Alaska Congressional offices closed over packages

Suspicious packages filled with white powder were sent to the Alaska offices of the state's three-member congressional delegation on Monday, authorities said.


The packages were received in the Fairbanks offices of Sens.Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski and the Anchorage office of Rep. Don Young. Begich is a Democrat, and Murkowski and Young are Republicans.


The federal building in Fairbanks was emptied soon after the package was discovered and two fire trucks and a hazardous materials unit were deployed outside the building, said Assistant Fire Chief Ernie Misewicz told the Fairbanks Daily News Miner.


Peterson Towers in Anchorage was also evacuated and tightly monitored, while hazardous materials workers from the Anchorage Fire Department examined the site, said Anchorage Police Department spokesman Lt. Dave Parker.


One of the aides at Begich's office opened the express mail package, which had an Arizona return address on it, and saw white powder spill out, said Begich's press secretary, Julie Hasquet.


Young's office said in a statement that a white powder was discovered when the package sent to his office was opened by a staffer.


"The FBI has notified Congressman Young's State Director, Chad Padgett, that the substance is in fact a mixture of concrete and is not hazardous," Young's office said.


"It is not clear at this time why the package with the concrete mixture was sent to Congressman Young," it said.


The office will open Tuesday as usual with staff at work.


Matthew Felling, spokesman for Murkowski, said the senator was in Fairbanks but that nobody in her office touched the package, which was taken away by the Federal Protective Service.


"They removed the package before anyone touched it or even thought to open it," Felling said.


Discovery of the packages prompted closure of the entire Fairbanks federal building, where the senators have their Fairbanks offices.


The floor containing Young's Anchorage office, located in an office tower in the downtown district, was evacuated and closed for a few hours while hazardous materials workers from the Anchorage Fire Department examined the site, Parker said.


The floor is now considered safe for the return of workers, Parker said.


Young was not at the Anchorage office when the package was discovered, he said.


Begich was traveling and not in his Fairbanks office at the time either, Hasquet said.