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To: Frederick Langford who wrote (43473)	10/22/2001 5:32:47 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 65232

Postal Service to seek funding to sanitize mail October 22, 2001 Posted: 3:57 PM EDT (1957 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- The post office is looking to technology like that used to sanitize food as a way to block the movement of anthrax in the mail. Postmaster General John E. Potter also said Monday that the agency will be turning to Congress for financial assistance as it struggles with declining mail volume and the costs of dealing with the mailed germ threat. Potter and Chief Postal Inspector Kenneth Weaver both said the agency is looking to technology to sanitize the mail. Postal spokesman Greg Frey explained that such technologies were being looked at for at least selected locations. Frey said the sanitizing technology would probably be similar to that used in the food-processing industry. However, Frey said, "The primary line of defense is still with our customers and our employees. We need their watchful eyes and common sense to help us all through this period." He said millions of post cards were being sent out starting Monday and will be arriving at every address in the country over the next eight days. The cards explain the characteristics that should make people suspicious of a piece of mail and what they should do with it. It was not immediately clear how much financial assistance the post office would seek. Even before the September 11 attacks, the agency was facing a loss of $1.6 billion this fiscal year despite a rate increase in January and another, smaller one, in July. It has applied to the independent Postal Rate Commission for a 3-cent increase in the price of stamps, but even if approved, that would not take effect until next year. Since the attacks, the agency has been faced with millions of dollars in costs for damage to its facilities, rerouting mail and inspecting and sanitizing facilities. At the same time, mail volume has declined, reducing income. "Other businesses have gotten relief in the form of funding and we certainly think that while we are not necessarily a business ... we'll ask for help," Potter said on NBC's "Today" show. The airline and insurance industries are among those that have sought financial help from Congress since the attacks. Although part of the federal government, the Postal Service does not receive tax money for operations. It is required to pay its own expenses from fees charged for moving the mail and to break even over time. Two Washington postal employees have been diagnosed with inhaled anthrax and several other cases are under investigation. Potter said the Postal Service was increasing security at its mail facilities. "We are taking it to the next level, beginning to introduce technology so we can sanitize mail" before it's handled, he said. Although gloves and face masks are being made available, Postal Service workers are not being ordered to wear them. Jeffrey T. Barach, vice president for special projects at the National Food Processors Association, said the types of radiation used on food would be well-suited to sterilizing mail. Radiation beams can come from several sources and are effective in killing bacteria, he said. They do not leave any residue and do not make the food or other items radioactive, he said. The radiation is effective in killing bacteria, and at a stronger power it can also kill spores such as anthrax. One of the major companies in the food sanitizing business is the SureBeam Corp. in San Diego. Spokesman Will Williams said the process uses a focused beam of electrons to kill bacteria and other pathogens. The beam can pass through envelopes and other packaging to kill quickly and can be used on a moving assembly line. The same technology is used by Titan Corp., SureBeam's parent company, to sterilize medical equipment. Williams declined to discuss whether his company has been contacted by postal officials. But he said the equipment can be installed in existing facilities and that when dealing with high-volume items, it could sterilize letters, for example, at a cost of about a penny. Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.