RHS addresses mold woes

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RHS addresses mold woes

By: Cara Latham, Staff Writer

12/14/2006

town Messenger Press - town,NJ

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?

newsid=17590744 & BRD=1091 & PAG=461 & dept_id=425686 & rfi=6

WASHINGTON — One classroom at Robbinsville High School remains

off limits since a substance suspected to be mold was found there

two weeks ago.

Superintendent Jack Szabo said the suspected mold was found in

room M103 and reported by a teacher Nov. 28 in the late afternoon,

but has since been removed.

" We've called Indoor Air Technologies in, and they've remediated

the problems, " he said. " They removed the substance, cleaned the

room, and sanitized it. "

The substance's removal took place the following day, and air

quality tests were conducted in the room and throughout the

building, and results, which were expected Monday still have not yet

come in, he said Tuesday.

" We'll reoccupy the room once we have a green light based on the

air quality tests, " he said.

Dr. Szabo said it is suspected that one of the pressure release

valves located in several areas of the building went off and may

have caused the substance to appear.

" This was because of the leaking pipe, " he said. " It's similar to

a release valve that you would have on the water heater valve " in a

house, he said. The water was leaking onto a ceiling title

underneath it, he said.

" It was spotted right away because it was covered by a ceiling

tile, " he said.

Dr. Szabo said officials are checking for other leaks around the

building. " When you have a new building, you may have some window

leaks, or sky light leaks, " he said. " We have experienced some of

those and we're addressing that with the architect right now. "

The new high school opened in September 2005.

There is no estimate on how much it has cost the school district

to remediate the suspected mold and test the building, but Dr. Szabo

said it's not a simple test, is actually very accurate, and that it

wouldn't be cheap.

The room, which is designed as an art room, is only used for a

portion of the day, according to Dr. Szabo.

In a letter sent to parents and posted on the school district's

Web site, Dr. Szabo said the room is used for only twenty minutes

per day, four times per week.

Earlier November, officials at Sharon Elementary School reported

a musty odor in the kindergarten wing, said Dr. Szabo.

" What we believed it was is that the air circulation in the room

wasn't strong enough to keep the air circulating, " he said. " There

was some dampness in the room. Since then, we've dehumidified the

room, turned up the heat, and continued to make certain the air flow

is adequate. "

The room was reoccupied, and air quality tests determined that

there was no airborne mold, he added.

Dr. Szabo assured that " we are taking all the appropriate

precautions to make certain we don't take any unnecessary risks, "

involving the room at Robbinsville High School, adding that

officials will do everything to ensure the area is remediated " to

protect the health of students and staff. "