The House of Representatives side of the U.S. Capitol building was briefly closed Thursday morning because of an asbestos scare. The section of the building has now been reopened.
Laura Condeluci, spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capital, confirmed in a statement to Businessweek that “there was a potential release affecting the House side of the Capital” while work was being done to remove asbestos in the building. “Samples have been collected to determine whether there was potential exposure.”
The office takes care of cleaning up the Capitol, as well as the grounds and area offices. House offices were open at the time. The Senate side was not affected.
According to Politico, the incident started after 2:30 a.m. and required hazmat suits for inspection.
The House was supposed to start today’s session at 10 a.m., but it will not start until noon. The main debate today will be on the $27.3 billion spending bill that focuses on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Energy Department.