Elgin bank receives letter, powder
Emergency crews transported two people from the scene of a hazardous material incident Monday in Elgin that prompted a call for specialists and rescue crews from across the northern suburbs.
Both are women who were in the mailroom of the Chase bank building in Elgin when an envelope containing a white powdery substance was opened. Two other people were checked out and cleared at the scene.
The situation was declared under control about 7 p.m. after initial tests showed the white powdery substance did not appear to be hazardous, Elgin police Lt. Glenn Theriault said.
"This triggered a natural response to determine what the powder is and to determine if it is safe or not safe," said Theriault of the numerous departments called to the scene.
A letter addressed to the bank was sent with the powder, but Theriault would not disclose that letter's contents.
The incident is similar to reports Monday of nine Chase bank branches in Colorado and Oklahoma receiving threatening letters containing a white powder, but it also didn't appear to be dangerous, the FBI in those states said.
The FBI will conduct further testing on the material found at the two-story building in Elgin at 2500 Westfield Drive, just south of the Randall Road exit off I-90. The building is a credit processing branch of Chase.
Part of the building was cordoned off as workers inside peered out the windows as two rescuers in protective suits entered the building just after 6:30 p.m.
The initial call came in at 4:57 p.m. after the discovery of the mysterious substance, according to Elgin Police Department spokesman Ann Dinges.
The discovery prompted a box alarm requesting firefighters, police and hazardous materials technicians from Elgin, South Elgin, Streamwood, Rutland-Dundee, Carpentersville, Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Hampshire, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Kane County, Bartlett and Pingree Grove.
• The Associated Press and Daily Herald staffers Jameel Naqvi, John Starks and Patrick Kunzer contributed to this story.