8 months before the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, where is the construction site?

Lead under surveillance

During the cathedral fire on April 15, 2019, the 460 tons of lead on its roof melted, some of it spreading over the area in the form of dust. This situation has aroused concern among associations of victims of pollution or environmental protection, some of whom have filed complaints, prompting, in April 2023, the opening of a judicial investigation.

According to the public establishment responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame, project manager of the restoration project, “only lead, through its flexibility, makes it possible to restore the richness of the decorations of the cover” and, for the balance of the monument, it is important to find a roof of the same weight. The organization also recalls that questions of health and environmental protection are taken very seriously, in close collaboration with the Regional Health Agency, and that to date “no blood lead levels have been noted among those who work on the construction site and are regularly tested.

Furthermore, to avoid any further disasters, a completely redesigned fire-fighting system is being installed with an attic misting system: a first for a French cathedral. » It is true that lead only becomes dangerous in the event of ingestion or inhalation of dust, which is not the case with inaccessible frames. In addition, treatment of rainwater running off the roofs of the cathedral, which did not exist before, is planned. Some argue for moving towards “zero risk” arguing that low doses of dust are released into the atmosphere over time, while others believe that the harmful effects of this metal, also very present in pipes, are overestimated. organ and stained glass windows for centuries!