Mold problems multiply inside county courthouse

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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1574527

Sept. 14, 2002, 8:45PM

Mold problems multiply inside county courthouse

By SUSAN PARROTT

Associated Press

ATHENS -- An insatiable green menace lurks in State District Judge Jack

Holland's courtroom.

It creeps from behind the wooden benches, across the attorneys' tables, and

into the judge's very seat. But this heinous offender can't be locked behind

bars or issued costly citations.

Aspergillus, a fuzzy green mold, has taken over this East Texas courthouse

and terrorized workers complaining of headaches, heightened allergies and

difficulty breathing.

And now, another insidious irritant has joined the fray -- traces of the

black mold stachybotrys, a potentially lethal fungus.

Although samples of stachybotrys were found in isolated pipes above the

ceiling, both it and the green mold clearly visible on courthouse

furnishings are feeding on the dampened air of the 89-year-old building's

faulty air-conditioning system. The system allows humidity levels in some

parts of the County courthouse to remain at levels up to 90

percent during the summer.

The district courtroom has been closed since July. While Holland has kept

his office in the building, court proceedings are being temporarily held at

another county building.

The only way to eradicate the mold is to replace the building's heat and air

system, tear down some walls, replace portions of contaminated air ducts and

wipe the mold from the furniture, air vents and records, said Dan Guiter, a

consultant with Southwest Indoor Environment.

County officials say they expect to spend $800,000 or more for the mold

remediation and to replace the air system. That includes about $10,000 to

clean and temporarily store 3,500 law library books that were replaced just

last year for about $28,000 due to mold contamination.

Guiter said portions, but not all, of the courthouse will need to be vacated

during the cleanup, which will take several months after the air system is

replaced.

Geri Strome, a purchasing agent for the county auditor, said she wishes all

the employees could be moved from the building until the mold is gone.

Strome has been working from home since her doctor told her that the mold

contributes to chronic respiratory problems. She said she has suffered

memory loss, headaches, laryngitis, itchy eyes, rash and a persistent cough.

" Until it's cleared up, it's not safe for anybody, " she said.

County Auditor Winston Duke said his staff's productivity has been cut in

half, as workers use more sick time and other forms of leave to avoid

working in the courthouse.

But County Judge Aubrey downplayed the health risks and said fear of

the unknown has made workers blame any illness on the mold.

" This building is probably no more risky than any other public building, " he

said.

Still, he fears workers will sue the county for hazardous work conditions or

file excessive workers' compensation complaints.

" The employees are in a fit over it, " said. " Mold has been around for

thousands of years. Now it's hit the media and some are playing it up like a

plague. "

Deadra , a clerk in the county attorney's office, insists the symptoms

are real. While she generally works through any discomfort, she worries

about possible long-term health problems.

" We get headaches, " she said. " After we've been here about 15 minutes, we

start popping Tylenol. Then when we go outside to the fresh air, it goes

away. "

Both kinds of mold may have been present in the courthouse since at least

2000, though county officials said initially they only believed aspergillus

was present.

A cleaning of the building's second floor courtroom in December 2000

eradicated the molds. But the basement, first and third floors of the

courthouse remained unchecked, and the courtroom was soon visibly

recontaminated.

Since then, at least five courthouse employees have been removed from the

building because of health problems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the molds may cause

symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation or wheezing and that some

people have more severe reactions when exposed to large amounts of molds at

work. Some people with chronic illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease,

may develop mold infections in their lungs, the CDC said.