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NEWKIRK, Okla. – Congressman Ron Estes made the announcement via Twitter Thursday afternoon that chemical testing near an Oklahoma town has been suspended.

Rep. Estes says the Department of Homeland Security suspended the plan for chemical testing at Chilocco Indian School.

“The safety of south central Kansas has been my priority during this process, and I commend DHS for listening to our concerns,” he said on Twitter.

The Department of Homeland Security has suspended plans for chemical testing at Chilocco Indian School in northern Oklahoma. The safety of south central Kansans has been my priority during this process, and I commend DHS for listening to our concerns. — Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) December 21, 2017

The Department of Homeland Security previously announced it would be conducting biochemical warfare testing at the closed school next year. Testing months were to include January and February, then again in June and July.

According to a published 58-page assessment of the testing, researchers would have been releasing inert chemicals into the air and measuring how much of them penetrate the buildings on site.

The department says the test would have determined how protected people would be when staying inside if biological agents are used in a terror attack.

The government insisted the chemicals were harmless. Some are found in sunscreens or laundry detergents. One, called DiPel, is a biological insecticide.

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