Mold Causes Problems for Arkansas Sheriff's Office

January 7, 2009

Posted: Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Updated: January 6th, 2009 10:05 AM EDT

Story by 4029tv.com

HUNTSVILLE, Ark. --

Spring flooding in Northwest Arkansas is now causing a problem for

the Madison County Sheriff's Office: hazardous mold.

" The Madison County sheriff and his staff have been forced to work

inside a cramped trailer since hazardous mold was found in their

office, " said Madison County Coordinator Lori McConnell.

In September, the sheriff discovered mold growing behind the paneled

walls in his office, a building that dates back to the 1930s.

Deputies were immediately moved into a small trailer while a cleanup

crew tackled the problem.

The sheriff said spring rains leaked into the walls of his

department, causing three types of mold to grow. McConnell said one

type of mold was particularly dangerous.

Over the past four months, crews have pulled paneling and repainted

each wall with a mold-resistant paint.

The sheriff said many people in the office had been sick, the

captain is even in the hospital, suffering from a major cough. But

the sheriff isn't sure if the illness was caused by the mold.

McConnell said things are almost back to normal inside the once mold-

covered office since the building was stripped and repainted.

" We have done another test since the remediation and everything

seems to be fine. They did an airborne test in the basement, and

they also went upstairs and outside to get different test results.

They've done that, and they have removed all the mold, " McConnell

said.

The sheriff's department should be able to move back into its

renovated office in March.

Since the mold appears to have been caused by flooding, FEMA has

paid for the cleanup.

Recommended Posts