Toxic mold seeps into jail annex

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Saturday, June 21, 2003

Toxic mold seeps into jail annex County officials pass emergency resolution for repairs; no evacuation planned

SCOTT GUTIERREZ THE OLYMPIAN Mold discovered growing in the Thurston County Jail annex poses no serious health risks for inmates or corrections officers, county officials said Friday, but they adopted an emergency resolution to deal with it. The mold was discovered during an April inspection, growing beneath floors and between walls in the annex housing unit. It apparently was caused by moisture seeping in through leaky windows, County Administrator Don Krupp said. "The sheriff's office had noticed a problem with the flooring. It seemed spongy," Krupp said. Closer examination of the soggy floors led to discovery of the mold, he said. On Friday, the Thurston County Board of Commissioners adopted the resolution, which allows repair work to begin immediately. A contractor will likely begin dismantling exterior sections of the annex walls next week to determine the amount of mold growth, Krupp said. Health officials were called for advice after a single toxic mold spore was discovered in air samples taken from the annex, Krupp said. "That was enough for us to decide we needed to explore this in a little more rapid fashion," Krupp said. The type of mold found in the annex is called stachybotrys chartarum, Krupp said. It's a greenish-black toxic mold often found in water-damaged homes, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control's Web site. The state Department of Health and the Department of Labor and Industries have cleared the building of any serious health risks. However, health officials have instructed the county to monitor inmates and officers for any respiratory problems or related illnesses, especially for people with asthma or allergies, Krupp said. The annex was built in 1997 as a temporary solution to crowding in the main jail. It was planned to serve as a housing unit for five years. But with plans to build a new jail delayed, officials were evaluating the annex for longer-term use when mold turned up, jail Associate Administrator Mark Bolton said. The housing unit holds as many as 92 inmates and has 13 officers working inside, Bolton said. Officials are uncertain whether inmates will have to be temporarily displaced by the repair work. Health officials have instructed the county to isolate inmates and corrections officers from the damage during repairs, Krupp said. Inmates inside the annex are under minimum security, Bolton said. The jail has a plan for moving them if needed, he said. He was unsure how much repairs will cost. "We're really not going to know anything until we get a contractor out there," he said