AUSTIN, Texas — Officials are investigating after a "white, powdery substance" was found in a letter sent to the Texas Attorney General's Office on Thursday morning.
At 9:20 a.m., the Austin Fire Department (AFD) said its special operations crew and Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) medics were investigating a "potential hazardous materials incident" at the Williams P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th St. Thirty minutes later, ATCEMS said it had three ambulances and two district commanders on the scene of the incident.
Officials with AFD, ATCEMS and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed that the agencies responded to a report of a letter containing an unknown, "white, powdery substance" that had been mailed to the AG's Office, but not addressed to anyone specific. DPS said the first and second floors of the building were evacuated.
Three employees with the AG's Office who had been in close contact with the substance were decontaminated, evaluated by ATCEMS and taken to Dell Seton Medical Center out of an abundance of caution.
DPS said that AFD's HazMat personnel contained the substance and conducted preliminary tests for a variety of dangerous substances. All tests came back negative.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will now take over further testing of the substance. DPS’ Criminal Investigations Division is leading the investigation into this incident, which the agency said is ongoing.
ATCEMS said drivers should expect extended road closures around the area.
KVUE has reached out to the AG's Office for comment.
No additional information is available at this time.