Ricin parcel tied to hours of service rule
With attention focused on the ricin toxin scare in the U.S. Senate, the Washington Post reported that a vial of the deadly substance, accompanied a letter complaining about new restrictions on truck drivers, was found in November at an offsite facility that handles mail for the White House, but never publicly disclosed.
According to law enforcement sources cited by the Post, a similar envelope was found at a Greenville, S.C., mail facility in October. The envelope contained a typewritten letter identifying the writer as a fleet owner of a tank truck complaining about new hours of service rules that went into effect Jan. 4. The safety rules limit the amount of time a driver can spend behind the wheel and are expected to force significant changes in trucking operations to compensate for the lost time.
The envelope in Greenville was addressed to the Department of Transportation, which issued the rule. The incidents continue to be investigated.