COLUMBIA, S.C. Gov.'s Mansion

[Guest guest]

Posted on Mon, Jun. 21, 2004

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/8977866.htm

Mold forces Governor's Mansion to close

JIM DAVENPORT

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A nasty mold at the Gov.'s Mansion has sent South

Carolina's first family packing.

The building - reopened three years ago after the state spent $5.6

million renovating the downtown Columbia building - has been home to

governors since the 1870s and was built as faculty quarters for

Arsenal Military Academy in 1856.

First lady Sanford said stachybotrys chartarum has caused

health problems with family and staff members. The mold was first

discovered last August, she said. In one upstairs bedroom closet,

mold was found after the family returned from vacation.

" Our clothes were covered with mold and there was mold growing out of

light sockets up the wall, " Sanford said. " Suffice it to say, I was

concerned. "

" It was in certain areas of the house, not everywhere, " she said. The

mold returned this year, and has been found in the basement and

attic, she said.

The state Budget and Control Board, which oversees maintenance on the

building, put in manual controls intended to reduce humidity last

August.

" But they never went any further and never did any further

investigative work, " Sanford said. " They left that all to me, which

did not sit right with me. "

She hired a ton engineer to review how the air handling system

in the building was put together. In March, the engineer came to the

conclusion that system hadn't been built properly. " To date, nothing

has been done along those lines, " she said.

" Given that there are little children there and there are still

people working there, I've been quite disappointed in the lack of

attention that the guys in charge of the Budget and Control Board

have given us, " Sanford said.

Tests results were available Thursday that showed the mold is a

variety that can be toxic and " is airborne throughout the upstairs

where we live, " Sanford said. She said she only learned of the

results Monday when she asked for them.

Mike Sponhour, the board's spokesman, said state workers never

stopped looking at the problem, particularly because of the health

concerns.

" We understand the concern the first lady has for the health of her

family and children. We take that very seriously, " Sponhour

said. " We're committed to doing everything we can to fix the problem

and make sure it doesn't happen again. "

Part of that effort began over the weekend when a contractor began

working on air ducts. But it was necessary for the Sanfords to leave

and close the building to visitors so that more extensive work could

be done.

Sponhour said the independent contractor would remove ducts and other

air handling equipment from the building so it can be cleaned.

There is no estimate of how long it will take, Sponhour said. Sanford

said she expects to be out of the residence for at least three weeks.

If the family needs a place to stay while the work proceeds, Sponhour

said the board will take care of that.

Sponhour said the air conditioning system isn't powerful enough to

cool the mansion and keep humidity low.

Humidity below 50 percent inhibits mold growth, according to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sanford bought and ran a

dehumidifier for months. Sunday night the humidity was at 69 percent,

she said.