Archive for March 2007
Health inspector says toxic mold made him sick
March 27, 2007, 8:22 amOn this blog we’ve been carrying a number of stories about mold infestation in public buildings, and it’s a tragedy as more and more of our public servants are exposed and become sick. Here’s a story from Scripps News about a health inspector who is having to fight for benefits that he rightly deserves. Here’s a quote:
A public health inspector who says he was sickened by mold in his office is still waiting for his disability benefits _ a year after an arbitrator ruled in his favor.
Dan Pauluk says his various and debilitating maladies are worsening, and he is frustrated that his employer _ a public health agency, no less _ would balk at acknowledging its culpability in his sickness.
Southern Nevada Health District officials, however, say office mold did not get the inspector sick, which is why the insurance company that provides the agency’s health benefits, Sierra Nevada Administrators, denied Pauluk’s claim in 2005.
The 57-year-old Pauluk appealed to a state hearing master and in early 2006 won. A state workers’ compensation hearing master ordered the district and its insurer to pay his medical bills that at the time were $30,000 but now are about $50,000, and to pay him two-thirds of his salary. Pauluk earned about $56,000 a year.
Also last year, the Public Employees Retirement System of Nevada determined Pauluk to be totally and permanently disabled.
The Health District and its insurance administrators are appealing, yet no hearing has been scheduled.
So Pauluk is still waiting for his disability benefits _ and says toxic mold syndrome is killing him in the meantime.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
Olen Properties in Las Vegas Intentionally Downplay Mold Severity
March 26, 2007, 8:17 am| How desperate can a large Real Estate Development company be to hide the severity of mold in an apartment? Apparently, very desperate. Durango Canyon North Apartments, in southwest Las Vegas, which are part of Olen Properties from Newport Beach, California is downplaying the high prevalence of toxic mold in a tenant’s apartment. Not just by refusing to disclose their mold readings, but, even denying the mold to existing residents.
After over a year and a half of consistently being notified by their tenant that there was a “wet paint odor” upon entering the apartment, rather than having this issue checked out by professionals, they relied upon their own maintenance staff to make the assessment. Since when should a biased employee’s nose be the ultimate determination if there is a mold situation in an apartment, which should have been immediately followed up and evaluated by a licensed professional? After being told that the apartment’s odor was not detectable by their employee, the tenant at their own expense retained the services of a mold testing professional. The independent nationally accredited laboratory who did the analysis now confirmed the tenant’s concern, high levels of various molds throughout the apartment. There were two prior water situations in the apartment beneath the current tenant’s apartment which was handled by Olen’s maintenance crew. The water damage was severe enough for a portion of the carpet to be replaced. When the prior tenants moved out, they discovered to their horror there was water damage on the walls in other rooms of the apartment. The physical appearance of the water damage was located almost 10 feet from the actual water damage in the downstairs unit. The wet paint odor referenced by the upstairs tenant was located in the area on the opposite side of the wall where the discoloration was discovered by the former tenant of the downstairs unit. |
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the Resources, News category)
Mold: An Avoidable Threat In Your Home
March 25, 2007, 8:11 amAs more people become aware of the dangers of mold infestation, we see an increasing number of articles helping people with tips on how to prevent and battle mold. Here’s an excerpt from an article on HealthNewsDigest.com:
Common places for mold to form are appliances that contain moisture and food, such as dryers, stoves and kerosene heaters, as well as poorly insulated windows.
To prevent mold, experts recommend:
• Reducing humidity with air conditioners and dehumidifiers
• Increasing ventilation by opening windows and doors, when practical
• Covering cold surfaces, such as cold-water pipes, with insulation
• Installing double-paned, insulating glass windows made with Super Spacer®.
Taking the time to select the right windows can help you drastically reduce a major mold producer-condensation (moisture on windows). Condensation occurs when high moisture contacts glass of a lower temperature.
Therefore, higher indoor humidity and cool air outside can cause condensation.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the Resources, News category)
Mold woes follow police to their new headquarters
March 20, 2007, 1:20 pmI’ve made several posts on this blog talking about the infestation of mold in public buildings like firehalls, libraries, and increasingly I’m seeing mention of police buildings and precincts having to deal with mold issue. In most places, budgets are already tight, especially when it comes to policing. So these are costs that put more stress on general operations. Here’s a quote from an article in The Indianapolis Star about mold in Hebron Indiana:
Hebron Police Chief Steve Sibbrell started working out of his home last week because he was getting sick from mold found growing in the Town Hall.
The town of Hebron, about 25 miles southeast of Gary, shuttered its old police station and moved those offices to Town Hall last year after determining that several toxic molds were making police employees ill, The Times of Munster reported Saturday.
On Thursday, however, tests found the same mold growing in the Town Hall, which had been remodeled to house the Police Department after the town found that it would cost $60,000 to clean up the mold infestation at the old station next door.
“The remodeling went well, and things were going real nice until this,” Town Council President Don Ensign said. “We’ll get this taken care of because we need to take care of our people and properties.”
After employees began suffering from headaches, nausea and other health problems in the new station, Sibbrell had the Merrillville-based Environmental Solutions Group test the building.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
You’ve got mold
March 12, 2007, 11:02 amHere’s an article from a Student publication at Colorado University at Boulder. Often students seek out affordable housing due to the simultaneous factors of high tuition costs and low income. Here’s a quote:
Make sure you’re not getting into a moldy situation when pre-leasing for fall. The black fuzzy fungus, otherwise known as mold, is something to watch out for when renting.
Not only is mold unsightly, but also it is harmful to our health. Mold spores become harmful when inhaled and can lead to nasal congestion, eye irritation and wheezing or skin irritation. Even memory loss can occur if you are exposed to mold for a long period of time.
Mold is common in Boulder. Joe Boatman with Quality Environmental Services said he does at least five to ten inspections for mold every week in Boulder. If a rental property is infested with mold it could take a long time to get rid of.
“There are a lot of mold problems and it can result in a couple of days to a couple of weeks of clean up,” Boatman said.
If renting a property that is infested with mold, the renter is not responsible for the mold clean up. When renting a house or an apartment in Boulder, contamination of mold is considered a breach of the lease. Maria Massaro, a real estate attorney, said it is considered constructive eviction.
“The contract with a landlord is considered breach, because you cannot live in a harmful environment,” Massaro said.
According to state law, the landlord is responsible for ensuring proper living conditions. This includes making sure the premises do not have any kind of mold contamination.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the legal, News category)
Iris Harden and her battle against mold
March 6, 2007, 9:24 amIris Harden let us know a little about her story via a couple of comments (here and here) on this website. Afterwards I noticed this article about her, and include a quote below. Iris, if you’d like to post more about your situation on this site register a user account and I’ll grant you author access so you can post. Here’s an excerpt from the Emagazine article:
Iris Harden knew that something in her Harlem, Georgia house was making her sick. “I wasn’t educated. I didn’t know it was mold,” she says. “All I knew was that something in that house was doing it to me.” She had a good idea of the cause after environmental testing found elevated levels of mold spores in her kitchen and bedroom. Her discomfort, headaches and a burning sensation around her eyes became so acute that she had to move out of the house.
Georgia resident Iris Harden suffered from serious infection and illness due to mold. © IRIS HARDEN Harden contacted Dr. Aristo Vojdani of Immunosciences Lab in Beverly Hills, California, who agreed to perform blood and DNA tests free of charge. What he found stunned him: two types of mold, aspergillus and stachybotrys, were actually in Harden’s blood. “That was really the alarm,” Vojdani says. “I’ve done 20,000 to 30,000 tests, and her results are in the top one percent.” Vojdani suspects that airborne mycotoxins, released by the mold in Harden’s walls and floor, entered her lungs and diffused into her bloodstream. A previous medical procedure had compromised Harden’s immune system, making her more susceptible to a systemic mold infection.
During a 2003 symposium, Dr. William Croft, a forensic toxicologist who has also examined Harden, delivered a paper that outlined three stages of mycotoxin poisoning. Phase one lasts for only a few days. The mold affects the nervous, respiratory and immune systems, causing headaches, fatigue, and a burning sensation in the eyes and ears. During the second phase, the infected person initially feels less discomfort. However, as the infection spreads throughout the body, visible hemorrhages appear on the skin, and the person may become depressed or have trouble with short-term memory. This phase can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few years, depending on the level of exposure. The third phase arrives suddenly in the form of a major organ failure, usually the brain, heart or lungs. In Dr. Croft’s opinion, Harden was teetering on the edge of the second phase. “Without treatment of the affected systems, at this stage in the disease, the prognosis is poor, with therapy guarded,” he wrote of Harden.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the Resources, News category)
Carlisle police station rehab under way after black mold discovery
March 6, 2007, 9:16 amHere’s an article with more coverage of mold infestation in a police building. Certainly this makes their job even more stressful, although it is good news to hear the mold is being dealt with:
Carlisle police are fighting black mold with the same authority they use to combat crime.
Officers are pitching in to rebuild the Fairview Drive police station after it was gutted when black mold was discovered in the walls and ceiling in January.
“Our guys doing some of the work on their own is going to save us a lot of money,” said Mayor Jerry Ellender. “It’s also given them the opportunity to get the inside of the building the way they want it.”
The city spent more than $8,000 to gut the building and get rid of the mold. The toxic fungus is known for causing breathing and other health problems.
Officers noticed symptoms in early January and city officials quickly cleared out the building.
Police operations are being split between the fire station and mayor’s office in town hall.
“We’ve had to make some adjustments to get through it,” said Michelle Ferrell, dispatcher and public safety clerk.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the News category)
Separate lawsuits claim mold made renters sick
March 4, 2007, 9:08 amHere’s an example from an article in The Desert Sun of tennants going after a landlord/building owner after prolonged exposure to mold:
Two Palm Springs residents are suing their landlords for $2 million, claiming mold in their apartments made them sick.
Mary Akins says she lost months laying in bed, suffering from respiratory, intestinal and other issues caused by mold in her apartment at 1850 S. Camino Real.
Don Keating points to photos of mushrooms growing out of his ceiling and to health problems from mold in his apartment at 967 Camino Parocela.
An attorney for McLean Company Rentals in Palm Springs, Keating’s landlord, said Keating’s suit is similar to one he filed last year and lost.
And attorney Drew Hanker with Belmont Brokerage and Management in Long Beach, Akins’ landlord, said it’s too soon to comment.
Akins could not be reached Friday, but residents who lived in her apartment complex said she definitely has a case.
—Administrator | no comments
(posted in the legal, News category)