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Houston Independent School District underestimated the problems at Key Middle School ... so an official statement reads. We have a very hard time understanding how, when people are being taken to the hospital in ambulances (last count, 20, we were told) and hundreds of students have been reported to be ill, that HISD couldn't put two and two together? Nonsense! Read the news story and comments, to see what you think!
Aldine/North Houston News
Sept. 29, 2007, 11:47AM
HISD underestimated air problems at Key, official says
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/aldine/news/5173659.html
By ERICKA MELLON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Houston school officials initially underestimated the extent of the mold and humidity problems at Key Middle School, and damp conditions there could have sickened employees and students, a federal inspector said Friday.
The specific cause of the illnesses reported by dozens of Key employees and students since August probably will never be determined, said Nancy Burton, an industrial hygiene expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But after inspecting the northeast Houston campus and meeting with employees for two days this week, Burton said she found several air-quality problems at Key that could have led to sickness.
"It has problems, but there are ways to address them," she said. "The school district is starting to do that and is working on making it an environment that would be safe to work in."
Burton and her CDC colleagues plan to review medical records, environmental data and surface samples collected at Key and probably won't issue formal findings for several months.
Since early September, district officials have maintained that Key was safe, and at one point, district spokesman Terry Abbott accused the Houston Federation of Teachers of using "scare tactics."
But last week Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra agreed to remove the students and staff from Key — three weeks after the teachers' union demanded the building be vacated.
Since Monday, Key has been holding classes at nearby Fleming Middle School, and that likely will continue at least through December, Abbott said.
"We made the best decisions we could make with the information we had at the time," Abbott said Friday. "Keep in mind, we had independent, outside experts who said the building was safe for occupancy."
Burton said she could not determine whether Key was unsafe when students were there because the district already had cleaned up some of the moldy areas and fixed some of the ventilation problems.
But, she said, during the two days she visited, Key could have been unsafe for people sensitive to poor air quality.
"I don't have a lot of allergies, so for me it was not a problem," she said. "But if somebody does react to low levels, it's possible they would have been sick in there."
Burton said the district should continue cleaning up the visible mold at Key, controlling the humidity through the ventilation system and limiting the water drainage that can accumulate under the building.
Put simply, Burton said, Key suffered from "damp building syndrome."
She said the symptoms reported by those at Key — including nausea, dizziness and difficulty breathing — are similar to those reported by others exposed to overly damp buildings.
At Key, one of the major contributors to the dampness was a lack of air-conditioning at various points, thanks to equipment thefts over the summer and storms that knocked out power.
All the rain that fell on the city didn't help the moisture conditions either, Burton said.
District officials asked the CDC to inspect Key after U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, invited the federal agency to tour the school at the request of the teachers' union.
Before then, HISD had hired a private contractor, ICU Environmental, Health & Safety, to examine Key. The Woodlands-based company repeatedly concluded that its tests for mold and other toxins didn't turn up any major problems. The city health department and the fire department also ran tests.
Burton said the tests run by ICU were valid, but not necessarily conclusive. There aren't established standards for safe levels of mold, for instance.
Gayle Fallon, president of the teachers' union, said the CDC inspection shows the district should have acted quicker when her staff first raised concerns about Key in late August.
"They kept staff and children in that building for three unnecessary weeks," she said.
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NoMoreSchoolMold wrote:
NIOSH is usually of little help, as is OSHA, when it comes to mold, and the CDC is of a lot less help. They are busily covering up a nationwide epidemic of mold-related illnesses, so they would be very reluctant to say these people became ill from mold.
All the CDC has to do is run tests on the molds and bacteria, to determine if they are toxin producers. They can even measure the toxins. They don't WANT to, it would seem.
It is extremely easy to rig testing so mold is not found. For instance, in many schools where testing is conducted, industry standards are not followed. The districts air out or "clean" rooms first, then testing is conducted. So the environment is tampered with to produce clean results. Or mold spores in the air are temporarily killed or removed. Then tested. Or no testing in places where the mold would be found. But testing in places where it would not be. No testing used to find molds like stachy, that have heavy spores that don't reach up where the air testing is being conducted... A million ways to find no mold. This is the name of the game at some school districts that are more concerned about coverups and liability than employees and kids. We don't know YET what this district did, if anything, to tamper with testing. But the methods used for testing and observations of the those present should be investigated fully. Some of these ill people may never recover.
9/30/2007 5:59:14 PM
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LMay4111 wrote:
You all can contact me privately and I will be very happy to answer the questions via e-mail I saw the confid test results and offered services they were declined by individuals in the situation I am only one of 3 experpts in the nation in this area and am contacted frequently due to my expertise my information is listed in the profile thanks LKM
9/30/2007 12:10:56 PM
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tabbott wrote:
Sorry guys, I was away spending the day with my son. No, come to think of it, I'm NOT sorry about that.
All of the independent, outside tests that have been conducted by the experts have shown there is no unusual level of mold in the building. The CDC has told us so far that the building conditions could be something they call "damp building syndrome," which they said would not be unusual in a place like Houston because of the humidity. They told us they think the damp building COULD have caused some people to experience symptoms, but that other factors, including the outdoor environment, the environment at their own homes, and pre-existing illnesses could also be factors in the symptoms. Bottom line is the CDC told us they may never know what caused some people to become sick.
HISD has aggressively worked on this issue from the beginning. We brought in the independent, outside air quality experts. We asked the city of Houston health department for help, and worked with the HAZMAT team from the fire department. And we asked the CDC to come in too. We'll continue to work to find answers, if indeed any can be found.
Terry Abbott
Press Secretary
Houston Independent School District
9/30/2007 8:24:13 AM
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Moblack wrote:
Terry hasn't shed light on the issue yet? C'mon where are you dude?
9/29/2007 10:01:13 PM
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reefrat wrote:
Test results talk, "expert" opinions walk.
9/29/2007 8:56:52 PM
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Hadenough wrote:
Terry, o' Terry, where forth art thou?
9/29/2007 6:11:03 PM
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satriela wrote:
I don't know why no one has brought up the obvious. Teachers stay in one room most of the day. They will spend about 7 hours in one spot all day. Students rotate throughout the school. THERE IS VISIBLE MOLD. If a teachers happens to be in a classroom with a higher concentration of allergens, it is going to effect that teacher a WHOLE LOT FASTER then it will effect those students who will only be in that room 45 minutes per day. I have no idea what's going on, but the story and what I've seen on TV shows VISIBLE MOLD. It follows that there is also NON VISIBLE MOLD. Duh.
9/29/2007 4:27:42 PM
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Born2AskWhy wrote:
WHY weren't you quoted LMAY, nationwide expert?
9/29/2007 3:13:10 PM
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LMay4111 wrote:
At last count over 200 plus students reported to a health provider they were ILl. The school has real air quality health issues I am a nationwide expert who was consulted and will state for the record that there is a health issue at this school student staff and others should not have not have been in this building and can not enter the building unti the propers steps are taken to clean it up right. The news paper was given access to this informatio and refused to believ that T-2 poisoning was accuring and that person exposed to this buildig would and did become critically ill ; If asked I can and would be happy tp do a public education program on this aspect of growing health hazard. this was not a stunt by the teachers or anyone else this type of exposure over a short period of time can and does lead to permentant disability illness and dealth. This issue must be treated by theproper medical specialy and if you or your children were exosed and do not get proper medical care it will lead to severe life time health issues if anyone wishes feel free to ask questions LMay4111
9/29/2007 2:23:41 PM
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Born2AskWhy wrote:
"Burton said the district should continue cleaning up the visible mold"
Some people are very allergic to mold, SOME people are not. The mold was visable. What about this is so complicated???????
9/29/2007 12:13:00 PM
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gm6900 wrote:
Thanks for the the correction Moblack and thanks to Congresswoman Lee. Maybe ole Abe would be better suited to run the Jena School District. He would fit right in there.
9/29/2007 12:08:29 PM
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Moblack wrote:
gm6900,
Abe didn't call the CDC in. That was the work of Sheila Jackson Lee who called them in. I'm still waiting on Terry Abbott to chime in on this thread.
9/29/2007 11:17:57 AM
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gm6900 wrote:
I agree with Ms Fallon ole Abe shouldn't have been such a stubborn bonehead and had the CDC in much sooner.
9/29/2007 10:15:36 AM
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Hadenough wrote:
elcapitan, you would never see a child being carried out. Parents were notified and they were picked up and taken to the doctor by their parents. And, children in middle school do not remain in the same class all day. So therefore they moved to safe areas in the building. Teacher on the other hand were not as fortunate. Also, teachers returned to work two weeks before the children.
9/29/2007 9:34:40 AM
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Hadenough wrote:
alastrina wrote:
Chronicle was that headline necessary? No wonder Houston's public education system is having issues. HISD did not underestimate the problem. They hired a private contractor, and the city health and fire department investigated the matter. All three said the school was fine.
And HISD and the private contractor stated that 45 test were completed and all were negative. So you are correct. How can you misread anything 45 times? Looks like a coverup to me. Especially since in 2003, HISD was given a report regarding poor air quality in Key MS.
9/29/2007 9:25:46 AM
alastrina wrote:
Jimmy,
Are you stating that there are chemicals in schools that are making children have learning disabilities?
9/29/2007 8:49:06 AM
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Bill_ wrote:
If it's going to take months to "issue formal findings" I find it hard to blame anyone for erring in their estimation of the problem initially. It seems that primarily people with somewhat unusual allergies were the ones effected. Still, in the world we live in today, I'm sure there will be multimillion dollar lawsuits for those whose lives have been "harmed" irreparably and I'm sure a small portion of it will come out of my pocketbook.
9/29/2007 7:59:06 AM
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MisterTruth wrote:
Nothing will change until the people of the city of Houston clean up the mold in HISDs administrative offices. The people who run HISD are an embarassment to the citizenry of this city, and our children are the ones who suffer.
Vote NO on the School Bond issue. Demand fiscal accountability from HISD.
9/29/2007 7:40:51 AM
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50sKid wrote:
I just spent $500 this week to have my A/C unit cleaned along with the ducts, and I am sure that this is the first time it has been cleaned since it was built in 1984, we are the second owners. What made me spend this money was because our main A/C drain line was stopped up with slime and the coils looked like we were doing a biology study with all the slime and dirt, and the blower and pan, well I just won't even go there. This was on Tuesday, today is Saturday and we in the house have not woke up all stopped up and choking and coughing in the middle of the night because we cannot breathe. I also learned from the Tech, at Lowes, Home Depot any hardware store there are tablets to put in the A/C pan to help keep the ucky slime and mold from growing so fast, not totally from growing, but from becoming a health problem faster. He also cut out the area around the coils so that we can vaccum the coils ourself about every 3 to 4 months. He also recommended good old fashion bleach, sparingly of course, to kill mold and slime and to pour down your main drain line to keep it clean out, again about every 3 to 4 months. This was an expensive lesson, $500 for a 1500 sq ft house, but a lesson most of us here in the Gulf area seem to forget is necessary and something that can be done yourself. Of course it would cost a school district, businesses, etc more to maintain, but believe me it is a necessary in this area. I do fine until I get to work and here comes the sneezing and coughing within an hour at work, so our building is "sick", and yes I am an overweight, knocking on 60 years old AND a smoker, so I am sure my resistants are lower now than when I was younger, and slimmer, always been a smoker so can't say nonsmoker.
The jaintors were overcome by a chemical mixture in closed areas when cleaning up on a Saturday, with no ventilation in the building. That is called not having proper training. Everyone knows bleach can burn your eyes, LUNGS, and overpower you if mixed improperly. I am sure the pressure to get it cleaned up before school started on Monday caused this error, lets hope so and not stupidity. The kids are younger and more healther than adults, therefore it would take a little longer for the effects to hit them and cause them to become sick. The adults, well, one thing about being an adult in the Gulf area, you either have low resistance to the molds and polluted air here, or you are going to get it at some point of your life here. For some it is worse than for others. Remember that Houston has alot of clay soil and according to many allergey doctors that is one of the major factors for people to have allergies here.
9/29/2007 7:33:37 AM
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blar wrote:
I went from Kindergarten through my senior year in the La Marque ISD without any air conditioning, and survived. No mold problems, no ambulances, no grief counselors. People expect so much from their government these days that they have no concept of standing on their own two feet and just "dealing with it".
9/29/2007 6:25:56 AM
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LeAnnIV wrote:
Finally, some answers about what's going on at Key that's making people sick.
9/29/2007 5:55:00 AM
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Moblack wrote:
Why hasn't Terry Abbott posted on here? He had so much to say a few days ago.
9/29/2007 2:29:06 AM
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jimmyk52000 wrote:
I guess this why school district's are trying to shut me up. We now have an assessment that will show the massive amounts of damaging chemicals in children. Part of an over-all battery of tests for students suspected of learning disabilities must be required have this tests done. Districts as Conroe, Katy, Fort Bend and Houston ISD are having their outside law firms fight my requests for these assessments
This after I will be speaking at a TOPAA meeting on this topic:
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Top Ten Tips for Parents of Children with Disabilities to
Get Better Educational Services
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007
Free Workshop sponsored by TOPAA (Texas Organization of Parents, Attorneys and Advocates) Region 4
Noon to 3 p.m. – General session
3-4 p.m. small-group breakout sessions for child-specific questions
Speakers: Advocates Jimmy Kilpatrick, Louis Geigerman, David Beinke and Special education attorney Dorene Philpot
Abiding Word Baptist Church, 10535 Rockley Road, Houston, TX
Rockley is right off US 59 South and Sam Houston Tollway (BW 8). It's off Wilcrest, between Bissonet and Bellfort. From the Galleria, you would probably take 59 South to Bellfort.
Go RIGHT on Bellfort to RIGHT on Wilcrest, then RIGHT on Rockley.
TOPICS
1. Independent Educational Evaluations.
2. Importance of measurable goals and objectives and progress reports.
3. The "Nag, Nag, Nag" method for getting better services.
4. Importance of Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs).
5. Services through age 22 – and a discussion of guardianship.
6. High-stakes testing remediation.
7. Importance of accommodations and modifications.
8. Mechanisms to resolve disputes.
9. Suspensions and expulsions issues.
10. Parent training and education – be your child’s
best advocate.
And, if all else fails, 11. How to file a complaint or due process hearing request.
For more information, email
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Katy Area
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Top Ten Tips for Parents of Children with Disabilities to Get Better Educational Services
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007
Free Workshop sponsored by TOPAA (Texas Organization of Parents, Attorneys and Advocates) Region 4
4:30 to 6:50 p.m.
Speakers: Advocates Jimmy Kilpatrick, Louis Geigerman, David Beinke and Special education attorney Dorene Philpot
Katy Public Library, 5414 Franz Road, Katy, TX 77493 281-391-3509 (library)
TOPICS
1. Independent Educational Evaluations.
2. Importance of measurable goals and objectives and progress reports.
3. The "Nag, Nag, Nag" method for getting better services.
4. Importance of Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs).
5. Services through age 22 – and a discussion of guardianship.
6. High-stakes testing remediation.
7. Importance of accommodations and modifications.
8. Mechanisms to resolve disputes.
9. Suspensions and expulsions issues.
10. Parent training and education – be your child’s best advocate.
And, if all else fails, 11. How to file a complaint or due process hearing request.
Jimmy Kilpatrick
SpecialEdAdvocate.org
9/29/2007 2:26:29 AM
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Trains682 wrote:
I'm sure there is a theoretical perfect indoor climate experts use as a baseline but in the south near the Gulf, that is very difficult and very expensive to achieve and maintain and doesn't exist in the vast majority of the homes of HISD students and teachers either. What are we supposed to do; air-condition the schools all day and all night all summer long when nobody is there to keep the humidity 50% or less ???? Thatz crazy talk.
It wasn't that long ago that most of HISD's schools had no air-conditioning at all. When I went through Pershing Jr. High, the only area that was cooled was the new science wing and the remodeled cafeteria. West University Elementary only had AC in the library and main office. Those schools stayed closed up tight all summer long and the only ventilation was opening windows the first weeks of school to change out the 3 month old stale air with sticky August humid air from outside at least 80% humidity.
How is it back in the 60's, 70's and even 80's that every school wasn't hauling 30 kids and teachers a day off to the hospital if the reasons mentioned here by this so-called expert not from our climate is to be believed ???? Kids say they are sick for lots of reasons but the numbers at Key weren't alarmimg compared to schools city wide. All but one of those ladies hauled off on stretchers in front of the cameras however was extremely over-weight and this has far more effect on breathing and health in general than air that may be a bit elevated in moisture content during the hottest and most humid weeks of the school year.
9/29/2007 2:15:46 AM
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MHoc wrote:
"HISD underestimated air quailty, you better believe it. And they like their employees, should be held accountable."
I see, it's all leading to lawsuits. Cha ching.
9/29/2007 1:09:43 AM
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MHoc wrote:
"Where are all the haters that posted here and said nothing was wrong at the school ?"
Where's the quote that says mold was found? Remember, the teachers wanted expensive mold remediation. The official in charge says that they've made no determination yet.
9/29/2007 1:07:17 AM
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treecat wrote:
HISD, ICU Environmental, the city health department and the fire department how many of their children attended this school. Lets fact the Truth here folks. They repeatedly concluded that its tests for mold and other toxins didn't turn up any major problems, because they said so.
9/29/2007 12:26:47 AM
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nativehoustonian55 wrote:
Wrong, elcapitan, Houston is the sixth fattest city in America. Diabetes is the bain of the overweight--destroys health and kills people every day, especially Hispanics and people with American Indian blood--running 15% to 20%. It is a genetic disease aggravated and sometimes brought on by overweight.
Every day in the third world, people who are not healthy produce a lot of widgets and have a "great work ethic", then die young. A lot of Americans do not have insurance and go to work sick and treat themselves instead of going to a doctor. They too, have a wonderful work ethic, but they still are not healthy due to lack of treatment.
Apparently, people like you seem to have pseudo doctor's degree and feel free to judge other's health and work ethic. You also seem to be of the opinion that union teachers are lazy and duplicitous. I like the 40 hour work week, over time, holiday, and unions--since it is they who brought us the foregoing.
I used to be a special ed. teacher. Teachers without unions get abused by the system. Been there done that--left. I bet that is more than you can say.
You have not seen on a daily basis, how HISD maintains their buildings--that is, they do not maintain them, if they can help it. I know that from being a student there. I believe HISD about as far as I can throw their building. I would believe the teachers first.
Roger did not say they were unproductive, just prone to having worse reactions to things that might not effect others. As to never seeing a child leave, word was that the children were leaving every day or not coming according to the teachers I know at HISD. If it were one or two teachers, game yes, union no. In tens, it's a probably a problem that needs fixing.
For God's sake, HISD has allowed roofs to cave in on schools for lack of maintenance here in Houston. HISD would rather build a new school they could allow to rot, rather than fix the existing schools--no new name, no glamor, no pretty pictures to show tax payers so they would vote for money, so the executives could get a raise and bonuses, etc.
9/29/2007 12:14:20 AM
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ItsMine wrote:
HISD wants a refund from ICU Environmental, Health & Safety AND transfer responsibility to thugs who stole the a/c units. I hope we'll find out who stole the "equipment" a/c units so we can blame them for illness.
9/28/2007 11:47:34 PM
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elcapitan wrote:
Roger, Houston is the fattest city in America, remember. If being over weight was the real problem most everyone in Houston would have already dropped dead from humidity and allergies. I know plenty of over weight people who have great work ethic and produce widgets everyday without fail. I never saw a child carried out of the school and they were in the school as long or longer than the teachers or janitors on a daily basis. This is all a union game, plain and simple.
9/28/2007 11:43:14 PM
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reefrat wrote:
CDC hasn't found anything yet except a bunch of speculative "maybe"s, "possibly"s, and "could have"s.
Testing the air is not to be confused with the complexity of testing the human anatomy. If CDC cannot detect anything by quantitative testing then either nothing is there or they are incompetent.
9/28/2007 10:49:22 PM
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TEXAN396 wrote:
"Houston school officials initially underestimated the extent of the mold and humidity problems at Key Middle School" YA THINK!? These are the same people that are to be trusted with that 800 million bond issue coming up.Oh yea I have total confidence in their management capabilities...NOT!
9/28/2007 10:33:25 PM
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nativehoustonian55 wrote:
I think that the pitcher was named J.R. Richards. I think he ended up homeless and living under a bridge. That was such an injustice. I remembered arguing with a guy at work and being called a liberal and a sucker for believing something was actually wrong with the guy. That guy at work sounded like MissH.
9/28/2007 10:15:26 PM
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Roger wrote:
I remember a pitcher for the Astros being criticized for months for being a hypochondriac because he would pitch, then get problems with his arms and have to quit. The crowd of kibitzers and omipotent know it alls were unmerciful with the name calling. The team doctors couldn't find anything, until he had a stroke later.
I might note that all those fat ladies may be older, diabetic and have some pre existing tendencies to fall ill from allergies. Whole lotta hate and scorn out there... Teachers, government workers, older people, over weight people, people with chronic diseases,etc. already suffer from a lot of discrimination from the know it alls who have not paid their full dues yet in life.
Either way, I knew if the CDC inspectors found something in the building, that the nay sayers, chronic kibitzers, and omnipotent judges would be back.
I hope nothing like weight gain, chronic allergies or other chronic genetic illnesses get MissH and the know it alls in life as they get older. If they are unlucky, they will be working for or have to deal with someone just like themselves--an unsympathetic, omnipotent, arrogant know it all. Then they will understand deeply how they sound to the rest of us, who have and are paying the dues of life.
9/28/2007 10:03:30 PM
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DadBug wrote:
One wonders if HISD staff are stupid or just unwilling to do their jobs. Maybe an intelligence test is needed for HISD employees before they are hired.
9/28/2007 9:35:18 PM
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MissH wrote:
I get the feeling someone milked this for all it's worth.. All I saw was a bunch of fat ladies on straining stretchers waiving at the cameras. I don't know about those sickly kids , never saw them being wheeled out, must be those Hippa laws, no pun intended. Of course Ms Sheila Jackson brought the dump down, that hospital mask was truly convincing. So just what kind of accurate instruments did they use to measure the toxicity? Was it just one of those eye tests, where bubba walks around opens a closet here and there and declares somethin fishy here? Oh. let's not forget about those kids being bused to who knows where.
9/28/2007 9:18:18 PM
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mustang_man wrote:
Where is Marvin when we need him most?
9/28/2007 9:15:08 PM
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swaregirl wrote:
OldSchool wrote:
Still curious as to how many "students" became ill.
There were several hundred students who a nurse said reported symptoms and some parents ended up taking some of them to the doctor. Keep in mind that the teachers tend to be in the buildings longer and in the same spot longer. This was not reported by the Chronicle, but by another news outlet that I can't remember offhand.
9/28/2007 9:10:04 PM
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rednose wrote:
Well I for one would certainly move out of that school district....LOL
9/28/2007 9:01:41 PM
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CnTX wrote:
BBB ... BITE ME !!!!!
9/28/2007 8:56:30 PM
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gdwrnch40 wrote:
I used to clean ice machines in Houston,I know how bad the humidity is.The A/c's were the same,lots of slime clogging the drain lines.Stagnant water in the units,creating the perfect inviroment for germs to grow.
9/28/2007 8:51:27 PM
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KlausVonStein wrote:
This is a bunch of hogwash!
9/28/2007 8:26:34 PM
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birdinflight wrote:
Well, let me say this about that....hmmmmmm.
9/28/2007 7:48:42 PM
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CnTX wrote:
and once again here we go ..... whine whine whine would you cry babies like some cheese and crackers to go with it ????? All these non tax paying useless idiots want is for those who unfairly pay taxes is to give them a life I say enough pay for it your self !!!!!!
9/28/2007 7:37:53 PM
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alastrina wrote:
Chronicle was that headline necessary? No wonder Houston's public education system is having issues. HISD did not underestimate the problem. They hired a private contractor, and the city health and fire department investigated the matter. All three said the school was fine.
Furthermore, the CDC statement . . .
"I don't have a lot of allergies, so for me it was not a problem," she said. "But if somebody does react to low levels, it's possible they would have been sick in there."
9/28/2007 7:33:01 PM
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OldSchool wrote:
Still curious as to how many "students" became ill.
9/28/2007 7:26:37 PM
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swaregirl wrote:
Ignorance is curable. Just go to the library or Google information regarding mold and you can cure it easily. Stupidity is not curable. There are people who are so lazy and so stuck on stupid that they are either unable or unwilling to take 5 minutes and educate themselves on the topic they want to spout off about.
You people know nothing about mold, environmental illness, nor respiratory illness, yet you act as if you know it all.
I challenge each of you who say that these people have made up their illnesses to re-read your posts and find at least one link from a doctor, builder or any kind of scientist who would back up what it is you are claiming. Give me a reference to a journal. I'll even go to the library to find it if necessary.
I'm waiting but given that you are probably stuck on stupid, I won't hold my breath.
9/28/2007 7:18:54 PM
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Hadenough wrote:
Well, I guess the officials from CDC are hysterical psychotics too, like the teachers, staff and students at Key MS, not to mention the parents that also entered the building.
Had it not been for the CDC being brought it by Shelia Jackson Lee, its no doubt that the top brass in HISD would still be at the river in Egypt. (Denial)
HISD underestimated air quailty, you better believe it. And they like their employees, should be held accountable.
9/28/2007 7:17:50 PM
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swaregirl wrote:
The reading comprehension and/or lack of common sense regarding this topic is unbelievable.
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Nancy Burton, an industrial hygiene expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the specific cause of the illnesses probably will not be determined.
TRANSLATION: There are over a 100,000 different types of mold. Only 1,000 have have had good information developed in regards to their health effects on humans. Some of them give off mycotoxins which make people ill. Which one made a particular person ill, we will never know. How can you test one person for over 100,000 different types of known molds, or even 1,000? Whether or not the specific toxin that made them sick is ever known is beside the point. In one article, a Medical doctor stated that one of his patients from Key was having identifiable symptoms of illness enough to tell her to stay away from the school that made her sick, then she needs to stay away from the school no matter what they find or not find.
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Burton said she and her colleagues at the CDC still plan to review medical records, data and samples collected at Key, and probably won't issue a formal report for several months.
TRANSLATION: Do you idiots expect someone write a formal document in a day? Obviously, you've never written a formal document unless you consider writing a grocery list formal.
Burton said she could not determine whether Key was unsafe when students were there over the past several weeks because the district already had cleaned up some of the moldy areas and fixed some of the ventilations problems.
TRANSLATION: If I have to explain that one, you need to stop trying to pretend to read and go back to grade 1.
9/28/2007 7:11:36 PM
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elcapitan wrote:
Can the CDC please clean up the entire Houston air? If everyone stayed home everytime they felt an allergy attack, Houston would come to a complete stop every other day. This is Humid Texas otherwise known as Houston Texas. We all have mold in our homes, there is no way around it. Give me a break. If the air was so bad how come there were not hundreds of kids dropping like flies. Only the teachers and janitors felt ill??? The only thing that smells there is the Teachers Union!!!!
9/28/2007 7:00:37 PM
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swaregirl wrote:
reefrat:
Unless you know better than mold experts and doctors who specialize in respiratory and environmental illness, air testing is not very reliable in determining what kind and how much mold there is inside of a building. There are other methods and clearly the CDC used them in order to find the sources of mold.
Dr. Nathan Yost, MD is a home builder and a medical doctor specializing in respiratory illness. His statement regarding air quality:
"An increasing number of companies are offering “air testing for mold.” On the surface this seems like a reasonable thing to do. The problem, however, is that the results of most air sampling for mold are meaningless for two reasons. Air sampling for mold was not developed to determine if an environment was safe or had a dangerous level of mold in the air. Air sampling was developed to help identify the location of a hidden reservoir of mold. If the source of mold is already identified, air sampling does not provide additional meaningful information. Furthermore, safe or toxic levels of air borne mold have not been established. An individual air sample for mold provides a “snapshot” of what was in the air during the few minutes of sampling. The results may not be indicative of the amount of mold that is in the air during most of the day.
"Air sampling for mold should be done either to obtain an answer to a question that cannot be answered without the air sampling or to obtain data as part of a research project. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists do not recommend routine air testing for mold."
In terms of cleaning up with bleach, which is what HISD had some poor maintenance people do, this is what Dr. Yost says:
"Although bleach will kill and decolorize mold, it does not remove mold. Dead mold can still cause allergic reactions. It is not necessary to kill mold to remove mold. Soap and water and scrubbing can remove mold from hard surfaces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the New York City Health Department agree that bleach or other biocides should not routinely be used to clean up mold."
There are more than 100,000 different types of mold. Everyone will not react the same way to every type of mold. Some people may not react at all. Some molds produce powerful chemicals called “mycotoxins” that can produce illness in animals and people. Scientific knowledge about the health effects of these toxins on humans is quite limited. Now, if you are a mold expert, then please give specific scientific information as to why you think that air testing tells the complete story. Otherwise, educate yourself before making comments such as you did.
http://www.realtor.org/realtororg.nsf/pages/moldfaq
9/28/2007 6:55:12 PM
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JSKY wrote:
"Nancy Burton, an industrial hygiene expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the specific cause of the illnesses probably will not be determined."
I've lost all faith in the CDC. I can't believe they couldn't find something that wasn't there. It must be tough to have to use a lame as* excuse like blaming it on the A/C.
9/28/2007 6:44:23 PM
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surrog8 wrote:
assume; specific cause of the illnesses probably will not be determined; could; won't issue a formal report for several months; could not determine whether Key was unsafe when students were there over the past several weeks; building could have been unsafe; for me it was not a problem; it's possible.
Geez, now I'm totally convinced. LOL
Mass Hysteria
9/28/2007 6:39:56 PM
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Comity_Guy wrote:
"But, she said, during the two days she visited, the building could have been unsafe for people sensitive to poor air quality."
What about people sensitive to poor quality education? Where can they go if they can't afford to move to the suburbs or pay private school tuition?
9/28/2007 6:38:25 PM
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swaregirl wrote:
I find it interesting that the CDC has found mold in the air conditioning system at Key Middle school. They also found mold in carpet. They found other mold sources. So those Black folks WERE NOT trying to get something for nothing. The teachers and children were being made ill from something that was real.
Why didn't HISD's "experts" find it? As I stated before there are different methods to test for molds, the air test being the least reliable, according to mold experts.
All you people, especially you "Christians", need to repent for falsely accusing and judging the people you accused of trying to get something for nothing and pray that those affected by the mold have a full and speedy recovery. That would be the Christian thing to do. Unless your Christian charity is reserved only for a select few.
CDC Finds Issues At Key Middle School
Burton said the team found scattered mold, high levels of humidity, water getting i, and issues with the ventilation system. Part of the problem, she said, was improper maintenance.
HISD spokesman Terry Abbott would not respond directly to the findings, but said now they're working to fix the problems
"You can always do things better, sure," said Abbott. "We've done a lot of maintenance on the building, and there's a lot that we'll continue to do."
The CDC asked the district to focus on specific areas: stop the leaks, clean the rest of the mold, stop moisture from coming in and balance the ventilation system.
But what about the tests HISD ran that they said showed no problem?
CDC officials said HISD's tests weren't necessarily inaccurate, they just were not broad enough to find all the issues.
"The small sampling they took looked at mold but it did not look at any other factors," Burton said.
http://www.click2houston.com/education/14225128/detail.html
9/28/2007 6:34:34 PM
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reefrat wrote:
There has still been nothing found "wrong" with the school. Every building in Houston is "humid".
Anyone can speculate on what "could" have "possibly" happened as did this CDC worker, but that's all it is. Speculation. She also did a nice job laying the groundwork for their ultimate failure to find anything by saying it's likely no specific cause will ever be found.
Test the air. It's either clean or it's not clean. In order to get into a teacher's lungs the molecules have to first pass through the air. If they are present they can be tested for. It isn't voodoo.
9/28/2007 6:32:52 PM
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gTRAY wrote:
Where are all the haters that posted here and said nothing was wrong at the school ?
They said janotors, teachers and students were just trying to get a day off or get some grounds for a lawsuit.
9/28/2007 6:13:01 PM
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Born2AskWhy wrote:
"Until today, the administration had not conceded publicly that something at Key might be making employees sick."
Perhaps it was the "visible mold"?
9/28/2007 6:11:38 PM
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