(Greenville-AP) Oct. 24, 2003 - Post office officials say a Greenville mail facility should reopen Friday afternoon, two days after it was shut down for possible ricin contamination. The deadly poison was found in a sealed vial in an envelope two weeks ago.

On Wednesday, federal officials confirmed ricin was in the vial and shut the Airport Mail Center.

US Postal Service spokesman William Brown says three employees touched the envelope, but he did not think the workers were exposed to ricin. Brown says there was nothing outside the
envelope. Homeland Security officials say extortion, not terrorism, appears to be the motive.

A federal law enforcement official who asked not to be identified said a letter in the envelope referred to a bill in Congress involving truckers.

Greenville sheriff's deputies say the envelope carried the typewritten message "caution-Ricin-poison" on the outside. The letter arrived October 15th. Officials would not say to whom the envelope was addressed or where it was postmarked.

Ricin is derived from the castor bean plant, is relatively easy to make and can be deadly in very small doses. When inhaled or ingested, fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness and low blood pressure can occur within eight hours. Death can come between 36 and 72 hours after exposure.

There is no antidote.

No arrests have been made.

Updated 8:45am by BrettWitt