The lawsuit claims Parisian authorities face action at law over the health threat from toxic lead particles released during the hearth at the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Hundreds of tonnes of lead within the cathedral’s roof melted during the blaze in 2019. It released toxic particles into the air, which settled within the local area. A lawsuit accuses authorities of “gross negligence” for allowing people living within the city to be exposed to the harmful substance. Lawyers for 2 local families, whose children were allegedly exposed to guide dust at their homes and schools, together with a health association and a union, say authorities endangered life by not reacting to the chance of malady. Despite the size of the fireplace and knowledge about the chance of pollution and contamination… no precaution specifically was taken by the authorities involved for quite three months after the fireplace,” their legal complaint says, per AFP wire service. A total of 400 tonnes of lead were reportedly dispersed over the national capital during the hearth on 15 April 2019. “Children (in creches and schools), neighbors, and workers have clearly been exposed to the danger of lead exposure,” the complaint reads. “These facts amount to the crime of endangering the lives of others.” A simulation dispensed in 2019 reportedly found particles had spread up to 50km (31 miles) from the cathedral. The square ahead of the cathedral, which is being rebuilt, was closed again to the general public in May this year after tests revealed high concentrations of toxic lead particles. Several months after the fireplace, city authorities ordered a deep-clean of colleges in areas near the cathedral, while children and pregnant women living nearby were urged to possess blood tests. The complaint says the town, surpass Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo, withheld information from school directors, and did not act quickly enough. The mayor’s office failed to immediately answer the letter of invitation for comment. It also targets the city’s department of local government, the culture ministry, and regional health authorities. This is the second proceeding against the authorities over lead levels. French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the cathedral by 2024.
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