District to test for mold

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District to test for mold

http://www.nwherald.com/CommunitySection/306525884696284.php

[published on Sun, Jul 31, 2005]

By JOSH STOCKINGER

The Northwest Herald

Illinois

jstockinger@...

MARENGO – Moisture and dampness in three Riley School classroom

trailers have prompted the District 18 board to get the elementary

buildings tested for mold.

About 150 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders attend classes in the

mobile units positioned around the campus on Riley Road each year,

Superintendent Rood said.

And with school starting Aug. 22, the clock is ticking to determine

whether a problem exists.

" The school board is responsible, and they aren't going to put the

kids in a dangerous situation, " Rood said. " The urgent thing is to

get the facts. "

According to the Institute of Medicine, molds favor damp indoor

environments and can emit chemical emissions capable of causing

respiratory illnesses.

Rood said teachers started noticing dampness around the legs of

bookcases, peeling wallpaper, and deterioration along trailer walls

in March. They took health concerns to the school board, which

prompted officials to hire a Batavia-based industrial hygienist to

investigate.

In a July report to the board, the firm said it found several

stained ceiling, wall and window surfaces and small areas

of " suspect visible mold growth. " However, the report also said

no " moldy, musty odors suggestive of mold growth " were noted in the

inspection.

The board Wednesday gave the company the go-ahead to conduct a

second phase of the investigation to test both the air quality and

surface samples for potential mold.

Rood said he expected to get the results by the board's Aug. 17

meeting. If a report came earlier and cited health concerns, he

said, the board would call a special meeting.

Meanwhile, the district plans to act on recommendations to inspect

window caulking, roofs and doors, and install guttering and remove

plants around the buildings.

Rood said he wanted to find the facts without causing alarm

throughout the district.

" We don't know if there's a health problem, " he said, " but we don't

want to hide it. "