The Police Department and township clerk’s office were closed briefly Oct. 18 after a white powder leaked from an envelope.
By: Lea Kahn
A white powder that made its way into the municipal building last week through a piece of mail was not anthrax, township Health Officer Carol Howell said Monday.
The envelope containing the powder was taken to the state Department of Health and Senior Services laboratory for testing Oct. 18, Mrs. Howell said. Results of two tests on the white powder were released Monday morning.
The state tests are designed only to verify whether a substance is anthrax, said Mrs. Howell. There is no information on what the substance actually is, she said.
Meanwhile, an investigation into who mailed the letter will be conducted by township police, said Chief John Prettyman.
The Police Department and township clerk’s office were closed briefly on the morning of Oct. 18 after the white powder leaked from an envelope.
Chief Prettyman was sorting through the morning’s mail around 11 a.m. when he picked up an envelope addressed by hand to a police detective, said Municipal Manager William Guhl.
Another police officer who was standing nearby pointed out that the envelope seemed suspicious because it did not bear a return address.
Although the envelope had not been opened, some type of powder leaked out and Chief Prettyman came into contact with it.
The Police Department and the clerk’s office were sealed off, and officials contacted the city of Trenton’s hazardous materials team, Mr. Guhl said. The offices were decontaminated and reopened to the public shortly after lunchtime.
The hazmat team also decontaminated the police chief and placed the envelope in a sealed plastic bag.

