The Center for School Mold Help

Previously at an impasse with the Greenwich, CT school district, parents were allowed to send in an inspector to test for mold - but without being able to do destructive testing (opening up walls). They are now waiting for these tests to come back with results (SMH).

Parents waiting for tests

By Hoa Nguyen
http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_9317260

Staff Writer
Article Launched: 05/20/2008 01:37:01 AM EDT


The jury is still out on whether officials were correct in saying that mold found at a modular school was not harmful to students and staff, according to a certified industrial hygienist hired by Hamilton Avenue School parents.

"I don't see how they can make that leap of faith, I certainly can't," said Bob Leighton, a certified industrial hygienist and president of Forest Hills, N.Y.-based Leighton Associates.

Leighton, who was hired by parents, was recently allowed to run air quality tests at the modular once used by Hamilton Avenue School. Those results aren't expected until next week. Parents who have been fighting district officials over the handling of the mold discovery declined to speculate on the results.

"I'm not even going to go there," parent Laura DiBella said. "I just want to wait to see what our guy gets."

The modular used by Hamilton Avenue School was shut down in March after officials discovered mold in the roof overhangs, crawl space and parts of the exterior walls. The potential health risks of mold prompted officials to evacuate students and staff to other schools across the district.

School officials brought in environmental consultants who said the building had a mold problem but because mold spores were found mostly in exterior sections, they were unlikely to have reached the classroom space occupied by students and staff.

But Leighton said he is unconvinced because air quality tests taken in early March by a consultant hired by the  district showed elevated levels of mold at several spots.

"I don't know how that translates to no problem," Leighton said. "To me, there's half-dozen areas that he found problems."

Mold levels decreased in subsequent air quality tests, although the last tests conducted by the district's consultant, Charles Schwartz of Scarsdale, N.Y., showed "marginally elevated" levels of mold in two hallways, according to his report.

Schwartz has said those high mold spore counts likely came as a result of workers cutting out sections of the ceiling and walls to examine the moldy areas in the exterior areas, which may have released spores into the air. Subsequent surface tests showed normal background levels of mold, according to Schwartz, who yesterday stood behind his findings that there was minimal health risks to students and staff in the classrooms.

"On any issue, there's going to be some divergent opinions," he said. "I stand by the testing. I stand by the results."

Officials are planning to remediate the modular by removing the moldy parts and making other structural improvements that will allow the building to be used for Glenville School in the fall.

The planned remediation was one of the reasons officials gave for initially resisting efforts to grant Leighton access to the modular. They relented after the parents' lawyer contacted the town's attorney. The lawyers worked out a compromise that granted Leighton and a parent representative access to run the tests if they agreed not to open any new walls. Opening the walls could release mold spores into the classroom and exacerbate efforts to remediate the modular.

Board of Education member Leslie Moriarty said a certified environmental hygienist hired by the board trailed Leighton during the testing so that a parallel test could be run to make sure results are accurate. The results of those tests also are likely to be available next week.

"We'll all be smarter next week," Moriarty said.
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