State toxic mold task force established

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State toxic mold task force established

EmpireStateNews.net - Newburgh,New York*

http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20071127-4.html

Albany -- State Senator Liz Krueger Monday applauded Governor

Spitzer for enacting the New York State Toxic Mold Task Force, an

initiative signed into law by former Governor Pataki, but was never

activated.

" This summer, I sponsored a sign-on letter to the Governor asking

him to act to create this Task Force to ensure that this law was

worth more than the paper it was written on, " Krueger said. " Year

after year, no matter what was happening to New Yorkers' housing and

health, individual efforts to fight toxic mold were ignored. The

problems of mold and its associated health effects are serious, and

we hear regularly from constituents who don't know where else to

turn as their home literally poisons their family. "

Mold can pose a significant challenge to maintaining safe and

healthy indoor health environments. Toxic mold can cause allergies,

trigger asthma attacks, detrimentally affect the function of vital

human organs, and increase susceptibility to colds and flu. Certain

types of mold have been identified as a major trigger of asthma,

allergies and other respiratory problems, especially in children,

the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. These toxins

can also have deleterious effects on humans when ingested, inhaled

or when they come in contact with skin.

" Doing nothing is dangerous. Mold is one's house is like anything in

nature—it will continue to grow and spread as long as nothing is

done. Mold also does a great deal of harm to buildings and

structures, placing far too many New Yorkers needlessly at risk, "

Krueger said.