Port Arthur Workforce center must be renovated

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Workforce center must be renovated

CHRISTOPHER CLAUSEN , The Enterprise 10/11/2002

Workers' complaints and ''weird'' environmental test results forced the

board to close its office at 5900 Ninth Ave. In Port Arthur.

PORT ARTHUR - Southeast Texas Workforce Center officials will discuss

Tuesday what to do with its evacuated Port Arthur office after a lab report

said portions of the building must be renovated a second time to remove mold

to help improve the building's air quality.

Workers' complaints and ''weird'' environmental test results forced the

board to close its office at 5900 Ninth Ave. on Oct. 1.

The top three health complaints from the 22 workers were sinus conditions,

headaches and allergies, consistent with indoor air quality problems, wrote

Environmental Solutions Inc. in its 45-page report.

" The health effects related by the building occupants are consistent with

indoor air quality issues identified, " the report states.

" The occupants generally indicated that they did not experience adverse

health effects before working at the facility, and said that they felt

better when they were out of the building for an extended period of time, "

according to the report.

Brown Turk, executive director of the board that helps employers find

workers and unemployed residents find jobs, said the building's leaks and

air quality has been a long-standing issue including remediation and sewer

system repairs that were completed last year.

Environmental Solutions, which is licensed by the Texas Department of Health

and a member of the Indoor Air Quality Association, tested the building's

air last June and pronounced it fit.

Attempts to reach the building's owner, J.Q. Vanderberg, were unsuccessful.

Turk said she has received assurances the company wants to fix the problems.

" We have their attention, when we moved out, " Turk said. " And when it gets

cleaned up, they are going to have to bear the costs. "

Environmental Solutions latest report suggested some of that work needs to

be done again including renovating several rooms to remove mold, overall

better humidity controls and repairs to a leaking sewer system identified as

a " significant public health hazard. "

Turk said Environmental Solutions' Jerry Heard, manager of environmental

services, and Kareis, associate consultant, who both signed the

report, suggested in telephone conversations there was possibly wet

insulation in the ceiling and or walls.

As for the sewer problems, although in city limits, sewer lines don't extend

to the building so it's on its own septic system, Turk said.

After several previous problems that caused the sewer to backup into the

building, the owner put in an alarm to help prevent further problems.

However, since then it has backed up at least two times, Turk said.

" That's two too many, " she said.

There have been discussions by the building's owner about hooking it up to

the city's sewer system, Turk said.

The building's air and various surfaces as well as its exterior area were

tested for mold and bacteria on Sept. 13 and Sept. 26.

While most of the building met air quality standards set by the American

Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers, the large

kitchen exceeded the 60 percent limit needed to inhibit the growth of mold

and bacteria, the report said.

Ideally, humidity levels should be between 14 and 20 percent, a standard

most of the building meets, the report said.

Among its other findings, the report said ceiling tiles, carpet, sheetrock

and wood trim were damaged by leaks from either the roof or the heating,

ventilation and air conditioning system.

Ceiling tile damage that was most present in the large kitchen and three

offices all along the north wall totaling 360 square feet.

Turk said the area had been a problem before.

" As previously discussed, there were a number of areas where there was

visible water damage within the building, " said the report.

" For a couple years we've been asking for a new roof, " Turk said.

Environmental Solutions' also suggested that the workers might be

contributing to their health problems.

Testing with employees in the building showed staphylococcus bacteria was

present, testing without the workers present showed no signs of the bacteria

leading Environmental Solutions to urge workers be tested for the bacteria.

Among the illness that strains of staphylococcus can cause are pneumonia,

meningitis and skin lesions, according to a Web site maintained by the

University of Texas' Houston Department of Pathology and Laboratory

Medicine's Medical Education Information Center.

At least one worker has skin legions and several have upper respiratory

problems, the report said.

Turk said Park Place Medical Center began medical and lab work on the

employees on Wednesday, and she expects to have complete results by Tuesday.

On the Net

http://medic.med.uth.tmc.edu/path/00001456.htm

www.twc.state.tx.us

Reach this editor at:

(409) 838-2876

cclausen@...

©The Beaumont Enterprise 2002