Unions: Miles of Rotting Tunnels Beneath Capitol Could Collapse

[Rose Siding]

Capitol utility tunnels could collapse, labor officials warn

The legislative branch’s Office of Compliance (OoC) has filed an Occupational Safety Health Administration complaint against the office of the Architect of the Capitol, warning that the agency is allowing employees to operate in dangerous, rotting tunnels that run under the Capitol complex, according to union officials.
.....
The miles of tunnels are in such a dilapidated state that they are subject to cave-ins that could trap and injure employees who are working in them, according to Carl Goldman, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2910, and Nan Ernst, a representative for the union local at the Library of Congress.

“Some of the tunnels are 100 years old,” Ernst said. “Those who do the maintenance on the pipes are subject to injury. They have no unions there to protect them. We are concerned about our co-workers there being subjected to those conditions.”

She added that in addition to the potential for cave-ins, the tunnels are lined with carcinogenic asbestos.

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/030206/news9.html


April 2003
...Saddam could make a dash for it but few expect him to. They argue that the skies above the capital are crowded with war planes together with drones that can circle for 24 hours, beaming live video images to commanders....

If surface routes are dicey, subterranean exits may be more viable for the Iraqis.

Americans believe an intricate maze of tunnels lies beneath Baghdad and could be used to escape during street fighting.

http://www.smh.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/04/07/1049567628262.html