There’s a little-known war brewing between workers who maintain the utility tunnels beneath the Capitol building and the office of the Architect of the Capitol, the agency responsible for their safety. Last night NBC News investigated dangerous working conditions for the 10 men, known as “tunnel rats” who spend their days in the underground system. Three of the men have been diagnosed with asbestos-related lung diseases, which another four suffering from other lung problems. Several reports, dating back almost a decade, detail the crumbling infrastructure and dangerous levels of airborne asbestos throughout the tunnels

Over a year ago the workers filed a complaint with the Congressional Office of Compliance, along with writing letters to members of Congress. The Senate invited the men to testify before the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety last month, but the tunnel workers are still not satisfied with the committee’s response. They want the entire network, which runs under 20 buildings, replaced with a modernized system less fraught with falling debris, steam and unsafe air. Tommy Baker, a pipefitter, summed up the issue:

Maybe when a Member [of Congress] is affected, or their spouse is affected, or their child is affected, maybe they’ll do something. If it’s not you, it’s easy not to worry about certain things.

Officials at the Architect of the Capitol’s office denies they knew about the conditions and refused to talk with NBC News. It’s still to be seen whether Congress or the AOC will effectively tackle the problem, or do as Baker claims and ignore the issues facing these residents of the city they inhabit.

Photo by Flickr user Grundlepuck.