UPDATE: County Police Investigating Suspicious Powder Incident

Update, 6:40 p.m.:

A specialized unit with the county police department is conducting an investigation into Wednesday afternoon's discovery of an envelope containing a suspicious powder in an office at 30 Courthouse Square in Rockville Town Center, said Rockville City Police Chief Terrance N. Treschuk.

Details are limited due the "active police investigation" into the incident, Treschuk wrote in an email.  

"A preliminary report is being completed on the call for service and will be investigated further by the police," Treschuk wrote. "The recipients of the suspicious envelope did the absolute right thing by immediately reporting the incident to public safety authorities."

Original post, 4:10 p.m.:

A suspicious powder found in an envelope opened in an office at 30 Courthouse Square led to the building being evacuated for a short time on Wednesday afternoon.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded to a call shortly after 2 p.m. A hazardous materials team analyzed the powdery substance using portable kits and found it to be nontoxic and nonhazardous, said Capt. Oscar Garcia, a county fire and rescue service spokesman.

Someone who works in one of the office suites of the four-story building that houses law offices and the City of Rockville’s Environmental Management Division called 911 after finding the powder, Garcia said.

“We’re going to classify this event as a good intent call,” he said.

Employees of the Environmental Management Division found shade in front of shops on East Montgomery Avenue until they were allowed to return to the building at 3:16 p.m.

East Montgomery and Maryland avenues were closed in front of the county district and circuit courthouses and the Red Brick Courthouse for about an hour while the hazmat unit investigated.