Paris, Aug. 13 -- Paris authorities shut down streets surrounding the Notre Dame Cathedral to decontaminate them Tuesday, after high levels of lead were registered in the area following the April blaze that damaged the landmark.

The painstaking cleanup work inside Notre Dame itself was suspended last month for safety reasons, as activists and residents accused authorities of underestimating the threat of lead poisoning. Hundreds of tons of lead melted in the fire, which destroyed the cathedral's metal and wood roof.

Authorities have launched multiple lead prevention operations: cleaning up neighborhood schools, de-toxifying surrounding streets, and setting up a stricter new decontamination zone for experts working inside the cathedral....