Building with mold sickened workers

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Building with mold sickened workers

School district must pay for removal; cost unknown

Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota,FL*

BY KEVIN O'HORAN

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20070918/NEWS/709180322

BRADENTON -- Mold found in a newly acquired office building has

sickened four Manatee County School District employees.

The employees started showing symptoms of exposure to mold shortly

after moving into the former Superior Electronics Corp. building, a

115,000-square-foot, two-story structure at 2501 63rd Ave. E. The

district paid $15.8 million for two buildings there in June.

" We have had some employees who have had reactions to the mold, and

we worked with them right away to get them out of the building, "

said Tim McGonegal, the district's assistant superintendent of

business services.

Mold exposure can cause ailments ranging from the relatively minor

headaches and sneezing, to more chronic illnesses like lasting

fatigue, bronchitis and nausea or vomiting, according to the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency. In extreme cases, exposure to mold

can cause lung infections.

The Manatee employees had only mild symptoms and were not

hospitalized.

The district relocated at least four other employees who were

concerned about working in an environment where mold is present.

About 40 people are working in telephone support, computer systems

and instructional technology at the buildings, in which the district

eventually plans to house more than 200.

The possibility of a mold problem first surfaced during a routine

pre-purchase inspection of the building. That survey found vinyl

wallpaper in offices and conference rooms on the building's first

floor.

" In Florida, that's not good, because water gets trapped behind it, "

said Forrest Branscomb, the district risk management manager.

That water can soak drywall or other building materials, creating a

breeding ground for mold.

The district removed the wallpaper and drywall from problem areas on

the first floor during a $30,000 project finished three weeks ago,

Branscomb said. But air samples taken from the second floor and

water stains found on the walls there led to more mold concerns.

The district expects it will have to do more mold removal and

rebuild more walls; that cost is still unknown.

Despite the extra work, and the mold findings, district officials do

not see cause for alarm.

" There hasn't been a lot of evidence that would make us be very

concerned to where we would require everybody to leave the

building, " Branscomb said. " That's not the case here. "