United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-09-09 monographic deposited born digital 83 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-239 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239 P0b002ee1803a24a9 f:d04239 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239 GAO-04-239 Chemical and biological agents Counterterrorism Diseases Emergency preparedness Occupational safety Performance measures Postal facilities Postal service Strategic planning Terrorism Decision making Health hazards Postal service employees Government information dissemination Data integrity Homeland security Timeliness Anthrax Other Written Product A12177 In September and October 2001, at least four letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to news media personnel and two U.S. Senators, leading to the first cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax in the United States. The contaminated letters, which were delivered through the U.S. mail system, caused 22 cases of anthrax, 5 of them fatal. Nine postal employees associated with two postal facilities that processed the letters--Trenton in New Jersey and Brentwood in Washington, D.C.--contracted anthrax and two Brentwood employees died. The U.S. Postal Service closed Trenton and Brentwood, but other contaminated postal facilities remained open. GAO's review covers Trenton, Brentwood, and three of these other facilities. As requested, this report describes (1) the factors considered in deciding whether to close the five facilities, (2) the information communicated to postal employees about health risk and the extent of the facilities' contamination, and (3) how lessons learned from the response to the contamination could be used in future situations. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239.pdf GAO-04-239 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-239 Other Written Product GAO-04-239; U.S. Postal Service: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure an Appropriate Response to Anthrax Contamination; Chemical and biological agents Counterterrorism Diseases Emergency preparedness Occupational safety Performance measures Postal facilities Postal service Strategic planning Terrorism Decision making Health hazards Postal service employees Government information dissemination Data integrity Homeland security Timeliness Anthrax