Oozing mold may have sickened magistrate, staff

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Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010

Oozing mold may have sickened magistrate, staff

By JOHN MONK - jmonk@...

http://www.thestate.com/2010/08/31/1441352/oozing-mold-may-have-sickened.html

Gooey, green-black mold in air vents and on furniture in a Columbia area

magistrate's office may have sent the judge and some staff members to the

hospital over the past few years.

A report obtained Monday by The State on the mold — which prompted Friday's

closure of the Dentsville magistrate's office — cited " ongoing medical problems "

with the staff of Magistrate Phil Newsom, noting some had " strokes, allergies,

rashes, " and " several staff members have had to be carried out by ambulance. "

That report, given to Richland County officials late last week, prompted the

evacuation from the building at 2500 Decker Blvd. A county spokeswoman said

Monday the magistrate's office will move downtown temporarily, to the central

magistrates' court building on Huger Street.

Newsom confirmed the report's findings Monday and said he was one of the people

sickened and taken to the hospital by ambulance.

" I have had three employees, including myself, who have gone to the hospital in

the last two years by ambulance, " Newsom said.

Monday afternoon, county officials including Newsom met with the building's

owners and agreed to " remediation " — meaning owners will hire someone to clean

up the mold and remove any potential threats.

Building co-owners Bill Theus and Walter immediately will address " air

distribution problems " and then, " out of an abundance of caution, hire a

remediation company to clean the space. "

Theus said the county's report indicated there was more mold outside the

magistrate's office than inside the offices.

The large building the magistrate's offices are in has a half-dozen or more

tenants, Theus said, each with its own heating and air conditioning system.

There have been no additional reports of mold so far from those tenants.

After getting complaints recently from Newsom several weeks ago, the county

hired a mold-testing company that analyzed the problem at Newsom's office, a

county spokeswoman said. That cost some $3,000.

After evaluating the report, county officials removed Newsom and his staff. That

meant court sessions, which attract hundreds of cases weekly, would be canceled.

According to the report, mold deposits in the offices occupied by Newsom and his

staff were " very significant. " Inspectors found large amounts of mold in the air

and on air vents.

" The building had a noticeable musty smell, " inspectors noted in an initial

inspection dated Aug. 20. Later, meters found the humidity in the building was

92 percent — perfect conditions for spawning the microscopic mold spores.

According to the EPA and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control

web sites, mold is classified as an indoor pollutant that can be harmful,

especially to susceptible populations including the elderly and children.

Mold can cause symptoms including sinus congestion, wheezing and breathing

difficulties, cough, sore throat and upper respiratory problems.

Leaks and excess moisture form good conditions for mold, and excessive dampness

is what inspectors found, the report said. It also noted the main source of the

mold appeared to be water in the air vent system and " leaks in the ceiling from

the room ... and/or leaking pipes. "

Newsom said people in his office had suspected mold problems for a long time.

" We've had people with illnesses, constant chest, sinus, throat irritations, " he

said.

In June, the ceiling began leaking badly, Newsom said. A maintenance worker who

checked out the leak told the staff there was a mold problem. It was discovered

that mold " covered the wall behind where my desk sits, " he said.

" Little black stuff that was on my mouse pad was actually mold, " Newsom said.

The S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles also has an office with eight employees in

the same building.

An initial inspection of DMV offices Monday didn't find any similar mold

problems, according to DMV spokeswoman Beth Parks, adding no workers had

reported health problems.

However, said Parks, more inspections are planned today.

" We are taking this very seriously, " Parks said.

Richland County council member Jim Manning, who attended a meeting Monday

afternoon that included building owners, county officials and magistrates, said

the county may have overreacted in having the magistrate's staff vacate the

premises, along with all records.

The offices just might need a quick cleaning, Manning said.

Still, Manning said given the potential harm posed by mold, " If we had to err,

it's better to err on the side of caution. "

Newsom said, " You can be sure of one thing — if we are going to stay here, it's

got to be fixed. "

Reach Monk at (803) 771-8344.