Last Updated on November 10, 2026 5:28 am
Fourteen people were taken to a hospital Monday after an unknown white powder was found on delivered packages at Prime Recycling in Lenoir, in neighboring Caldwell County. Twenty-two people in all became ill.
Lenoir Fire Department officials said crews were called to the industrial recycling facility around 10:57 a.m. Monday after a caller reported that someone was having trouble breathing, according to WBTV.
What happened
Firefighters said the white, powdery substance was found on top of some packages and went airborne as workers began opening the boxes. Caldwell County emergency officials said 22 patients were found at the facility, and at least 14 were transported to UNC Caldwell. Paramedics reported that additional people may also have been affected.
Some of those affected had respiratory issues, according to WSOC. Families reported that workers had burning eyes and trouble breathing. Plant managers evacuated the facility as a precaution, Caldwell Emergency Services said, and a decontamination operation was set up at the hospital.
Investigation
The State Bureau of Investigation, the Lenoir Fire Department, the North Carolina Regional Hazmat team and Asheville Fire Department hazmat crews responded. Asheville firefighters were working to identify the substance.
Officials had not said what the substance is or how it got into the facility.
