Tests on a powder found on

several packages that forced the evacuation of Peachtree City's Post Office

Monday morning have not come back as of The Citizen's press time Thursday

afternoon.

But there is no indication

the powder is harmful in any way, said Michael Miles, an area spokesman

for the U.S. Postal Service.

In the past few days, there

have been about a dozen reports of suspicious packages at area post offices,

and "all have turned out to be false alarms," Miles said.

The postal service is urging

people to package their parcels carefully to prevent any possible spillage,

Miles said. Packing guidelines and a list of materials which shouldn't

be sent through the mail service are available at www.usps.com

or through local post offices.

Two postal employees who came

into contact with the powder Monday were decontaminated on-site by the

local hazardous materials response team and taken to Fayette Community

Hospital, where they were treated and released, Miles said. The contaminated

area was limited to the post office with no outdoor release, said Capt.

Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

Nelms said a number of meetings

in the past several weeks between local emergency agencies have focused

on preparing for any possible bioterrorism attacks. Local agencies have

been working closely with the Georgia Emergency Management Authority also,

he said.

Meanwhile, postal employees

are being allowed to wear protective gloves and masks to protect their

respiratory systems if they choose to, Miles added.

Earlier reports that the powder

came from a "care package" being sent to a college student were

incorrect, Miles said. The source of the powder has not been identified,

but authorities are focusing on a package being sent from a grandmother

in Alabama to her grandson in Texas, Miles said. The woman told investigators

that the box contained tissues and papers, he added.

The post office was closed

for several hours and reopened later in the day for normal business, Miles

said.

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