Trumbull County's Mold cleanup won't be covered

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http://www.tribunechronicle.com/news/story/09182002_new04mold.asp

Mold cleanup won't be covered

By JUSTIN POST Tribune Chronicle

WARREN - Trumbull County's insurance company denied a request Monday to pay

for remediation of mold that is growing in the basement of the county Health

Department offices.

The county's Director of Human Resources Keating received verbal

confirmation from Gallagher-Bassett Inc. of Boardman that cleaning up the

mess wouldn't be covered. The insurance agency declined to comment.

Keating was told, however, that cleanup - which could exceed $65,000 - won't

be covered because it's unknown when the fungus began growing in the

building at 176 Chestnut Ave. N.E. County officials expect a written

explanation sometime this week, Keating said.

Commissioners learned in May that a form of toxic mold, stachybatrys, was

growing in the basement office of Emergency Agency Director Beil. The

offices were sealed, and two full-time workers and four part-time employees

have been sharing the Trumbull County 911 Center, which Beil has said is not

large enough for her department.

At the same time, air conditioning to the first floor of the Health

Department was shut off this summer to prevent mold from spreading

throughout the building. As June temperatures rose into the 90s, workers

became vocal about inadequate working conditions and took up a petition

complaining to commissioners about an uncomfortable work environment.

Commissioner G. Tsagaris said officials have stalled their decision

about whether to fix the building because they have been awaiting word from

the insurance company.

With the arrival of that decision and heating ducts leading from the

basement sealed off, commissioners face a shortening deadline before winter

to decide whether to tackle the mold removal project or scrap the building

and relocate.

If commissioners opt to keep the building, additional costs would arise to

meet state building codes and fix problems such as a leaking roof.

Months of meetings and discussions about the matter haven't produced a

solution, and Tsagaris offered only that more meetings would be scheduled.

''We have to get together and see what we can do and see if it (the

building) is feasible to fix,'' he said. ''We will probably sit down and

figure this out.''

Citing the high price for cleanup, Tsagaris supports relocating the county

employees and selling or abandoning the current Health Department.

''I think it's a lot more money than I would like to spend,'' he said.

Commissioners J. O'Brien and ph J. Angelo were not available for

comment.

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