Guest guest Posted January 25, 2003 Report Share Posted January 25, 2003 http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/atlantic/011903MOLDREMOVAL_J18.html January 19, 2003 Mold cleanup at Hamilton Town Hall won’t come cheap By DAN P. LEE Staff Writer, (609) 272-7209HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - The cost of remedying a large-scale mold problem at Town Hall will cost significantly more than township officials originally anticipated.The bid the township accepted for the cleanup work came in at $541,000, said Township Business Administrator Sasdelli. Sasdelli originally estimated the price at somewhere between $250,000 and $400,000.The reason for the disparity, Sasdelli said, is that he underestimated the extent of the process to clean up the 60,000-square-foot, 10-year-old building."Really, I didn't understand the complexity of all that was required," he said. "There's a lot of work to be done, and it's just a little more complex than what I thought."Sasdelli said the project will require thoroughly cleaning all air conditioners and heating ventilators throughout the $10 million building that have tested positive for mold as well as later replacing the drywall and carpeting immediately surrounding them. The work began in December and likely will continue through May. Employees will be temporarily relocated to already cleaned areas of the building as their office space is dealt with, Sasdelli said.Laboratory testing also will be required after each stage of cleanup - prior to the installation of new drywall and carpeting - to ensure it was effective, Sasdelli said. Township officials announced last month that several kinds of mold - including the much-publicized black "toxic" mold - had been found growing within virtually all of the building's 88 individual air conditioners and heating ventilators and in its basement. The township was made aware of the problem after some employees in the building took notice.The officials have cautioned, however, that ongoing weekly air-quality tests have not detected unsafe levels of mold in the building and that the mold does not constitute a threat to township employees' health. Sasdelli said the source of the moisture that spawned the mold growth has been traced to drainage tubes within the ventilators. The tubes apparently became clogged or kinked or otherwise dysfunctional, causing the moisture that is supposed to drain to accumulate and overflow in between the walls.Sasdelli said officials are looking at the design to determine if it is faulty, which could enable the township to recoup some of the damages.At the same time, Sasdelli said, mold growth in the basement appears to have been caused by pipes wrapped in insulation; when the pipes sweat, the moisture soaks into the insulation, eventually causing mold. That situation also is being addressed, Sasdelli said.It remains uncertain where the $541,000 to fund the cleanup will come from because the township's annual budget does not include enough emergency funding to handle such a hit. Sasdelli said he will recommend to Township Committee at its meeting next week that it use a 15-year bond for the cost of the remediation. "That would equate to about $35,000 a year in debt service, which I think is a small price to pay to make sure a $10 million building stays open to the public and safe and efficient," Sasdelli said.The cleanup is being done by Statewide Commercial Cleaning, of Ventnor, which will follow the guidelines established by a state-certified industrial hygienist.Township officials have said only two employees - both of whom worked in the building's finance department and suffered pre-existing medical problems - came forward last December with complaints that the mold may have sickened them.Both were sent for medical evaluation and have since been cleared by their doctors to return to work, Sasdelli said. Sasdelli said there have been no additional reports of health complaints by employees in the building.To e-mail Dan P. Lee at The Press:DLee@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.