Father ph O'Brien Clinic in Port Isabel Closed

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County closes clinic after report reveals mold growth

BY EMMA PEREZ-TREVIÑO

The Brownsville Herald

Cameron County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to shut down the Father

ph O'Brien Clinic in Port Isabel after tests revealed the presence of

several molds.

The 6,500-square-foot building, opened in December 1999, will be shut down

for three or four months pending extensive clean up and remediation, county

officials said Friday.

The county is looking for an alternate site for the clinic to continue

operating while the building on Champion Street off of Highway 100 is

cleaned.

A report prepared by Raba Kistner, an environmental consulting firm,

reflects evidence of high condensation along ceiling tile grids and the

metal structure, which indicate high relative humidity and temperature

fluctuations attributed to a constant source of moisture.

In the report, dated Nov. 30, 2001 and delivered to county offices Dec. 4,

the firm recommended that the county " remove and discard all vinyl wall

coverings, sheet rock and mold impacted materials in Rooms 118, 119, 121,

mechanical room 1 and 2, lounge and associated hallways. "

The report also included a recommendation to " remove and discard all porous

cabinets (and) remove and replace all ceiling tiles " in the clinic.

Gignac and Associates were the project architects and Bobo Construction Co.

of Brownsville built the $697,000 clinic two years ago, County Engineer

Bernal said.

Representatives of Bobo Construction were not available for comment on the

developments but the architect and contractors are in communication with the

county to resolve the issues, officials said.

Mold-related concerns in the clinic surfaced months ago - but county

officials were waiting for test results before acting, discussions in

Tuesday's Commissioners Court reflect.

Meanwhile, the Brownsville Community Health Center, which was also providing

services in the clinic, pulled its employees out of the facility in August

or September, Commissioners Court also learned.

" They (BCHC) didn't want to take any chances, " County Judge Gilberto

Hinojosa said Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, all molds have the

potential to cause health effects and can trigger allergic reactions or

asthma attacks while others are known to produce potent toxins and

irritants.

Hinojosa said he only learned about the test results last week, though he

recognized he was aware of concerns from the Port Isabel clinic's employees

several months ago.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Cascos said he learned of the concerns after

reading about it in a weekend newspaper article.

Cascos asked why the results were not reported to Commissioners Court and

Hinojosa's office when they were received early last month.

Asked why the report was not delivered to county officials earlier, county

maintenance director Ortiz said, " I can't say why the delay. "

Hinojosa hinted that the holidays may have been a factor.

Attorney Doug suggested that Commissioners Court discuss the issue in

executive session but Cascos wouldn't hear of it. " I'll discuss this

anywhere, " Cascos said.

The clinic provides primary health and preventive services, immunizations,

family planning, counseling, HIV testing, and services to women, infants and

children.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sections/archive/topstoryjmp/1-16-02/News4.

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