By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
More than a dozen FBI agents have become seriously ill after a massive cedar sculpture was installed in their Miami field office.
The federal government paid $750,000 for the 17-foot-tall sculptures, which was made from western red cedar, Artnet.com reports.
Authorities believe the agents fell ill because of allergies to the sculpture’s cedar dust.
“The health and safety issues surrounding the sculpture were real,” Richard Haley, the FBI’s assistant director of finance overseeing department property, wrote in a document, as Politico reports.
“One employee required an 11-day hospital stay and none have been able to return to work at the new field office.”
The GSA spent $412,000 removing the artwork and cleaning the offices.