Fwd: A townonline.com article from kenhmoulton@...

[Guest guest]

Imagine, mold on Cape Cod. Too bad the legislature has buried my Toxic Mold bill, SD2070. Instead they place people in danger. Of course it is only our money they are spending and wasting. Anybody interested in a copy of my bill, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you. They have also ignored my Construction lemon law. I guess they don't want to lose their campaign money from the builders, realtors, insurance companies. Who says money can't buy "Justice"?

Ken Moulton

You have been sent this message from kenhmoulton@... as a courtesy of townonline.com (http://www.townonline.com).

Comments:

No mention of any testing done.

Ken

To view the entire article, go to http://www.townonline.com/harwich/news/local_regional/har_newhomold08192003.htm

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Mold sparks health concerns at high school: Removal could cost $25,000 to $30,000 By Dalton/ sdalton@...

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

A little more than two weeks before students are scheduled to return, building five at Harwich High School is off limits to all personnel, the result of a substantial mold outbreak.

School officials discovered the problem, which is limited to four classrooms in the southernmost wing of the high school, last week. Carpets in the wing, which houses primarily social studies and English classrooms, will need to be ripped out and disposed of, according to health director a Champagne and school business manager Costin. Removal was scheduled to begin today.

Further complicating the matter is the fact that the underlying tiles are vinyl asbestos.

" The rug is directly adhered to the floor tile, " Costin said yesterday, estimating removal costs at between $25,000 and $30,000. " We will visit the finance committee Wednesday night looking for funds. "

Champagne said school officials alerted her to the issue last week and asked her to come in and inspect the situation. She said that the growth and extent of the mold growth indicated a " very serious problem. "

" They need to get the textiles (rugs) out of there, " she said. " This is a high use area and I made the recommendation that it be removed. "

Champagne said that the potential for health issues, coupled with the fact that the school is scheduled to open soon, prompted her to declare a public health emergency. The removed materials will be treated as hazardous waste, with contained removal procedures, negative air pressure and extensive cleaning. She added that the removal firm, ERS, which performed the asbestos and lead removal at the Harwich Police Station Headquarters earlier this year, has been contracted to perform the work at the school.

" They were the low bid and I am very comfortable recommending them, " Champagne said.

Both Champagne and Costin stressed that the mold in question is not the highly toxic variety which has garnered a great deal of press in recent years. But, Champagne stressed, it is still an issue that must be dealt with comprehensively.

" All molds can cause allergic reactions to sensitive persons, " she said. " People with acute allergies would be affected by this. "

Costin said the mold problem apparently stems back to a rug cleaning that took place July 2. He said the contractor, whom he declined to identify, would likely have some liability in connection with the mold.

" It has just been a terrible summer and we are speaking with the contractor who shampooed the carpets and we're probably going to put them on notice that they probably have some responsibility for this, " he said. " The question is were they dried properly. "

Costin added that there was no question that the rugs needed to be removed. He said school Superintendent Rosemary phs and school committee Chairman Robin Wilkins were aware of the issue.

" The health, safety and well being of the kids and staff is the priority, " Costin said.

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[Guest guest]

Mold is a serious issue that needs to be discussed and prevented. Maybe mold is in your childs school and you will be the last one to know. Are you willing to take a chance with your childs health and future?

Ken Moulton

You have been sent this message from kenhmoulton@... as a courtesy of townonline.com (http://www.townonline.com).

Comments:

Pembroke is an upscle community on th south side of Boston, It is called the South Shore area. It is between Boston and Cape Cod where I lived in mold.

Ken

To view the entire article, go to http://www.townonline.com/kingston/news/local_regional/kin_newkmmold08222003.htm

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Mold closes 'White house' By Alice Coyle / acoyle@...

Friday, August 22, 2003

SLRHS to start school year short 20 classrooms

Pembroke isn't the only Silver Lake town grappling with a mold problem just days before the start of school.

SLRHS Principal informed the school committee this week that mold has spread throughout the White House portable classrooms carpeting and has also formed on the Little Theatre rugs and several seats in the auditorium. The mold was discovered Aug. 7 in the White House and a week later in the Little Theatre.

The portable classroom units are leased from the Conneticut based firm Resun Inc. Inspections of the white house classrooms were conducted by Resun, the Kingston Building Inspector and the Board of Health. An independent firm Gerard Bliss is conducting tests on the mold.

The source of the moisture that caused the mold is still unknown, but mold spores taken from the rugs are being tested along with the air quality in the affected areas. A complete cleaning and disinfecting of the affected areas will take place pending the test results, Kelley said.

The classrooms and the auditorium will be off limits to students and staff until the mold has been eliminated, which is not likely to occur until at least a couple of weeks after the start of school Aug. 27, he said. Until then classes will be relocated elsewhere in the school including the gymnasium and the cafeteria.

This comes following news that both the Hobomock and ville Elementary Schools in Pembroke have a serious mold problem. School Supt. Randall said students will not be allowed to return until the air quality and the classrooms are given a clean bill of health.

The mold in Pembroke's schools has been identified as belonging to the aspergillus and penicillium families. It starts out as white spots, Randall explained.

" It has an odor. It smells moldy, " she said. " And it spreads, unfortunately. "

Aspergillus causes unpleasant odors and can be responsible for allergies, respiratory difficulties, and infections of the ears and eyes.

Penicillium mold is commonly found growing on water saturated synthetic materials and can cause a number of allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

The mold spore count in the air has been well above normal levels since mid-July, according to public health officials.

Randall has met with the Pembroke school committee to inform them of the mold situation and has also notified parents and the Pembroke health board.

" The mold damage appears to have developed quickly in the last two weeks following the summer cleaning of rooms as a result of moisture in the carpets, " Randall explained. " This moisture provided an ideal environment for mold and bacteria growth, and recent weather conditions of high humidity and rain have added to the problem. "

" We don't want to take any chances, " said Randall. Clean up work is underway at Hobomock and the building inspector has said the school may open if the air quality tests, due back Monday, are favorable. Pending those results, Randall said she does expect both schools to open on time.

The cost of the cleanup in the Pembroke schools is estimated at $200,000 - $110,000 for the cleaning and disinfecting - and the remainder for the installation of new tiles to replace the carpets. Officials there are hoping insurance will cover some of the costs associated with the cleanup. No estimate had been released on the SLRHS cleanup when the Mariner went to press yesterday.

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