Mold disrupts work at 2 federal buildings

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Friday, August 16, 2002

Mold disrupts work at 2 federal buildings

By Debra Barayuga

dbarayuga@...

Mold has been discovered in both the Prince Kuhio Federal Building and the

U.S. District Courthouse, resulting in the relocation of at least one

magistrate.

Professionals have been hired to clean up the mold as quickly as possible

and to investigate the cause of water leaks and correct the problem, said

Esther Timberlake, spokeswoman for the federal General Services

Administration, which manages both buildings on Halekauwila Street.

No employees or visitors at either building have complained of any symptoms

that can be attributed to the mold, she said.

Also, no services have been disrupted by the ongoing investigation or

cleanup.

The mold in the federal courthouse apparently has been confined to the

third-floor chambers of Magistrate Kobayashi. A water leak above her

office created an environment for the mold which was visible in her

chambers, Timberlake said.

The area was isolated, and Kobayashi and her staff were relocated to another

office last week.

Further investigation determined that there are no signs of mold or water

leaks to date in any of the public areas in the courthouse, Timberlake said.

" We really think we have a handle on the situation there. "

Although both buildings are connected by a covered bridge, their

air-conditioning systems are not directly linked, and the problems appear to

be isolated, Timberlake said.

Reports of mold found in isle buildings have increased since last month when

the Hilton Hawaiian Village closed its new 453-unit, $95 million Kalia Tower

after mold was discovered.

Water leaks in the federal building, which houses federal agencies including

the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service and various law

enforcement agencies, were discovered earlier this month, and mold was found

scattered above the false ceiling in various locations, Timberlake said.

While she could not give specific details where or what type of mold was

found, the ongoing investigation includes inspection of every inch of the

water lines and spaces in the building to determine the source of the water

leaks and the mold itself. " We want to take care of this right away. "

Meanwhile, agencies housed in the federal building are being notified.

" We are really concerned about our tenants in any situation like this, "

Timberlake said. The public will also be notified " once we know what's going

on, " she added.

The discovery is the latest reported incident of mold found in government

buildings here and on the mainland.

Excessive mold and mildew in a Florida federal courthouse prompted a judge

last year to move the high-profile murder trial of a former police officer.

A prosecutor said he did not want to risk a mistrial by having jurors drop

out because of health worries, according to the Florida Times-Union

newspaper.

Star-Bulletin reporter Tim Ruel contributed to this report.