Workers in the U.S. Capitol who say they were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos in the tunnels under Congress have settled whistle-blower claims against the architect of the Capitol.
The settlement was announced Monday by both sides, but the amount of monetary compensation received by the workers was not disclosed. The 10 steamfitters had claimed they were harassed by the then-architect of the Capitol, Alan Hantman, and his staff after they complained about the asbestos in the tunnels.
The workers say they already show signs of deteriorating health from their exposure to asbestos and that Hantman and his staff first buried their complaints and then threatened them when they complained to Congress.
The steamfitters were working on the troubled Capitol Visitors Center, which is hundreds of millions of dollars over its original budget and years past its original deadline.
The workers’ lawsuit was aided by the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit good-government groupin D.C., whose leaders called the settlement “a victory for whistle-blowers.”
In an e-mailed statement, architect spokeswoman Eva Malecki said the settlement was “an amicable and final resolution.”
The settlement does not address the workers’ original complaints about the asbestos exposure. The workers have been lobbying Congress to provide workers’ compensation for their suffering.
But Congress and its agencies are exempt from many labor laws, including those governing workers’ compensation.
Anyone with information on the architect of the Capitol may call Bill Myers at 202-459-4956 or e-mail [email protected]
