Local postal workers not overly concerned

Postal workers in Cape Girardeau say they don't expect an anthrax attack in their corner of the world, even though their profession has been in the spotlight over the nationwide scare.

They go about their jobs as usual and even posted a related cartoon on the employee bulletin board at the regional processing center in Cape Girardeau. It depicts a postman wearing a gas mask to deliver mail.

Cape Girardeau postmaster Mike Keefe said Monday his workers and customers have little to fear.

"The chances of getting something through the mail that is hazardous is about the same as winning a lottery," he said.

Nationwide, a dozen people have been exposed to anthrax bacteria sent through the mail. The anthrax scare began in Florida on Oct. 4 when it was confirmed that an editor at a Boca Raton-based tabloid had contracted the inhaled form of the bacteria. He died and became the first death in the United States from anthrax since 1976.

Federal officials have said it could be the work of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, but there's no proof.

Both private carriers and the U.S. Postal Service continue to deliver mail on schedule even as postal inspectors investigate anthrax cases around the country.

Ted Guffey works in the Postal Service's regional processing center in Cape Girardeau. The cavernous center employs 140 people and processes 700,000 pieces of mail a day, much of it at night.

"There's some concern, but we still have a job to do and we're going to do it," he said as he sorted mail with the help of machinery.

Keefe said postal officials have assured workers that they face little danger. He said the processing center is equipped to handle hazardous materials of various kinds should they be found in the mail. The center has employees who have been trained to deal with hazardous spills.

"We were prepared before this ever happened," said Keefe.

But he said packages are getting heavier scrutiny at post offices these days, and workers aren't taking packages if the sender can't vouch for what's in them. "We are a little more diligent," said Keefe.

On Saturday, a white substance spilled out of a package at the processing center. Keefe said it turned out to be salt. Workers didn't panic, he said, and instead tracked it to the sender, learned it wasn't dangerous and cleaned it up.

"Our people use common sense," said Keefe.

Packages sent via private parcel services are at least as safe as through the postal service, company officials say. Federal Express and UPS both track their packages, said Jim McCluskey, a Federal Express spokesman in Memphis, Tenn.

Federal Express scans packages 14 times before they arrive at their destinations. "We know who sent it and where it is going," McCluskey said.

A UPS spokesperson was unavailable for comment, but the company's Web site at www.ups.com explains the tracking system.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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