43
White powder found at Boardman gas station wasn’t dangerous
BOARDMAN
For the second time in four days, a white powder substance was found at a township business.
While the investigation continues into what was found in a letter sent to American Business Center and opened Wednesday, the substance found Saturday in a coin roll at a gas station wasn’t dangerous.
The harmless substance — which was possibly corrosion of the coins inside the roll — was reported about 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the BP service station on Boardman-Poland Road at South Avenue, said Boardman Fire Capt. Rob John.
“The Mahoning County HazMat team ran three sets of tests, and all were negative,” said Boardman Fire Capt. Rob John. “From the get-go we didn’t think it was hazardous, but we wanted to be sure.”
The two matters do not appear to be related, he said.
Local law enforcement and the FBI are still awaiting test results for the white powdery substance found Wednesday in the letter, likely sent by a terminated employee, to ABC on South Avenue.
Township police and fire officials, agents from the FBI’s Cleveland office, the county’s hazardous-materials crew and emergency medical service workers were sent to ABC after an employee opened an envelope and discovered a white powder substance on paperwork from the former employee. The powder got on the employee’s clothes, according to a police report.
One other employee was exposed to the substance.
Employees said the envelope contained a returned insurance form from the former employee, who was fired last month, according to a police report.
Nine other people in the building were evacuated. The two who were exposed to the substance were decontaminated by a HazMat crew and taken to St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital.
No one has shown any signs of sickness, according to police and fire officials.
Unlike the ABC incident, “there was no malicious intent [at BP], no beefs with employees or customers,” John said.