So on a sunny day in Paris at around 27C or 81F cloudy, and same here now but at 69F or 19C I bring you another update on the saga of our Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris.
For reference my previous posts on the situation are here
History and what was saved at the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris
Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris update Jul19
As work was approved to start the cleaning up and further reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral, traces of lead (plomb) was found in it and its surrounding area alarming several levels of authorities here. This should not be a surprise as many of the old buildings monuments of Paris have lead in its frame especially if dating from ancient times.
Lead contamination at the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris. The cry is to put Notre Dame completely under the hood that is completely covered ! The lead contamination is there, and must act to drastically reduce in the coming months pollution rates to protect all those concerned, workers on the site but also local residents, traders, second-hand booksellers as well as cleaning agents in the city. In the 51 samples taken between April 26 and July 15 at the corner of rue d’Arcole and rue Notre-Dame, there are 31 exceedances which are pollution peaks 12 times higher than the reference value , denounces Annie Thébaud-Mony, researcher at the association Henri Pézerat, showing a card of samples taken by the Regional Health Agency, the City and the prefecture. Pollution values on the ground are extremely high on Île de la Cité and on the forecourt, but also in the 5éme and 6éme arrondissements. These measurements are up to 4,850 micrograms per m2 at the edge of the Luxembourg Garden. The Saint-Michel fountain would also be polluted.
We must put Notre Dame totally under the cover including bell and its spires. It is absolutely essential that this site be done in the same way as the usual sites of lead or asbestos pollution, with the confinement, put the workers in heavy and unconfortable outfits, but also create decontamination airlock, showers, do not bring in and out the pollution, continues Annie Thébaud-Mony, hailing in passing the decision of the prefect of the region to close the site until the week of August 15. In addition, the group requests that the Paris Public Assistance decide on the creation of a follow-up center that would allow the exposed persons to be registered and, if they are worried, to converse with a doctor. The school group located rue Saint-Benoît 6éme) was closed because of a lead rate too important. But while the association Robin des Bois has filed a complaint against X to define “the responsibilities of each on the missing and little information out!
The site will be completely closed including the streets that frame it. These are John Paul II Square, the Rue de la Cité, and the Maurice Carême promenade. If the new surveys that are due on tomorrow Tuesday reveal that other adjacent streets are polluted, I will also ask them to close. The goal is for the site to be cleaned up in the month: it’s the city’s request to the State. They must go fast. There are disturbing records. For the schools of the Fifth and Sixth arrondissements, which are 300 meters away from places with a lead level greater than 5000 micrograms per m2
Verneuil and Saint-André-des-Arts schools. The yard of one of these schools is contaminated. Like the terrace and the garden of the other. But it turned out that the terrace above was made of lead. Because Paris has many lead constructions, you will find abnormal rates not necessarily due to the fire of Notre Dame. Schools 500 meters around Notre Dame have all been cleaned.
Around 400 tons of lead are then consumed and pollute the Notre Dame Cathedral and its surroundings. Toxic metal has poured on stones and soil. The interior and the surroundings of the Cathedral are contaminated with too high levels of lead, which by inhalation or ingestion, can cause digestive disorders, disruption of kidney function, damage to the nervous system or abnormal reproduction. Lead dust is particularly harmful for children who may be suffering from lead poisoning. A high health risk especially as according to the samples taken by the mayor of Paris on May 13 – one month after the fire – nine out of ten institutions have had lead concentration rates requiring rapid decontamination intervention.
The information in French from the city of Paris on the issue of lead is all here: City of Paris on lead contamination of Notre Dame Cathedral
The lead mainly is around the frame area of the Notre Dame Cathedral as evidence by this photo taken from Wikipedia. As well as the official Notre Dame Cathedral site on its frame or charpente here: Official Notre Dame Cathedral on the charpente or frame
Photo credit:Wikipedia Frame or charpente of Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris
As it seems, the time to get all going for the reconstruction will now take more time as there are many social organisations now included in the decisions and will be hard to get a concensus. At the end a government intervention will be needed, me think.
Update as told you the council was meeting yesterday Tuesday. The findings so far,
The number of children detected to control the lead in their blood after the pollution caused by the Notre-Dame fire has doubled in July and now stands at more than 160, according to a report released Tuesday by the Regional Health Agency Ile-de-France. Of these, six are in the “alertness threshold” (25 to 50 micrograms of lead per liter of blood) and one is above the threshold for mandatory reporting of lead poisoning (50), although this cannot be reliably attributed to the pollution caused by the fire. The mobilization of the associations, but also that of the unions, demands the putting under construction the frame of the cathedral, which the mayor of Paris and the prefecture of police consider unrealistic. The suspension of the work carried out on the cathedral, it came after the publication of a report of the labor inspectorate with alarming conclusions. This interruption will not go beyond the next weekend (by Aug 15) , said the prefecture, the time to strengthen the rules of health care that apply to people working on the site.
Until next time from Notre Dame Cathedral and various media sources in France I leave you for now.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 