PORTLAND -- A suspicious envelope was found at the Portland VA Medical Center Tuesday morning, prompting an investigation, but authorities said it turned out to be nothing dangerous.
Just after 9 a.m., an employee going through the mail opened an envelope that had the message "biological substance, could be harmful if opened" printed on the outside. She apparently did not see the message, according to Paul Corah with the Portland Fire Department.
The envelope contained some cotton swabs that had been used to collect samples and then it was delivered to the wrong department, Corah said.
A hazmat team worked to contain the area as a precaution as experts analyzed the substance. A short time later, they deemed it to be nothing harmful.
Some workers were also briefly quarantined and evaluated after coming into contact with the envelope. They showed no signs of exposure to a harmful material, Corah said.
The cafeteria was also closed as a precaution during the investigation and pharmacy services were temporarily relocated.
