Sept. 9, 2002

Contact: Ron Sauder, 404-727-3366, 404-226-2945 (cell)

Statement regarding evacuation of Woodruff Health Sciences Administration Building of Emory University's Health Science Center

Five employees of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center were taken to Emory University Hospital for observation Monday afternoon, September 9 after one of the employees opened a reportedly contaminated envelope. The envelope was from an external source.

None of the employees was admitted to the hospital. Doctors said they were in good condition.

The health sciences center administration building was evacuated for about two hours as a precaution. By 3:40 p.m. employees were allowed to return to the second, third, and fourth floors, and by 4 p.m. the entire building was open and traffic on Clifton Road was back to normal.

An investigation is continuing into the origin of the envelope and its contents.