Massachusetts officials met with employees of a Springfield courthouse Friday over concerns the building is making people sick.
A judge who served in the courthouse died in 2013 from complications of ALS. The judge who succeeded him came down with the same disease.
On Friday, Massachusetts court leaders visited the Hampden County Courthouse and met with employees and state lawmakers to address worries the building could be toxic.
Paula Carey is the chief justice of the state's Trial Court.
"The bottom line is we want to allay the concerns and the fears of our employees as best we can," Carey said. "We're not going to eliminate them right now because there are a lot of unknowns."
The state plans to test employees and run environmental tests on the building.
The concerns were first reported last week by the Springfield Republican newspaper.
Justice Carey said she understands there are toxic waste sites around the courthouse that have not been properly cleaned.
The courthouse is across the street from the new MGM Springfield casino.
