Re: Health department requires written complaint be filed

[Guest guest]

Well, that's about what we got from our health department as well - in our case,

they went a couple steps further and inspected and wrote to the owner. But then

the owner indicated that they would have it cleaned and the city closed the file

without re-inspecting. We got the message and had our own enviro work done at

that point (which was also inadequate) - been a long road of learning since

then.

But I'd encourage everyone to start with the health department and have them end

up giving you this response in writing - it will be helpful if you go to court

to show that they don't take responsibility for safety about mold.

As many know, in California we actually have a law ON THE BOOKS since 2001 that

says the State will determine how much mold exposure is safe, but they never put

together the committee to decide what those levels are, so it has never gone

into effect (thank you, Governor Terminator - it was his predecessor who signed

the bill into law, but he's never put the committee together).

Haley

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: Health

department requires written complaint be filed

Coshocton Tribune - Coshocton,OH

http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20070224/OPINION03/702240323/1014/OPINION

This is in response to the letter to the editor written by a local

woman Feb. 21, on behalf of her friend who called the Coshocton

County Health Department regarding a mold problem in her rental home.

The author's friend did call the health department and was told that

a written complaint was needed before we would send someone out to

inspect the home. Any time we respond to a nuisance of any nature,

we request a written complaint to give some measure of validity to

the complaint and to justify the health department's intrusion onto

private property. The complainant remains confidential.

Unfortunately, many times complaints arise from neighbor or

tenant/landlord feuds. Of course, exceptions to requiring written

complaints are made if the complaint is of an imminent risk to the

public's health.

In this particular case, the home's caretaker had been cleaning the

mold with bleach water and the family was already in the process of

moving out of the home when we received the call about the mold.

Instead of mailing the complaint form, we were told that the

complainant would have the form picked up at our office since the

family was moving. Because the form was never picked up and the mold

was already being cleaned, it was felt that the complaint was not an

urgent matter.

Additionally, the Coshocton County Health Department does not

perform mold testing. It is extremely difficult to identify a

specific type of mold without expensive laboratory analysis and

expertise. We do not have a lab, equipment, or training necessary to

do so. But no matter what type of mold is present, the cause of the

mold needs to be determined and removed. If there is mold in the

home, you should assume it is unhealthy. The best we can offer to

families with household mold problems is information on cleaning

procedures and resources for companies that offer services in

dealing with mold problems.

Due to budget and staff constraints, we are constantly forced to

prioritize our services. While this is an unfortunate situation, it

is a fact that many health departments must face everyday.

I hope this information helps the letter writer and other readers

understand how the Coshocton County General Health District handles

complaints, that we don't perform mold testing, and that we are

forced to prioritize our services and public health obligations.

R. Brems Jr.

Health Commissioner

Coshocton County General Health District