Part of the Pentagon is under a shelter-in-place as hazmat teams investigate an “air quality issue” detected Thursday, the chief Pentagon spokesman told WTOP.
The Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s hazmat team is leading the response to the “hazardous materials incident” with the help Arlington County Fire and EMS’ hazardous materials team, according to a social media post from the fire department.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told WTOP the Pentagon is taking precautionary measures after a system flagged an unspecified problem with the air quality.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants,” Parnell wrote in an email to WTOP.
“Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance. The Department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area. Response teams are in place and ready to support building occupants,” he said.
WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J. Green reported that people in other parts of the Pentagon have been asked to avoid the floors that are sheltering in place.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
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