Trumbull County considers closing mold-infected County Health Department

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http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/news/story/07302002_new04.asp

County considers closing building

By RON SELAK JR. Tribune Chronicle

WARREN - County officials will determine in the next few days if the

mold-infected Trumbull County Health Department building can be saved or

closed, as costs associated with the problem continue to rise.

County officials learned at a meeting Tuesday that carbon dioxide levels in

parts of the building are dangerously high, meaning a new air ventilation

system also is needed. Plus, there is still water in the basement that is

causing the mold.

Commissioner J. O'Brien said the county will determine if it would

be financially wise to rehabilitate the building at 176 Chestnut Ave. N.E.

In May, a form of toxic mold, Stachybatrys, was found in the basement office

of Emergency Management Agency director Beil, forcing the basement to

be sealed. Two full-time employees and four part-time employees have since

been relocated to the Trumbull County 911 Center.

Stachybatrys can cause people to exhibit symptoms ranging from simple eye

irritations to bleeding in the lungs and, in some cases, death.

Leonard , director of Environmental Health at Youngstown State

University, said there is no difference between the mold found in the Health

Department building and mold found on a piece of bread or cheese. The

difference is in the ''shear numbers'' of spores found. People are affected

differently by inhaling the spores, rather than ingesting the mold, he said.

If the building is closed, county officials must decide where to move the

employees.

''We have three problems that are bringing down the proper air quality in

the building,'' said Migliozzi, county environmental health director.

O'Brien said the Trumbull County Education Service Center, which rents the

Wean Building on North Park Avenue from the county, has downsized the amount

of space it needs to operate, opening room for other offices. O'Brien said

the county might use that space for the Health Department.

Estimated costs to eradicate the mold problem are as high as $65,000, a

number which includes past studies to determine the type of mold, as well as

costs for removal and remediation, O'Brien said.

Migliozzi said it would cost about $13,000 to remove the building's contents

and $27,000 to clean and remediate the building. Migliozzi said remediation

includes removing the drywall and carpet, cleaning the infected areas with a

negative air system and replacing the drywall and carpet.

However, the $40,000 price tag, does not include any hidden damage,

Migliozzi said. He said he received five proposals to clean up the mold, but

only one, Aberdine Corp., of Youngstown would provide for removal and

remediation. The county is allowed to hire a company without competitive

bids in the case of an emergency and if the price does not exceed $50,000.

Commissioner ph J. Angelo Jr. suggested the county only have the bare

essentials removed and cleaned from the office, in case the county decides

to move out of the building.