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  • Sewer project blamed for Helena building evacuation

After fumes made people ill in the Power Block in downtown Helena on Monday, the City of Helena engineering department reports on Tuesday that all indicators are now within safety levels.

On Monday, fire officials evacuated the Power Block in downtown Helena after odors from sewer construction filled the building. Upon reports of the odor, city officials tested the levels of styrene solution in the air and found it was safe to re-enter the building.

But for some local businesses, the smell is still so strong they are not yet able to re-open.

Amy Genthner, owner of the Green Iguana restaurant, said, "I made four pans of bacon yesterday and I couldn't smell one of them while it was cooking or when it came out. So just having the smells of the restaurant, usually it permeates to the upper floors of this building and they couldn't smell anything above what was going on."
Genthner says she has already lost over $1,000 in business so she hopes to reopen as soon as possible.

The city engineering department says construction will be complete by Monday.

(January 11, 2009) Helena fire crews evacuated the Power Block on 6th Avenue in downtown Helena on Monday morning.

According to Helena Fire Department Battalion Chief Kevin Kelly, the city of Helena is re-lining sewer pipes with a styrene solution and the fumes from that process were filling the building.

Employees working in the Power Block were reporting headaches and nausea, so fire crews evacuated everyone in the building.

A few businesses had to close due to the odor, but Kelly says he hopes they will be reopened tomorrow.

He explained, "So they called us and we came down and we are trying to determine whether the levels of the fumes, if there is any problem, but right now it doesn't seem to be, they just were fairly strong."

The sewer construction has also closed the intersection of Lawrence and Fuller, but the businesses in that area are still open.

The City Engineering Department says construction should be complete soon.