Legionella, heavy metals found in water at Chicago federal office building

CHICAGO (CBS) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for keeping Americans safe from environmental hazards—and now it has been forced to respond to one of the federal government’s own office buildings in downtown Chicago where its own employees work.
At the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., drinking water samples tested positive for Legionella bacteria—as well as lead and copper. The union representing employees in the building now say it is unsafe to go to work there.
The General Services Administration—the federal administration that runs the contaminated buildings—said it has already taken steps to address the problem, and repairs are under way. But EPA workers said in the meantime, they should not have to put their health in jeopardy.
Some of the water fountains and sinks at the Metcalfe building—located across Jackson Boulevard from Federal Plaza—are unusable due to the Legionella bacteria and heavy metals.
The bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease—a severe pneumonia typically spread by inhaling water droplets containing the bacteria.
Loreen Targos is executive vice president of AFGE 704, the union local that represents about 1,000 federal EPA workers. She is also a scientist with the EPA.
 “If we can’t address it in our own building, then how can we have the credibility to address it on behalf of the people in the region?” Targos said.
Some of the positive legionella tests came from floors in the Metcalfe Building on which EPA employees work. Other samples were found in a daycare located in the Metcalfe Building.
Similarly contaminated water was also found at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. The owners of the building—the General Services Administration, or GSA—said actions and retesting are already under way there. The GSA could not immediately confirm reports that the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building—located in Federal Plaza across Dearborn Street from the courthouse—was also affected.
“We are, of course, the Environmental Protection Agency, and yet we don’t even have management that’s seriously addressing a problem when it becomes known,” Targos said.
AFGE 704 filed a grievance against the EPA—demanding the agency fix the lead, copper, and Legionella in the drinking water.
The GSA said it has consulted with industry experts for “an aggressive, proactive water quality program to ensure safety.” Meanwhile, the EPA said it  has provided bottled water.
“They did provide some water, but it had run out by the middle of the day, and so for the second half of the day, workers had no access to a safe source of drinking water,” Targos said. “Unfortunately, they haven’t been protecting us sufficiently.”
Along with asking for all drinking water sources to be shut down, and a supply of bottled water, the union also wants its employees to be allowed to work from home until the problem is fixed.
The full statement from the EPA is below:
The GSA issued this statement:
Specifically with regard to the daycare center in the Metcalfe building, the GSA added: