Lead levels close DEQ office

HELENA — The state Department of Environmental Quality closed its downtown Helena building Monday after finding lead levels up to 40 times higher than federal standards in the ceilings throughout the former National Guard armory.

The results have prompted testing of the air and surfaces in the building’s work areas to find out whether employees have been exposed to lead, DEQ director Tracy Stone-Manning said. The results are due Wednesday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we chose to close the building,” Stone-Manning said.

The employees are on paid leave through Wednesday. They and former employees who worked at the location are being asked to take free blood tests to determine whether they have been exposed, Department of Administration Director Sheila Hogan said.

Exposure to high levels of the toxic metal can result in lead poisoning, which can eventually lead to brain and kidney damage and anemia, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.