Anthrax decontamination of postal facility starts

WASHINGTON -- More than a year after anthrax killed two workers in the main mail-handling center of the nation's capital, crews began fumigating the building Saturday with a toxic gas.

The 17.5 million-cubic-foot Brentwood facility has been closed since October 2001, after anthrax-laced letters to two senators were determined to have been processed there and the two postal workers died.

The U.S. Postal Service began pumping chlorine dioxide gas into the building late Saturday afternoon. A 282-yard safety perimeter was set up around the building, and an Environmental Protection Agency vehicle that monitors trace atmospheric gases patrolled the area.

Gas was to be pumped into the building until today, then out through a scrubber system Monday, said Paul Harrington, U.S. Postal Service spokesman. The scrubber process is expected to take about 20 hours. Another day will be required to dehumidify the building and have any remaining gas break down naturally.

After several weeks of follow-up monitoring, postal workers could be back in the facility by late April, postal officials said.

California agrees to drop suits over power crisis

TULSA, Okla. -- California has agreed to drop all lawsuits accusing Williams Cos. Inc. of price gouging during the state's energy crisis, while the energy company agreed to reduce the price of its long-term contracts.

The Oklahoma company also agreed to pay California $150 million over eight years and provide it with six electric-generation turbines valued at $90 million. The company's original 10-year, $4.3 billion contract will be cut about $1.4 billion under the settlement finalized Friday.

California added a provision allowing the state to continue to investigate Williams' role in the alleged manipulation of gas index prices.

Williams is one of several energy traders that admitted to providing bogus information about natural gas transactions to an industry publication that reports index prices. The revelations suggest that traders attempted to manipulate index prices.

NYC transit strike could affect nation's economy

NEW YORK -- If the city's transit workers go on strike Monday and shut down the bus and subway lines as threatened, just about every aspect of New York's economy would be affected, from florists to restaurants to big department stores.

The effects could ripple through the national economy, as well, analysts say.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration has estimated that a transit workers' walkout would cost the city $100 million to $350 million a day -- a figure that includes police overtime, lost productivity, lost retail sales and taxes.

Saturday afternoon, negotiators for both sides were still trying to reach a new three-year contract deal for the 34,000 union workers who keep the city moving. Transport Workers Union secretary-treasurer Ed Watt said management had pulled three offers off the table and discussions were at a point they should have reached a month ago.

--From wire reports