Super Bowl tourists can breathe a sigh of relief: Preliminary tests on a white powder mailed to hotels located not far from where Sunday's game will take place suggest the substance is nothing more than corn starch.
"That's what we're getting from Haz-Mat," Rutherford chief James Russo told USA Today on Friday. "There was no threat that we should be concerned about."
Mayor James Cassella of East Rutherford, where MetLife Stadium is located, said on CNN that the material was sent to locations on "both sides of the river," referencing New York as well as New Jersey.
Among those places to receive a letter was the Manhattan office of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. According to CNN, eight mailroom employees were decontaminated as a precaution. No one has exhibited any signs of illness.
A statement released by the New Jersey State Police said: "The Joint Terrorism Task Force and Hazard Materials units have responded to several locations that have received a suspicious letter and substance. There are no reported injuries at this time, and the locations are being secured."
Security has been heightened both in New Jersey and New York ahead of the big game, which is estimated to draw 400,000 visitors to the region, Reuters reported, with extra focus given to mass transit.
The federal government classifies the Super Bowl as a Level 1 security event.
"Our tactical teams have been training throughout the year for different scenarios to include active shooter, bomb threats, and casualties related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threats," FBI agent in charge of Super Bowl security Aaron Ford told ESPN. "We have a number of agents and professional staff prepared to respond."
