Courthouse passes its air tests

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Courthouse passes its air tests

No perilous contaminants are found; exam results for mold are awaited

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By Goldberg

Sun Staff

Originally published September 5, 2002

Air tests at the County Circuit Courthouse came back negative for a

series of dangerous contaminants, including lead, mercury and asbestos,

county officials said yesterday.

But county officials are awaiting the results of recent mold tests -- and

are planning to take more samples, including carpet cuttings, in the coming

weeks.

Those tests are expected to be among the last in a county review of the old,

cramped building in the wake of employee health complaints and an inspection

by state occupational health officials.

" We're down to [the mold], and the overcrowding issue is still there, " said

M. Irvin, the county's public works chief.

In a newsletter update to employees this week, county officials detailed the

latest results -- no asbestos fibers, no lead and no mercury in air samples

collected Aug. 2. The update includes a series of recommendations from the

county's environmental contractor, Weston Solutions Inc.

Weston suggests cleaning and abatement in areas where the contaminants were

found through wipe samplings, and it suggests limiting access to those

areas.

The air tests were conducted after traces of the contaminants, as well as

elevated levels of radon, were found in the basement and in some mechanical

rooms.

Clerk of the Circuit Court Margaret D. Rappaport, whose inquiry brought

inspectors from land Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) to the

building in the spring, said yesterday that even though the most recent

tests were good, she is more interested in seeing the mold results.

" That's what my employees are anxiously waiting for, " she said. " And the

main thing I have is the cleanliness of the building. It's filthy. "

Irvin said he hopes to have the mold results within the next several weeks.

After that, he said, the county, which he estimated has spent tens of

thousands of dollars on testing and repairs on the building, will bring in

health experts to answer employee questions.

County officials are also awaiting two other MOSH reports -- one detailing

conditions in the courthouse's judicial offices, the other the state's

attorney's space.

Early MOSH reports from other offices, including Rappaport's, have turned up

electrical problems, which have been fixed, and elevated levels of carbon

dioxide, which county officials are working to correct through the heating

and air-conditioning system.

The county is also aware of the mold problem and has had roofers repair

leaks, Irvin said.

Beyond that, crowding should be alleviated once the state's attorney's

offices are moved, possibly by the end of the year, Irvin said. A renovation

project is planned for that space.

" It still boils down to the basic problem in the building is overcrowding, "

he said.

Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun