Local
Baking powder in envelope sent to Cook County treasurer triggers downtown evacuation
An envelope mailed to Treasurer Maria Pappas prompted a hazmat response and roughly 45-minute evacuation at the county side of City Hall on Wednesday. The FBI is investigating who sent it and whether it is connected to a broader series of suspicious mailings.
An envelope containing white powder and addressed to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas triggered a hazardous-materials response and an evacuation at the county side of Chicago’s City Hall on Wednesday. The powder was later identified as baking powder, Pappas said.
The evacuation lasted about 45 minutes. The envelope had been mailed from Carol Stream, had no return address and contained no message, according to Pappas. The FBI confirmed it was among the agencies that responded.
Pappas said a mailroom worker isolated the envelope in a bag and alerted supervisors, who contacted her and law enforcement. She praised the staff’s response, saying the substance could not initially be identified.
The FBI is investigating a series of suspicious letters sent to addresses around the country, including state election offices and congressional offices. Some reportedly contained an unknown substance. Authorities have not said whether the envelope sent to Pappas is connected to that investigation.
Pappas said she did not know whether the mailing had any connection to the November election. She has said her office receives unusual and sometimes threatening mail, but nothing like this incident.
A separate hazardous-materials response was also underway Wednesday at another Cook County building. The Chicago Fire Department’s hazmat team was there, and first responders said the situation was under control. The FBI confirmed agents were also at that location, but the reason for their presence was not immediately clear.