A portion of the Cummings Courthouse in downtown Baltimore was closed and placed on lockdown after a court employee opened a letter addressed from a prison inmate, which contained an unknown white powder substance. Hazmat crews were called to the scene to identify the substance, and three individuals who were potentially exposed were isolated and taken to a medical facility as a precaution. The State of Maryland Health Department later announced that no biological toxins were detected in the powder. The investigation is ongoing to determine the nature of the substance and identify the person responsible.
Hazmat crews responded to a caustic liquid leak at the U.S. Steel Tower in Pittsburgh. The scene is now under control, but road closures will remain in the area until cleanup is complete. Pittsburgh Public Safety urged people to avoid the area due to significant road closures. No further information was released.
Two locomotives and 55 train cars derailed near Kelso southeast of Baker, with no injuries or passengers onboard. HazMat crews responded to a minor fuel leak from one locomotive, but there is no current threat to the public or environment. The derailed railcars were loaded with iron ore, which spilled, but it is not considered a hazardous material.
