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Suspicious Substance Sickens 13 At EPA Building

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Nov 12, 2008 12:20 pm US/Pacific

Suspicious Substance Sickens 13 At EPA Building

SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) ― The Sacramento Fire Department says 13 employees from the California Environmental Protection Agency have been taken to hospitals after they were exposed to an irritating substance at work.

Sacramento City Fire Capt. Jim Doucette says the affected employees had minor breathing issues after opening an envelope on the 11th floor of the building in downtown Sacramento Wednesday morning. None of the exposures was considered serious.

EPA spokeswoman BreAnda Northcutt says the employees pulled wet papers with a foul odor from an envelope sent from a private hazardous waste facility licensed by the state in Orange County. The facilities collect materials like batteries, paint and computers.

Investigators could not immediately determine why the papers were wet. Northcutt says the analysis conflicted with early reports that employees were exposed to a liquid sent from an EPA laboratory.

California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Fran Clader says her agency will investigate.

Northcutt says about 140 workers were evacuated from the 11th floor for several hours but the rest of the building remained open.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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