Radon found in state office building in Santa Fe

Government officials are advising workers to stay out of part of a nearly 80-year-old state office building in Santa Fe to avoid exposure to radon. 

Attorney General Gary King said Tuesday that workers in his agency temporarily will not use a section of the Villagra Building, which was built as a New Deal project during the Great Depression. The building is connected to a newer complex for the attorney general's office. 

General Services Department spokesman Tim Korte said elevated levels of radon were detected in the building's basement and corrective measures are planned. Radon wasn't a problem in other parts of the building. 

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and enters buildings through basements and foundation cracks. The Environmental Protection Agency says radon exposure can cause lung cancer.

Radon found in state office building in Santa Fe