Florida Anthrax Cleanup to Continue

The contents of the former American Media Inc. building in Boca Raton, Fla., exposed to anthrax in 2001, are set to be decontaminated for a second time to ensure all of the pathogen is eliminated, Cox News Service reported today (see GSN, June 10).

Building owner David Rustine hired MARCOR Remediation Inc. to conduct a second cleaning of thousands of boxes previously treated by BioONE. Rustine did not extend BioONE’s contract to complete its work on the building.

The building itself does not need to be recleaned, Cox reported.

The Environmental Protection Agency has already approved MARCOR’s disinfection plans. The Palm Beach Country Health Department, however, has yet to sign off on the plan, and is requiring that all boxes — whether they were previously cleaned or not — be disinfected.

“Everything is suspect,” said Health Department Director Jean Malecki. “We want to err on the side of ultimate caution” (Tania Valdemoro, Cox News Service/Herald Today, July 7).

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