Schuyler County woman abandons moldy apartment

[Guest guest]

http://www.wetmtv.com/story.asp?ID=3057

Your Story: Toxic Mold

Wednesday, October 23, 2002

Jodi Reynosa Reporting

One Schuyler County woman left her apartment because of toxic mold that made

her sick. WETM 18 News reporter Jodi Reynosa is live in the satellite center

with the story.

Mold is everywhere, indoors and outdoors.

Most types you find are not hazardous to healthy people.

But there are a few that are, including stachybotrys or black mold, which

can cause cold-like symptoms, rashes or asthma.

This summer, bonnie knight moved out of her apartment, here at the glen

village apartment complex in the town of Dix.

Knight says mold was growing everywhere; on her walls, in her kitchen, and

even on her rug.

" It started as this toxic fume event. It was making me physically ill. It

was very over powering and I wanted to find out what the problem was, where

it was stemming from, " said Bonnie Knight.

After becoming very ill for about 8 weeks she went to the doctor who took a

CAT scan of her sinuses.

" I've got permanent damage on one side of my nose because of it, breathing

in these spores, " said Knight.

" One environmental inspector for the New York State Department of Health

evaluated Knight's home two years ago. His report concluded that she just

suffered from allergies because of various air pollutants. But when she

hired a private home inspector, this year, he found 3 mold allergens along

with Stachybotrys, a black, toxic mold, in her kitchen. "

That's when Knight moved out but had to leave her contaminated belongings

behind.

Director of Community Services and Public Health in Schuyler County,

Roets, says the matter is out of his hands.

" I can't comment. I've not seen either report. We got a report that we

passed on to the district office which handles environmental complaints, "

said Roets.

Knight is now urging the complex management to hire an environmental

inspector to evaluate the rest of the apartments.

" I've now submitted this report to the owners and the management company and

they assured me that once they got a copy of this report that they'd do

something, but I haven't heard a word, " said Knight.

Knight says she would like to be paid back the 30-thousand dollars of damage

the mold caused to her belongings.

I tried to get a hold of the Glen Valley Apartment Complex management and

owner. But no one answered the door and no one returned my calls.