Department of State
In October 2001, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Pouch and Mail facility in Sterling, VA (State Annex SA-32) was contaminated with anthrax and an employee contracted inhalation anthrax from the contaminated mail. This facility serves more than 18,000 American employees overseas in over 250 embassies and consulates. Sampling activities conducted at SA-32 in late 2001 identified anthrax contamination to be present on equipment and surfaces throughout the building. Upon determination of the presence of anthrax, mail operations were immediately relocated to a temporary facility.
The Department of State responded to the challenge of decontaminating and rehabilitating SA-32 with an innovative, comprehensive and collaborative approach that consisted of developing a project organization of experts in sterilization, sampling, and industrial hygiene for the decontamination of the facility and experts in mail screening, sensor technology, systems integration, and ventilation systems for the rehabilitation of the facility.
As a result of the project’s success, a consensus within the technical community, and the keen interest expressed by other Federal Agencies, the process State used throughout the decontamination and rehabilitation will serve as the “gold standard” for future building clean-ups and mail safety protection systems.
The SA-32 anthrax decontamination and rehabilitation is a lesson in managing risks and expectations. Because of the lack of standards for cleaning facilities contaminated with anthrax to determine safety and suitability for re-occupancy, the Department was faced with leading an effort that relied more on people than on standards and guidelines.
Throughout the decontamination and rehabilitation, the principles of risk assessment and risk management to make decisions and an open communication policy with all project stakeholders was used. In the absence of accepted protocols, the Department developed, documented, and demonstrated techniques and procedures for the remediation, sterilization, and sampling of mail, building contents and for worker safety.
The building decontamination and mail screening measures, incorporating the latest technology in chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive detection, represent a commitment to investing in real property assets, and more importantly protecting mail workers and mail recipients. Specialized rooms and ventilation systems will prevent the spread of contamination in the event of a future attack.
Using the principles of learning from others’ experiences, taking the advice of selected experts, ensuring an open communication policy, and making timely decisions, led to the successful decontamination and rehabilitation of the Department’s Diplomatic Pouch and Mail facility, which resulted in resumption of mail operations in SA-32 in February 2005.
For more information, contact Thomas J. Sgroi on 202-647-2852, or by email at SgroiTJ@State.gov.
