Mold in Vacaville police station prompts evacuation

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http://www.timesheraldonline.com/articles/2003/11/17/news/news05.txt

Mold in Vacaville police station prompts evacuation

By Clerici, The Reporter, Vacaville

Toxic mold discovered in Vacaville police headquarters drove about a

dozen top-level employees from their offices Monday, raising

questions about possible links to a cluster of illnesses.

City officials said it was too early make any assumptions. After the

police department issued a warning to employees early in the day,

city officials later discounted claims that the workplace was

uninhabitable.

The findings of mold cap nearly three years of complaints from

workers about the safety of their work environment. Employees

complained at least six times of being exposed to natural gas leaks

between 2001 and 2002, some of which resulted in evacuations.

Gas leaks were apparently repaired by 2002, but employee illnesses -

nausea, dizziness, headaches, infections and fatigue, among others -

continued, prompting requests for an inspection for mold a few months

ago.

Results of tests conducted Oct. 10, received by the city Friday,

indicate the presence of stachybotrys, commonly called " black mold. "

At least five other molds were found in higher than normal levels

within the police administration building on the east end of City

Hall.

Assistant City Manager Pat Moreno said tests will continue this week,

including an infrared scan of the administration building to check

for water moisture and the source of mold.

Employees, however, were told Monday they could return to their desks

today, officials said. The city would not provide medical screening,

Moreno said. Rather, employees with symptoms were told to seek

assistance from their personal physicians.

" We are allowing those with ongoing symptoms to be relocated, if they

want to move, " Moreno said.

She acknowledged that longterm exposure to black mold could be

harmful, but said the employees' concerns about ongoing symptoms

likely are caused by the aging building's heating and air

conditioning system. The police building is part of the original City

Hall complex, constructed in the 1960s, Moreno said.

" The top priority is to relocate the employees that need to be

relocated, " City Manager Van Kirk said. " The second priority is

to have more testing done. That will take three weeks to complete and

get the results.

" I am hopeful they find something, so we can fix it. "

The city's posture, however, took a peculiar turn during the day

Monday.

Employees were briefed for nearly two hours in the morning, while top

police leaders put together a relocation plan. A member of the city's

risk management explained the procedure for filing a worker's

compensation claim.

A memo sent at the beginning of the work day to more than 100 police

employees, noted " spores and other contaminants of the mold

stachybotrys were found in sufficient concentration to consider the

environment in this building unsuitable for human habitation. "

The message continued: " Employees assigned to the administration

building are no longer permitted to work in their offices, and no

meetings will be permitted in the administrative conference room

until the source of mold is identified and cleanup completed. "

Late in the afternoon, Moreno told The Reporter the test results

amounted to " very, very minute levels of mold. "

Police Chief Bob on said, " We don't know the significance of

the findings. We don't know if we will ultimately have to relocate

these people or if it is simply a minor modification needed to the

building. "

One employee who moved into the administration office three years ago

told The Reporter on Sunday she noticed an increase in migraines and

general fatigue almost immediately.

Today, she suffers from kidney infections, periodic dizziness, nausea

and general fatigue. She is now on extensive medications but she

still wants to work.

" I wouldn't trade my job for anything, " she said. " I just want a safe

place to work, for everyone. "

As far back as April of 2001, employees were complaining about the

smell of natural gas in their work areas.

At least six times, police administration staff reported problems

with gas leaks that year - in April, May, June, October, November and

December, according to documents obtained by The Reporter.

Repeatedly, the problem were blamed on a faulty and aging heating,

ventilation and air conditioning system. Each time repairs would be

made and then the problem would recur.

The gas leaks appear to have stopped by 2002, but the illnesses

persisted, prompting the first request for a mold inspection in March.

That inspection request was denied, according to police sources.

Then about two months ago, police budget manager Santos

requested a mold inspection through her bosses, after suffering from

a two-week period of near-constant dizziness. That, along with

headaches and fatigue, had sapped her strength, making it difficult

to work, she said.

" My biggest concern over the three years was seeing my co-workers

deal with an incredible amount of illnesses, " she told The

Reporter. " I had to do this for others. "