PARIS — Paris regional authorities say decontamination and cleanup work at Notre Dame cathedral will resume on Aug. 19 after new equipment and stricter safety procedures ensure workers are not exposed to unsafe levels of lead.
The administration suspended the job of removing hazardous substances from the fire-ravaged cathedral last month under pressure from labor inspectors concerned about health risks for workers.
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Paris authorities said Friday new equipment, including decontamination units, will be operational by the end of next week. They said this will prevent “any release of polluting elements to the outside.”
Hundreds of tons of lead in Notre Dame’s spire and roof melted during the April fire.
This week, workers have started decontaminating some Paris schools as part of efforts to protect children from risks of lead poisoning.
Earlier this week, the agency said a young boy needs medical monitoring because tests showed that he was at risk of lead poisoning. Sixteen others were deemed to be just short of being “at risk” and will also be monitored as a precaution, out of a total of 162 children who have been tested for lead in Paris.
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