FOXBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, March 20, 2003: A red powdery substance discovered Monday in a letter by mailroom workers at Invensys prompted a partial evacuation of the facility. With the heightened alert due to the war with Iraq, local firefighters were concerned when responding to a call about an unknown powdery substance at the Invensys mailroom. Deputy Chief Steve Bagley declared a Tier 1 alert, a low-level hazardous materials emergency. Also responding to the scene were five members of a regional hazardous materials team, who donned “hazmat” (hazardess materials) suits and entered the building to secure the letter mailed from an unfamiliar address in India. Local firefighters had planned to transport the letter for analysis to the state Department of Public Health in Boston the following day when they learned the substance in question was kumkum powder, used by millions of Hindu women and in temple ceremonies.
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