Archive for December 2006
Mold forces police station to close
December 30, 2006, 7:27 pmAs we start spreading out looking for mold in the buildings built over the last several decades we find all sorts of organizations displaced. Here’s a story about a police department in Tampa having to absorb the costs of mold infestation:
PINELLAS PARK – The two-story, 1970s-era police administration building on Dec. 21 was ordered evacuated and closed due to a mold infestation that was uncovered during a routine inspection.
All police officers and civilian employees were scattered to other buildings in various parts of the city, with main functions relocated to Park Station at 5851 Park Blvd.
Police personnel took over the Pinellas Park/Mid County Chamber of Commerce offices, public rooms and training classrooms.
The patrol division will work out of trailers that are expected to be located on or near the police department’s parking lot on 59th Street.
Remaining at the police station only is the 911 emergency call center that is sealed off from the rest of the building.
The cost to eliminate the mold has not yet been determined, but is expected to go into the hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the renovations involved.
City officials said the evacuation could last as little as 90 days to as much as six months or more.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
Seven types of Mould found in Eaton family home
December 20, 2006, 9:27 amOne of Canada’s most famous families, the Eaton family, is suing their designer and builders over severe mold infestation in their relatively new home. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter who you are, or how much money you have, mould can still get you. By the sounds of it, this is an incredible infestation, here’s a quote from an article in the Toronto Star:
Now they want some money back – $7.4 million – from the people who designed and built it.
The Eatons allege in court documents that they have suffered fatigue, headaches, respiratory problems and runny noses while living in the house, designed for them by renowned French-born architect Thierry Despont.
The Eatons blame Despont, an Ontario builder, three engineering companies, the Town of Caledon and a third-party copper roofing company for the ill effects. They allege in a statement of claim that seven types of mould were found in the walls of the house – just one consequence of “very serious and significant deficiencies in the design and construction of the residence.”
They also allege the cost of repairing the property on the land known as Hawkridge Farms exceeded $4 million.
“We believe the defendants failed to meet the required standard of care and that they should answer for those mistakes,” said Vicki Ann Coristine, one of the lawyers representing the Eatons.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
Residential Allergen and Mold Test Kit
December 19, 2006, 2:23 pmAnnouncing EXAMINAIR®- “State of the Art” Residential Allergen and Mold Test Kit
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, Dec. 18 -/E-Wire/– EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems is announcing their “state of the art” allergen and mold test kit- the Examinair. The new “do it your self” kit with volumetric air sampler now allows homeowners, physicians, realtors, inspectors or anyone concerned about air quality to take more accurate and professional air samples. www.examinair.net
The kit includes an easy to use sampling pump that automatically collects the proper volume of air with the push of a button. The air samples are drawn into Micro 5 air monitoring cassettes, the latest technology of spore traps in the industry. The air samples are then sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis. User friendly Instructions and a prepaid shipping label are provided to make testing easy for the customer. In addition, the customer will receive a full analysis report from the accredited laboratory and a 20-minute phone consultation with an IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) professional about air quality concerns and result interpretation.
Examinair is a home test kit designed for preliminary and informational purposes that uses professional detection methods and provides better accuracy. The test kit offers the opportunity to not only detect molds that may not be visible, but it also allows the client to test for hundreds of species of mold that may be present in the air. Dander and skin cell analysis are also preformed to detect other potential indoor air contaminants.
Examinair allows the client to collect 3 indoor air samples and 1 baseline outdoor sample, in a total of 20 minutes. The testing procedures are designed to limit cross contamination with all pumps being calibrated and examined prior to shipping. Analysis uses the spore counting methodology which has had the longest history in mycological surveys and all labs are recognized as the leaders in microbiology. www.sanair.com and www.qlabusa.com
Examinair has become possible by the partnership established between four companies; EMS, QLAB, SanAir Technologies and My Healthy Home. The companies are committed to making air testing easy, economical and accessible for all consumers, in addition, to making indoor air safer.
SOURCE: My Healthy Home, LLC 12-18-2006
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the Resources category)
The Legacy Left by Mold and the Cost of Cleaning Up
December 12, 2006, 9:11 amA lot of mold infection stories involve schools, which tend to raise the concerns of communities due to the potential for children to be exposed and get sick. This is an interesting account from Milton Vermont of some of the challenges that arise in the post-discovery and ongoing remediation work. In this case the cost of cleaning up is spread across the displacement of the school year and the additional changes that incurs. Here’s a quote:
When school finally did start, several hundred students had to be bussed to off campus classrooms for several months, while others made due with sharing gym space. Today, nearly one third of the building is still under construction..
“No music room is open yet, we have no art room open yet, the library isn’t open yet so there’s some significant parts of the building where people are not in their assigned areas,” said Holden Waterman, Milton’s Superintendent.
Cleanup is proving to be costly. Voters recently approved a 20-year $3.5 million bond to pay for the construction.
School officials estimate taxpayers with a 200-thousand dollar home will see a 47 dollar increase in their tax bills.
“I think us taxpayers are going to end up paying in the long run, dearly,” said Hall. “I’ve been a long term resident in Milton and seen a lot of stuff and this is totally ridiculous.”
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
Mold in Washington D.C. Government Office Buildings
December 10, 2006, 9:01 amMold seems to strike everywhere, yet undetected so often it goes. Here’s a story about a representative of the people taking it upon himself to find and take action against mold in his work place, in this case, US Government offices. Check it out:
WASHINGTON — He hasn’t taken office yet, but Rep.-elect Steve Kagen was on the job Thursday in the basement of the Longworth House Office Building inspecting mold that had been found there.
Officials from the Architect of the Capitol fitted a respirator on the Appleton allergist for the inspection.
“So even before I get sworn in, I get to use some expertise,” said Kagen.
“The good news is that it’s been adequately contained, so that it looks like it won’t be an issue,” Kagen said after the inspection, noting that an airtight seal has been placed around the room with “a negative airflow” that discharges the room’s air from the roof of the building.
Kagen was alerted to the problem a day earlier when he read an article in The Hill, a local weekly newspaper, that reported five different types of mold had been in the building’s basement, “some of them dangerous,” and it was awaiting cleanup.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
Family Says Mold May Have Killed Son
December 5, 2006, 3:55 pmThis is a crazy and tragic story from KTHV in Little Rock Arkansas:
The family of a 19-year-old Arkansas State student who became ill and died last month has raised the possibility that mold in his dormitory may have contributed to his illness.
Rodgers died Nov. 19 in a Jonesboro hospital and his cause of death remains uncertain. An autopsy has been performed, and the family is awaiting its results. However, attorney Jimmie Wilson, who represents the family, says he’s investigating whether mold inside Rodgers’ dorm room in Kays Hall may have played a role in the death.
Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rick Stripling says that Rodgers’ dorm room has been examined and officials have found no health hazard.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)