'Industrial spill' closes House side of the Capitol

'Industrial spill' closes House side of the Capitol
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Part of the U.S. Capitol was shut down Thursday morning after what officials termed an "industrial spill" rendered the area hazardous. The incident occurred when workers removing asbestos on the fourth floor triggered a "potential release" of dangerous material, according to the Architect of the Capitol.

All lawmakers and staff who work on the House side of the building have been told to stay away until further notice — not that Congress was planning to do much of anything anyway.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.