This article comes from Jackie Kucinich, and it was posted on The Hill.
Asbestos, apparently from crumbling underground utility tunnels, has been discovered near an entrance to the tunnels inside the Government Printing Office (GPO) building. GPO safety inspectors found “material containing asbestos” on a conveyer belt, a GPO spokeswoman said. Tests confirmed that the substance was 10% asbestos.
The discovery, made in February but hitherto unreported, appears to confirm fears that exposure to the carcinogenic substance has not been confined to tunnel workers but has leaked out of the underground passages and into areas where other others work.
The Architect of the Capitol (AoC) is the office responsible for management and maintenance of the tunnels, as well as the congressional office buildings and the Capitol. A source close to the discovery, who requested anonymity, said the AoC instructed the tunnel crew to stay away from GPO property after the asbestos was found, limiting access to equipment necessary for tunnel functions.
Officials at the Office of Compliance (OoC), which ensures that legislative-branch agencies follow federal safety and health standards, have expressed concern that asbestos could appear in other public areas. James Abbott, deputy general counsel for the OoC, said, “We are concerned about that and are testing.”
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