricin?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have done the eight tests, Carol. Six of them apparently came back positive. But what they have done is they took the substance up to a military lab to be tested in Fort Dietrich, Maryland and we're still waiting this morning to get those results.

Now, the impact that it's having here on Capitol Hill today is that obviously the Dirkson Senate Office Building is shut down, as is the Hart and the Russell Buildings, all shut down. Not only just to avoid any possible contamination if this was, indeed, ricin, but also to check mail that came into other mailrooms in these other office buildings as just an extra precautionary measure in case, indeed, this is a poison, in case it is a terrorist attack, just to be certain that there are no other possible letters or packages that could contain a dangerous substance.

Now, the discovery, obviously, yesterday, stunned the Hill and so they are taking no chances because this is a very deadly material. It comes from the castor bean plant and it can be inhaled. The material can be ingested and it can cause death within just 36 to 48 hours. However, the good news, though, is that if someone is exposed that they would show symptoms within eight hours, and it's been well over eight hours since this substance was discovered.

Some 16 people yesterday were exposed, were decontaminated as a precautionary measure. And the chief of the Capitol Hill police, Terrance Gainer, described yesterday exactly how the discovery occurred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: Just after three o'clock today, the United States Capitol Police was notified by a postal worker in Room 454 of the Dirkson Building of suspicious white powder. Our hazardous device unit responded there and did see some powder. It is a large room used to handle mail. It was not clear what package or what letter this powder may have come from, but it was at least suspicious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Mail to the U.S. Capitol, not only the Capitol Building itself, but to the Senate and House office buildings, has been irradiated since the anthrax attacks here in Washington back in 2001, where anthrax laced letters were sent not only to then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, but also to Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. However, we are being told that irradiating the mail does not impact ricin, does not render it harmless.

Now, here on Capitol Hill, again, another thing that has impacted today is that while the U.S. Capitol is open for essential employees, it is closed for tours and also any people who work in the fourth floor area of the Dirkson Building yesterday around the time or shortly before this material was discovered, they are being urged to contact officials so that they can be checked -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, again, Kathleen, there are so many unknowns about this. We don't know if this substance was found in an envelope or a package or was it just lying on the floor. And another thing that -- the map that we're showing viewers, frankly, isn't very good. Explain to us where the Dirkson Office Building is in relation to the Capitol Building.

KOCH: Well, these buildings are, let me get my orientation here. The Capitol is here so these buildings are just to the north of the U.S. Capitol. The Hart Building is first in the lineup. The Dirkson comes next. And then just south of -- or, excuse me, just west of that is the Russell Building. And they, again, some of these buildings are connected. There are ventilation systems interconnected. There are connecting stairwells, connecting hallways. So the ventilation system, at least in the Dirkson Building, was shut down yesterday when this discovery was made to avoid any cross- contamination this -- avoid the substance going into the air vents and being spread -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And when the employees were taken out of Bill Frist's office, these 16 employees, they were taken outside.

And how were they decontaminated?

KOCH: I haven't been given the details of that. I know that they were taken into a trailer or a van of some sort and decontaminated. But we are hoping to perhaps get an interview at some point this morning with Capitol Hill police and get more of those details.

COSTELLO: Yes, and just going back to where this ricin, apparent ricin was round in this mailroom, there wasn't a package addressed to anyone specific because we so remember, of course, the anthrax letter addressed specifically to Tom Daschle? KOCH: Precisely. Again, at this point, as Terrance Gainer, the police chief up here on Capitol Hill, pointed out, they do not even know for certain if it came out of a package, if it came from a letter, though that certainly would make sense with the material being found in the mailroom.

COSTELLO: All right, Kathleen Koch live from D.C.

We'll get back to you at the top of the half hour.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Believe to be Ricin>


Aired February 3, 2004 - 05:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go back to Washington now and get the latest on the early investigation into the discovery of what authorities believe to be the deadly poison ricin on Capitol Hill. This apparent ricin was found Monday in a mailroom in the Dirkson Senate Office Building.
CNN's Kathleen Koch has a live update now from Washington.

First of all, Kathleen, it's confusing to our viewers. They've done, what, eight tests on this powdery substance that was found in Bill Frist's mailroom and they have not determined yet if, indeed, it was ricin?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have done the eight tests, Carol. Six of them apparently came back positive. But what they have done is they took the substance up to a military lab to be tested in Fort Dietrich, Maryland and we're still waiting this morning to get those results.

Now, the impact that it's having here on Capitol Hill today is that obviously the Dirkson Senate Office Building is shut down, as is the Hart and the Russell Buildings, all shut down. Not only just to avoid any possible contamination if this was, indeed, ricin, but also to check mail that came into other mailrooms in these other office buildings as just an extra precautionary measure in case, indeed, this is a poison, in case it is a terrorist attack, just to be certain that there are no other possible letters or packages that could contain a dangerous substance.

Now, the discovery, obviously, yesterday, stunned the Hill and so they are taking no chances because this is a very deadly material. It comes from the castor bean plant and it can be inhaled. The material can be ingested and it can cause death within just 36 to 48 hours. However, the good news, though, is that if someone is exposed that they would show symptoms within eight hours, and it's been well over eight hours since this substance was discovered.

Some 16 people yesterday were exposed, were decontaminated as a precautionary measure. And the chief of the Capitol Hill police, Terrance Gainer, described yesterday exactly how the discovery occurred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: Just after three o'clock today, the United States Capitol Police was notified by a postal worker in Room 454 of the Dirkson Building of suspicious white powder. Our hazardous device unit responded there and did see some powder. It is a large room used to handle mail. It was not clear what package or what letter this powder may have come from, but it was at least suspicious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Mail to the U.S. Capitol, not only the Capitol Building itself, but to the Senate and House office buildings, has been irradiated since the anthrax attacks here in Washington back in 2001, where anthrax laced letters were sent not only to then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, but also to Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. However, we are being told that irradiating the mail does not impact ricin, does not render it harmless.

Now, here on Capitol Hill, again, another thing that has impacted today is that while the U.S. Capitol is open for essential employees, it is closed for tours and also any people who work in the fourth floor area of the Dirkson Building yesterday around the time or shortly before this material was discovered, they are being urged to contact officials so that they can be checked -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, again, Kathleen, there are so many unknowns about this. We don't know if this substance was found in an envelope or a package or was it just lying on the floor. And another thing that -- the map that we're showing viewers, frankly, isn't very good. Explain to us where the Dirkson Office Building is in relation to the Capitol Building.

KOCH: Well, these buildings are, let me get my orientation here. The Capitol is here so these buildings are just to the north of the U.S. Capitol. The Hart Building is first in the lineup. The Dirkson comes next. And then just south of -- or, excuse me, just west of that is the Russell Building. And they, again, some of these buildings are connected. There are ventilation systems interconnected. There are connecting stairwells, connecting hallways. So the ventilation system, at least in the Dirkson Building, was shut down yesterday when this discovery was made to avoid any cross- contamination this -- avoid the substance going into the air vents and being spread -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And when the employees were taken out of Bill Frist's office, these 16 employees, they were taken outside.

And how were they decontaminated?

KOCH: I haven't been given the details of that. I know that they were taken into a trailer or a van of some sort and decontaminated. But we are hoping to perhaps get an interview at some point this morning with Capitol Hill police and get more of those details.

COSTELLO: Yes, and just going back to where this ricin, apparent ricin was round in this mailroom, there wasn't a package addressed to anyone specific because we so remember, of course, the anthrax letter addressed specifically to Tom Daschle? KOCH: Precisely. Again, at this point, as Terrance Gainer, the police chief up here on Capitol Hill, pointed out, they do not even know for certain if it came out of a package, if it came from a letter, though that certainly would make sense with the material being found in the mailroom.

COSTELLO: All right, Kathleen Koch live from D.C.

We'll get back to you at the top of the half hour.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Believe to be Ricin>