Nye County schools will use some $ for mold prevention

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Some money will be used for mold prevention

By HENRY BREAN, Managing Editor February 08, 2002

Roofs on school district buildings targeted in hopes of preventing future

water intrusions

Of the $1 million set aside for mold abatement at Nye County schools, most

may be spent to prevent future outbreaks of toxic fungus.

Tom McManus, president of Environmental Health Services, said he believes

the grant approved by the Nye County Commissioners on Tuesday will allow the

school district to " get started in earnest " on maintenance projects it could

not previously afford.

School maintenance is a crucial part of the abatement puzzle, McManus said,

since much of the mold concentrations found throughout the district so far

have been the result of water leaks, some of them several years old.

Due to budget constraints, the district has been " patching " roofs that

probably need more substantial repair or even replacement, McManus said

following Tuesday's vote by the commissioners. " That's why this was such a

victory today. "

District Maintenance and Operations Supervisor Don Brod couldn't agree more.

He has assembled a list of roof repair work that needs to be done around the

county. In Pahrump, that list includes at least part of the roofs at all

four elementary schools. The gym roof at Beatty Elementary Middle School

also needs work, Brod said. " It's leaked for years. "

But the district's top priority for the money remains Pahrump Valley High

School.

McManus' firm was called in to test for mold at PVHS in November and again

in January. The first round of testing showed no elevated levels of

potentially dangerous spores. The second round showed high concentrations in

areas at the east and west ends of the school, both of which were damaged by

water in separate incidents about four years ago.

EHS is now overseeing the removal of toxic mold in the main building at

PVHS, which has been closed to students since Jan. 23. Valentine

Construction is using workers in protective suits to root out the mold,

which has been found inside of walls and behind lockers and cabinets.

McManus has said previously that large sections of walls may have to be

ripped out and replaced inside the building.

In addition to cleaning up what is already there, some of the funds from the

county is expected to be used to secure PVHS against future mold

contamination by repairing any roof leaks and improving drainage to prevent

a repeat of 1997, when floodwaters washed into the school's gym.

As of Jan. 31, which was relatively early in the process and before

so-called " destructive testing " had begun at PVHS, the mold problem had cost

the district approximately $37,540. About $30,000 of that went for testing;

$4,900 was spent to rent a tent, tables and chairs for school lunch and

$2,640 was spent to rent portable toilets so school could resume.

Since Jan. 30, classes have been held in all available classrooms on and

around the PVHS campus. The school's office personnel are now back at their

desks in an area of the main building deemed mold-safe, but the entire main

building remains off limits to students.

©Pahrump Valley Times 2002