(UPDATE, 12:30 p.m.) The Lewis and Clark County Motor Vehicle Department will reopen at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, after a white powder found in an envelope Wednesday was determined not to be dangerous.
Jeni Garcin, a spokesperson for the county, said test results from the state health lab don’t definitively show what the substance is, but that they confirmed it was not hazardous.
Original post below.
HELENA – The Lewis and Clark County Motor Vehicle Department is closed Thursday “until further notice” after an envelope was received containing a white powder on Wednesday.
Lewis and Clark County spokeswoman Jeni Garcin said a hazmat team was called in to handle the substance found at the office in Helena’s City-County building. The powder is currently at the Montana State State Health lab for testing.
According to Helena Police, officers responded to the City-County building shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday over concerns of a suspicious package. Police say when the package was opened, an “unknown powdery” substance was inside.
“Until we have the results of what the substance is, out of an abundance of caution to protect staff and customers, we have closed the offices,” Garcin said in a news release.
Garcin said results from the test are expected to be done by Thursday afternoon.
Police said the package had been sent by another government office, and was an expected shipment to arrive to the City-County building. No injuries have been reported.
This is a developing story and we will continue to update you as we learn more.
