Confidentiality agreements keep mold remediation off news pages

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http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2002/03/11/focus4.html

March 8, 2002

Confidentiality agreements keep mold remediation off news pages

Concern: Toxic mold has led to lawsuits, investigations

Jane Meinhardt, Staff Writer

Got stachybotrys, cladosporium or aspergillus? If you have any of these

microorganisms in your building, you've got trouble.

The toxic molds have become a " growing " concern for building owners,

managers and insurance companies nationwide.

Illnesses and building contamination linked to toxic mold have resulted in

lawsuits with damages in the millions. And testing for mold and

investigations into it have become a lucrative cottage industry.

Yet, around the Tampa Bay area, toxic mold cases that get publicized involve

public rather than private buildings.

Jeff Rogo, government affairs director for the Tampa Bay chapter of the

National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, said he was not

aware of a major mold-related problem in a privately owned commercial

building.

Tom Yacobellis, president of the Indoor Air Quality Association Inc. and

founder of Buster Enterprises Inc. in Clearwater, said confidentiality

agreements keep most mold-related remediation projects under wraps.

Last year, a new Tampa Bay area commercial building that was not yet

occupied developed mold on its walls, he said.

" There are a lot of mold problems in the private sector you'll never hear

about, " Yacobellis said.

In November, an appellate court upheld a ruling in the case of Jo Ann

Holder, who worked in a Florida Department of Agriculture building in Winter

Haven. She quit because of pulmonary illness linked to mold and other

contaminants in the building.

After five years of legal battles, she won past and future workers'

compensation disability benefits. The state now will pay all her medical

bills.

When officials began investigating reports of illnesses at the new Tampa

federal courthouse last year, an environmental assessment showed that it was

one of six federal courthouses in Florida contaminated with mold and other

fungi.

But private-building landlords and property managers can be just as

vulnerable to mold-related issues as governments, especially as more

insurance companies exempt mold from liability coverage.

Aside from legal damages, property damages and remediation can be major

expenses.

Tampa lawyer L. Weaver advises clients to be proactive and be

prepared to conduct mold investigations. If 20 percent of the people in a

building have respiratory illnesses or complaints, a mold investigation is

advisable.

" What we do with industrial clients is tell them to minimize moisture and be

careful of absorbent surfaces, " Weaver said. " Toxic molds produce spores and

feed on cellulose products that have moisture. We recommend an investigation

if any mold is visible. "

Mold-related medical studies include one in 1999 from the Mayo Clinic that

determined that most chronic sinus infections are caused by mold, he said.

" This is the `new asbestos,' some people say, " Weaver said.

Randall Standley, environmental specialist at the Pinellas County Health

Department, conducts commercial and residential inspections for mold and air

contaminants.

Although most of the department's inspections involve residential, he has

done investigations for large corporations, banks, auto dealerships and

large office buildings.

Commercial inspections cost $200 for a building less than 10,000 square feet

and $50 more for larger ones.

" We look for visible signs of mold, " Standley said. " It's pretty easy to

spot. We test walls for moisture content because that is a big potential for

mold growth, although some forms can extract moisture from the air. "

About 20 percent of the population is allergic to mold, and some types of

mold produce microtoxins that might affect people who are allergic, he said.

An adequate amount of fresh air in a building plays a role.

In general, the proper amount is 20 cubic feet of fresh, dehumidifed air per

minute per person.

" The vast majority of public buildings have this, but many private ones

don't, " Standley said. Currently, the average cost of a mold investigation

by a private firm, including air quality sampling and testing, is about

$5,000, he said.

To reach Jane Meinhardt, call (727) 507-0663 or send your e-mail to

jmeinhardt@....