'Powdery Substance' Scare At Hayward Police Station

(Update: San Leandro and other police departments were later all hit with similar suspicious packages. .)

Bay City News -- Authorities evacuated the first floor of the Hayward Police Department this morning after a white powdery substance was detected in an envelope, a fire captain said.

But after sounding that initial alarm, officials now say the substance was not anthrax, as had been feared. However, they still aren't sure what it is.

The scare began when woman clerk in her mid 30s received an envelope with no return address delivered by the U.S. Postal Service at 9:54 a.m., fire Capt. Thor Poulsen said.

The woman put the envelope to a light and detected a white powdery substance, Poulsen said. Some of the substance then leaked out, he said.

An Alameda County hazardous materials team arrived at the police station at 300 West Winton Ave. at about 10:15 a.m. and entered the building wearing protective clothing at 11:32 a.m., Poulsen said.

No one was injured. Vents were shut off during the first floor evacuation and people in the upper levels of the building continued work throughout the scare.