Summer Boyd says that mold problems in Ingraham Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus are so bad that she has to work at home.

Numerous other workers in the 1960s-era building say they have been plagued with breathing difficulties, burning throats, itchy eyes and coughs, and that UW officials have been slow to solve the problem.

UW officials and workers in the building agree that mold developed in basement rooms in February after water leaked from the deli above. Further problems surfaced in offices on the third floor of the building in August during a hot, rainy period when a foul smell developed after air conditioners leaked, said Boyd, an administrator in the American Indian and Asian American Studies programs.

University officials met with the workers Wednesday and say they have been trying to solve the problems. But they concede that fixes have not worked.

Jillian Alpire, an academic department specialist in the Chicano and Latino Studies Department, has been displaced from her third-floor office for five weeks and has been working in the Education Building instead.

"I am one of the lucky ones, because our director had another office in another department. Some of the other staff members do not have alternative sites," she said.

She is dissatisfied with what she regards as a lack of communication and lack of a central plan to solve the mold problem.

"Some of our administrators were calling physical plant right away, but they were kind of brushed aside until the school year began, when faculty members and students also were concerned about eye pain and sore throats and being lethargic," Alpire said.

She alleged that air quality in the building was bad even before the mold developed.

Boyd contended that university officials in health, air quality and physical plant departments have not coordinated their efforts.

"We get different information from different people. I think their plan is to put a Band-Aid over the issue instead of eradicating it," Alpire said.

"I think that certain programs are more important to the university administration than others, and ethnic studies does not get much attention. We are all thrown in the same building and get our funding lines cut."

The mold problem in the basement of Ingraham affects underrepresented students -- mainly minorities -- who see advisers in offices there, Alpire said.

What's being done

Keith Burdick, assistant director of a general safety group in the UW's Environmental Health and Safety Department, said officials have been trying to resolve problems by testing for mold and cleaning problem areas.

Cleaning has sharply reduced the mold count, but more work will be done, he said.

"Sometimes ceiling tiles got wet, so there was excessive mold in the basement. It was cleaned but has continually occurred. It hasn't been solved," Burdick said.

"Currently the third floor is the major point of concern. Folks up there feel in some cases ill, and some have allergy issues such as scratchy eyes and itchy throat. There is some respiratory distress," Burdick said. "We are going from room to room evaluating each room and determining what needs to be done."

There is no mechanical ventilation on the third floor, and offices have individual air conditioning units, he added. "If there is a lot of moisture, it doesn't flush out very well. When we had all that rain and humidity this summer, it may have caused elevated moisture, which is conducive to mold growing," Burdick said.

Officials were meeting individually this morning with workers who had voiced concerns. A plan will be developed for each room, according to Burdick.

"We will test for mold spores in all the rooms again," he said. A significant amount of aspergillus, a type of mold that can cause injuries to the lungs, was found in one room.

"The mold count was six times more inside than outside, but it was cleaned and is way down. We will do more cleaning," Burdick said.

University officials have found alternative workspaces for some people who have complained. Classes continue to be held in the building, but there are no classrooms on the third floor.

Officials hope to get rid of the musty smells in some areas and make them comfortable for workers, Burdick said.
"We will work with the physical plant people who do the maintenance to get the work done, but this may require some outside contractors. We will be doing deep cleaning," he said.

He is hopeful that the issues can be resolved within two weeks.

"People are waiting to see what we do. They will be vigilant about helping us get things done," Burdick said.
 
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