Thorough’ mold cleaning - Hampton school will be retested

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Thorough' mold cleaning - Hampton school will be retested

By Alger

news@...

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/05042005/news/40492.htm

HAMPTON - While the students at Hampton Academy Junior High were

enjoying a rainy vacation last week, their school building was

undergoing a thorough mold cleaning in response to results from air-

quality testing conducted over the winter.

The tests, conducted by Desmarais Environmental, indicated the

presence of mold in the school. The tests were conducted between

December and February, and the survey compiling all the data was

completed in March. According to Ray Desmarais, of Desmarais

Environmental, a crew led by facilities manager Lessard

performed the mitigation process. Desmarais said he himself was

present one day last week to conduct additional sampling and observe

the process.

Town building inspector Schulz said the amount of time between

being presented with the survey and taking care of the problem was

minimal.

" It's not an easy thing, " he said. " First you want to make sure

there is a problem; second, you have to find where the problem is

coming from; and then you have to figure out the best approach to

correct it. "

Water had leaked into the industrial arts storage area and the

elevator control room, according to Schulz, and the leaks were

repaired last week.

Information posted on the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site

indicates that the most important step in controlling mold is to

identify water leakage and repair it to prevent future mold growth.

In addition to repairing the water leaks, the nonporous surfaces

where the mold was present were thoroughly cleaned with water and

bleach, said Schulz. Information on the EPA Web site said that

method is effective in removing mold from nonporous surfaces, which

Schulz confirmed.

The wood that had been in the industrial arts storage room has been

removed and replaced with new materials, according to Superintendent

Jim Gaylord.

Gaylord added that there will be post-cleanup testing, and once the

results are obtained they will be presented at a public board

meeting.

" We never wanted to keep anything hidden from the public, " he said.

The third area of concern in the building was the World War II

bunker, also referred to as the crawl space. The porous furniture

inside the bunker hasn't been removed yet because school officials

are waiting to hear from a company that is certified in mold

removal, Schulz said. " In order to do it right, they need a

certified professional, " he pointed out.

Until the bunker gets cleaned, the area has been sealed and fresh-

air intakes and air-exchange fans have been installed to ensure

safety and prevent any spreading, Schulz added.

" As a health officer, I couldn't ask for much better expedition than

they did. They did a great job, " he said.