(Nevada) State, local governments fighting own toxic mold woes

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State, local governments fighting own toxic mold woes

X. Mullen Jr.

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL

1/30/2002 11:00 pm

In Reno and Carson City, governments are dealing with mold infestations in

schools and public buildings, as Nevada officials plan ways to discover

potential toxic mold infestations before they cause illness and force

expensive repairs.

Carson City school officials decided Wednesday there are two options for

dealing with the mold found in the walls of 10 classrooms at Bordewich-Bray

Elementary School.

" We can either try and get the mold out and remodel the classrooms or we can

tear them down and rebuild them, " said Mike , the school district's

director of operations. " Remodeling would cost about $800,000, and

rebuilding would cost about $3.5 million. "

District Superintendent Pierczynski said the mold problem is limited to

walls in five portable buildings that house two classrooms each. She said

tests have shown the mold hasn't gotten into the air and the health of

students and teachers hasn't been affected.

" The mold is trapped in the walls but it has to be dealt with, " she said.

" We'll continue to test the air in the classrooms to make sure students and

staff aren't exposed. "

Last year, the Washoe County School District investigated potential mold

problems in dozens of older schools. Mold found in Dunn Elementary

and at Traner Middle School has been removed, said Steve Mulvenon, district

spokesman.

" The mold at Dunn, Traner and other schools has been taken care of, " he

said. " I'm not aware of any more, but if we discover more mold, we'll take

the same quick action we did before.''

State office buildings also have had mold.

Over the last few years, Nevada officials dealt with toxic mold problems in

the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas and the University of Nevada-Las

Vegas library. Last month, workers in the Reno office of the State Welfare

Division had to be relocated because of toxic black mold in the walls and

ceilings of the leased building.

This month, inspectors tested for mold at the Reno office of the state

Division of Parole and Probation, 1301 Cordone Ave., and at the 400 W. King

St. building in Carson City, after workers reported water damage and visible

mold growth. Some people in both buildings have reported symptoms of

respiratory illnesses, but state officials said none of the employees has

filed a workers' compensation claim.

In the Parole and Probation office in Reno, inspectors noted water-stained

ceiling tiles that will be replaced, said Sue Dunt, state risk manager. She

said the landlord's consultant took air samples in the building that showed

no " abnormal levels " of mold or anything else.

But she said since there are no standards for mold, the consultant's finding

is open to interpretation.

" We've sent in our own consultant to take some independent samples, " she

said.

The roof will be inspected, she said, and last week employees were surveyed

about health conditions that could be related to mold.

At 400 W. King St., which houses the state Occupational Safety and Health

Division and the state Risk Management office, mold has been discovered in

the basement.

Dunt said her office has been handling mold cases as they come up, but

officials would rather find problems early. Since there are no accepted

standards for mold exposure in buildings, the state will have to develop its

own, she said.

" We're working with five prominent industrial hygiene firms to build a

consensus about how to take samples and how to interpret them, " she said.

" We want to develop a mold-testing protocol for the state, which would be a

first in the nation.

" Right now we're reacting to complaints of possible mold. We'd like to get

ahead of that and be proactive. "