Anthrax scare hits campus

A hazardous materials crew removed a powdery white substance from two IU dormitory bathrooms Tuesday morning. The Bloomington Township Fire Department hazardous materials team took every precaution in case the substance is anthrax. In the coming days, tests will reveal the nature of the substance, officials said. \n"With all the stuff going on now, you have to take every one serious," said Bloomington Township Fire Chief Faron Livingston. "The minute you drop your guard, that's when you get burned."\nMonroe County has dealt with four separate anthrax scares in recent days, while across the country, exposures are mounting and fear is spreading. Compared to a 1998 rash of anthrax scares in Indiana, John Hooker, Monroe County's Coordinator of Emergency Management, called the latest round of threats "a whole new ball game." \n"Then it was statewide, now it's nationwide."\nFirefighter Darrin Dant said areas with the substance were sealed off immediately. Once the hazardous materials team arrived at 9 a.m., they closed off the entire area, set up a containment area, donned protective suits, gathered the substance and used bleach to clean the area, he said.\nThe substance was found in the men's bathroom adjacent to the Wright Quad Formal Lounge and in a bathroom in Todd House. Samples of the substance were sent to State health department labs and to the Bloomington Police Department evidence lab, officials said.\nRead Wednesday's IDS for a full story.