Mountain or a Mold-Hill?

 
WTAP News
Todd Baucher


Wood County School officials tell us that, so far this year, there have been several calls from schools of what officials say are "air quality issues", or issues believed at first to be a problem with mold. While they say mold has not been found, the school's maintenence director says the problem has been the result of recent heavy rains.

"If you have that kind of humidity and if you have failure of the system, a roof leak, or possibly the shutdown of an air conditioning unit," says Gary Cooper, Physical Plant Director for Wood County Schools. "All that would contribute to an indoor air quality issue."

And a local mold expert agrees.

"When moisture disappears, it doesn't mean the mold is dead," says Woodie Moss, President and Inspector for Building Specs Inspections. "Even some molds, when they do die, actually are giving off toxic spores, eveen in their dead form."

The latest situation the maintenence people have been working on is in a room at Jefferson Elementary School. It's required replacing some of the ceiling tiles, and ultimately could require replacing the carpeting.

The inspection and preliminary work came after a parent called W.T.A.P., and we contacted the Board of Education. The maintenence department says they can respond as soon as they're called.

"We either get a phone call or work order submitted," Cooper says. "When we find out it's an air quality issue, we will respond as quickly as possible, here at the Physical Plant."

It's a situation that can be serious if left unattended. The parent who contacted us said one of the youngsters in the classroom was a special education student with allergies.

Moss says mold isn't always visible, and that homes, businesses and public buildings should be inspected and cleaned often to prevent it.

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Pure Air Controls 
800-422-7873