Building with mold sickened workers
School district must pay for removal; cost unknown
BY Kevin O'Horan, Heraldtribune.com
 
 BRADENTON -- Mold found in a newly acquired office building has sickened four Manatee County School District employees.

The employees started showing symptoms of exposure to mold shortly after moving into the former Superior Electronics Corp. building, a 115,000-square-foot, two-story structure at 2501 63rd Ave. E. The district paid $15.8 million for two buildings there in June.

"We have had some employees who have had reactions to the mold, and we worked with them right away to get them out of the building," said Tim McGonegal, the district's assistant superintendent of business services.

Mold exposure can cause ailments ranging from the relatively minor headaches and sneezing, to more chronic illnesses like lasting fatigue, bronchitis and nausea or vomiting, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In extreme cases, exposure to mold can cause lung infections.

The Manatee employees had only mild symptoms and were not hospitalized.

The district relocated at least four other employees who were concerned about working in an environment where mold is present.

About 40 people are working in telephone support, computer systems and instructional technology at the buildings, in which the district eventually plans to house more than 200.

The possibility of a mold problem first surfaced during a routine pre-purchase inspection of the building. That survey found vinyl wallpaper in offices and conference rooms on the building's first floor.

"In Florida, that's not good, because water gets trapped behind it," said Forrest Branscomb, the district risk management manager.

That water can soak drywall or other building materials, creating a breeding ground for mold.

The district removed the wallpaper and drywall from problem areas on the first floor during a $30,000 project finished three weeks ago, Branscomb said. But air samples taken from the second floor and water stains found on the walls there led to more mold concerns.

The district expects it will have to do more mold removal and rebuild more walls; that cost is still unknown.

Despite the extra work, and the mold findings, district officials do not see cause for alarm.

"There hasn't been a lot of evidence that would make us be very concerned to where we would require everybody to leave the building," Branscomb said. "That's not the case here."

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20070918/NEWS/709180322