My Word: Mold law protects consumers

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My Word: Mold law protects consumers

November 25, 2010

My Word: Mold law protects consumers

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-schools-mold-myword-112510-201\

01124,0,1325525.story

I applaud the Orlando Sentinel for its special report last month that has

brought attention to the issue of toxins in our schools. Mold is not an isolated

problem, but rather a symptom of other moisture-related issues. Without

identifying the cause and implementing a feasible long-term fix, along with a

sound preventive-maintenance program, mold will continue to thrive.

The good news is that once the moisture-related issues have been addressed, the

protocol for mold remediation is straightforward. The Florida Mold Bill is now

law and went into effect in July to establish professional standards for those

who perform mold assessment and remediation in our state.

The three key components of the law that everyone should know about when they

suspect they have mold and need a remediation contractor are as follows:

Ensure that your remediation contractor is certified through the American

Council for Accredited Certification, the exclusive provider of remediation

licenses for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Ensure that your remediation contractor carries " mold specific "

pollution-liability coverage. General liability will not cover mold.

Note that the company that performs the assessment cannot also be the same

company that performs the remediation. This instills third-party accountability

and holds the contractors responsible for ensuring the remediation was performed

to protocol.

The legislative purpose, as listed in the statute, says: " The Legislature finds

it necessary in the interest of the public safety and welfare, to prevent damage

to real and personal property, to avert economic injury to the residents of this

state, and to regulate persons and companies that hold themselves out to the

public as qualified to perform mold-related services. "

By hiring only certified professionals and implementing a level of

accountability to the industry, we will see a dramatic decline in the amount of

repeat work required to perform mold remediation, reducing both health risks and

costs.

It's a simple principle: Do it right the first time, and you won't pay for it

later.

However, when it comes to our schools, state and municipal employees who perform

remediation are exempt from these same professional standards. Shouldn't " public

safety and welfare " extend to where our children go to school? Shouldn't we be

" averting economic injury " in our school systems as well?

We need to take a common-sense approach toward providing cost-effective

solutions, rather than waste money on replicating existing flaws. The protocol

has been established. Now we simply have to apply it.

Jim Ilardi of Apopka is the founder and CEO of The Fresh Air Group.