The Great of State of Nevada
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Mold Problems In Nevada State Buildings
State gets serious after mold complaints were issued
by Reno Gazette - Journal
Nevada health officials have found 14 patches of mold in state buildings since April, including in the dome of the legislative building and basement of the Nevada Capitol. Mold spores were found at the Department of Motor Vehicles main Reno office, the National Guard Complex in Carson City and the Grant Sawyer Building opened in 1995 in Las Vegas.
Sue Dunt, director of the state's risk management division, said those cases weren't considered health risks and no claims were filed by workers in those buildings. But workers filed two health claims last summer against the state after mold was spotted at the Southern Nevada Correctional Center in Las Vegas. "Most of them (the 14 discoveries) would be characterized as a mold problem found in one small part of the building, "Dunt said.
The state has been investigating indoor air quality complaints since 85 employees of the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services sued the state in February 2001. Four other health claims from Department of Corrections employees in Carson City were filed after bat guano and urine were found above the ceiling of their office at the Stewart facility, Dunt said. "The bats and the guano have caused some consternation among the staff and myself," state prisons chief Jackie Crawford said, adding that she might seek new office space if repairs don't solve the problem.
The Sawyer building underwent a mold cleanup in 1998 after workers complained of chronic fatigue syndrome, nausea and other ailments. Toxic mold spores were found in ceilings and walls because of heating valve leaks. The current problem, cleaned up in October, eliminated mold caused by a dripping pipe.
The discovery of mold in the Legislature Building's dome, a dinky version of the one on the adjacent Nevada Capitol, comes only five years after its installation. "When the dome was originally put in, I don't think it was quite watertight," said Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. The state has spent about $225,000 on mold investigation and abatements since April 2001. Last Thursday, the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee also authorized $250,000 for indoor air investigations.
For information contact:
Alan L. Wozniak, CIAQP
(800) 422-7873 ext. 802
iaq@pureaircontrols.com
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