Parents' Fight Against Mold in School Is a Lonely One

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Stafford County

Parents' Fight Against Mold in School Is a Lonely One

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2005/08/06/AR2005080601226.html

By Boorstein

Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page C05

Amy is on a crusade against mold, and she is determined to

keep pressing Stafford County officials about the organisms she

believes have sickened her 7-year-old and other children and

employees at Grafton Village Elementary School.

What she doesn't have is public outrage on her side.

Amy says her son, Seth, 7, and others at Grafton Village

Elementary School have been sickened by persistent mold in the

building. She and some other parents are demanding that the school

system act, but doubts about mold's effect on health have hindered

the effort. (By Nikki Kahn -- The Washington Post)

is among a small group of Stafford parents who have been

meeting since spring to discuss mold, which the parents believe is

responsible for their children's nosebleeds, asthma and headaches --

symptoms that they said disappear during the summer, when school is

not in session.

County officials began conducting tests at Grafton Village in 2003

after teachers refused to work in the building because of mold

growing on corkboards, a concrete ceiling and textbooks.

Officials hired professional testing and special cleaning services,

but test results in June showed that mold levels are still slightly

elevated. The tests also indicated the presence of low levels of

pesticides banned decades ago.

Although school and health officials said they believe the issue is

under control at Grafton Village, the questions and other

parents have raised are the subject of a national debate about

mold's relationship to health problems ranging from asthma to

infertility. Parents at two of Stafford's 16 elementary schools --

including one in which mold was found in the basement -- are

demanding testing and more information.

But and about 10 other families confronting the school

system said they are surprised that more parents do not share their

indignation and have not attended their gatherings or school board

meetings.

" I think people want to trust their local representatives and that

school officials wouldn't put them at risk, " said Wednesday

night at a meeting of 10 parents and employees and former employees

of Grafton Village. They want to hire their own testing company.

" I might feel that way if [my son] were the same in school as out of

school, and if there weren't so many kids in this school who have

the same health problems, " said.

Jeff Dunn, whose daughter is to attend Stafford Elementary School in

the fall, said one of his other children " developed a deep, raspy

cough " because of mold in her bedroom closet. Since then, he has

become worried about mold in schools.

" I want them to test the facility, " said Dunn, who attended the

meeting. " I said I'd pay myself. "

Stern, director of the Rappahannock Area Health District,

said the problem at Grafton Village is more a public relations issue

rather than a public health one. He said some recent medical reviews

have found that fears about mold are unfounded.

" I understand that parents are concerned about health problems, but

[a link to mold] is backed up by neither evidence nor my

experience, " he said, citing a 2002 report by the American College

of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. According to the

report, " the present alarm about human exposure to molds in the

indoor environment " is not supported by current scientific evidence.

The debate has persisted, however, in part because there are no

national, state or local standards about what levels of mold are

considered unhealthy, said Milliron, project manager for

fungal assessment for Professional Service Industries Inc., which

conducted the recent tests at Grafton Village. " I think there is a

general feeling that some respiratory illnesses are aggravated by

mold, but it's not settled, " he said. " The science hasn't firmed up

on mold. "

It wasn't until 2003 that Stafford school officials hired a company

to conduct tests at the school that found elevated levels of mold.

The school was cleaned with air vacuums, but parents said the

problems persisted.

Suzanne Surles, a member of the Grafton Village PTA board, said she

has been concerned since her daughter's asthma and mold allergy were

diagnosed three years ago, when she was in second grade.

" In the spring, we see a difference in her behavior, " said Surles,

whose daughter, 10, will leave the school after finishing fifth

grade next year. Mold problems typically arise in the spring because

of rain and melting snow.

" It's an obvious problem -- she went from straight A's to saying she

has a headache and can't concentrate, " Surles said. Her daughter

takes medication for her ailments during the school year but is able

to stop during the summer because her symptoms wane. " It's clearly

the mold, " Surles said.

Stafford school officials said they are doing everything they can,

including hiring PSI and testing for pesticides.

" We're taking the extra steps to make sure parents feel

comfortable, " said Cottongim, spokeswoman for the county

school system. Stern, the area health director, is reviewing the

results of PSI's tests and will meet with school officials Wednesday.

But parents at the meeting last week said they don't trust a

contractor hired by the county and want to pick a company to conduct

more tests. They also questioned school officials' guarantee that

trace levels of such long-banned pesticides as DDT and methyl

parathion aren't causing health problems.

" We want them to prove to us that they've done everything that they

can and that all the schools are safe, " said.

Mentel, who did the pesticide testing for PSI, said methyl

parathion is allowed as an outdoor pesticide and could have been

tracked inside the school, or it could be leftover from before

indoor use was banned.

Although all DDT use was banned in 1972, Mentel said it is a long-

lasting pesticide that is hard to eradicate.

Cottongim said the school system plans to take the cleaning

precautions that PSI recommended for Grafton Village and already had

decided to replace the school's carpet with tile to try to ease

allergies.

The school system has spent $100,000 dealing with mold at Grafton

Village.

PSI also has found mold in a basement mechanical room at Ferry Farm

Elementary School, and the school system has asked the company to

conduct air-quality testing.