IAQ News

Fair Lawn lawyer pushing EPA to test, clean air at Ground Zero
NorthJersey.com - Hackensack, NJ
... [Robert] Gulack believes his ailments were caused by poisonous dust and contamination he was regularly exposed to at work. That's why he has joined 11 other plaintiffs in a class-action suit that he says is designed to force the federal Environmental Protection Agency to test and clean up indoor air near Ground Zero. ... Many lawsuits have been filed dealing with alleged illnesses from Sept. 11, and opinions vary about the extent of health risks posed by dust and debris from the Twin Towers. Gulack's suit focuses on workers, residents and students that may have faced ongoing exposure to indoor air contamination, as opposed to people involved in rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. ...

EPA scientists protest pending pesticide approvals
YubaNet - Nevada City, CA
... In a letter dated May 24, 2006, leaders of three unions ... representing 9,000 scientists, risk managers and other specialists asked EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to either adopt maximum exposure protections for [20 organophosphate and carbamate pesticides] or take them off the market. ...

Air purifiers not so pure; Some of the devices emit high levels of ozone, so state legislators are considering regulating them
Daily Breeze - Torrance, CA
... "Consumers take it for granted that someone has reviewed the safety of the product," said Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, who is carrying legislation to grant the board oversight powers. If AB 2276 is signed into law, California would become the first state in the nation to regulate ozone-generating air purifiers. ...

5i Team follow up on air conditioning scam
KPHO Phoenix - Phoenix, AZ
Arizona's Attorney General says if you think you've been the victim of an air duct cleaning scam, he'd like to hear from you. Terry Goddard says, "We absolutely need to know." Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is talking about air-duct cleaning companies that prey on your fear of mold. ... We received more complaints about Air of America than anyone else - a company that has estimated or charged $1500, $2200, even $4,000 for what some insist is unnecessary service[.] ...
See previous coverage: "Company makes money off mold fears."

Deteriorating Yonkers schools need as much as $500 million to fix
The Journal News.com - Westchester, NY
Yonkers' long-neglected school buildings are falling apart, creating health and safety issues for thousands who report to school each day. The repair bill, now nearly $500 million, is mounting every day. ... The need for a more aggressive repair program comes at a crucial time for Yonkers, which serves a student population that's predominantly minority and low-income. Twelve percent are diagnosed with asthma, which is exacerbated by damp indoor conditions; one in five students has asthma in a school that has had a leaky roof for years. ...

Nugent takes on insurance carrier in suit; Lawsuit seeks potential $1.5M in damages
The Jackson Citizen-Patriot - Jackson, MI
Rocker Ted Nugent has filed a potential $1.5 million lawsuit against his insurance carrier over mold and bacteria in his Concord home. Nugent and his wife, Shemane, contend Homeowners Insurance Co. and its associates caused them emotional distress, a loss of property value and other damages in their response to water damage to the house and barn in 2003. ... The Nugents and son Rocco suffered health problems from the mold and bacteria caused by water damage, the suit contends. ...

Study shows increased cancer rate near plastics plant
Akron Beacon Journal - Akron, OH
Cancer rates are considerably higher than normal in this southwest Ohio village where a plastics plant has released chemicals for decades, an Ohio Department of Health study shows. ... State and county health officials also have installed equipment to monitor air quality in Addyston and plan to test the community's indoor air quality as well.

Mold-fighting teacher helps school district clear the air
Contra Costa Times - Walnut Creek, CA
It was a letter that arrived via certified mail from Erin Brockovich's law firm that convinced English teacher Tanya Smith to keep speaking out about safety and health issues on her campus. The letter from Masry & Vititoe Law Offices made Smith realize the urgency of dealing with the mold and asbestos exposure on Brentwood's Liberty High School campus. At the same time, Cal-OSHA was in the process of fining the Liberty Union High School District $14,690 and issuing 13 citations for this matter. ...

Anchorage considers widespread ban on smoking
Anchorage Daily News - Anchorage, AK
... A proposal introduced Tuesday would expand the city's 2001 smoking ban to include outdoor sports arenas and stadiums, in-home day-care facilities, within 50 feet of hospitals, clinics, city buildings and schools. ... A public hearing was scheduled for July 11. ...

Former mayor rips handling of mold problem
Trenton Times - Trenton, NJ
... Former Mayor Doug Tindall said at last week's council meeting that different sources could have been consulted for examination of the building and would have worked free of charge, saving money. "It looks like we're finding an excuse to leave the building when we could save the building," Tindall said. Tindall also produced reports from a researcher he had hired, whose findings suggested it might not have been necessary to evacuate the building. ... Fried said that for years, the township had been putting "Band-aids" on the building rather than really fixing it, such as replacing carpeting ruined by water damage rather than fixing leaks. ...

Local 'angels' help out Big Easy; Episcopal, Catholic volunteers aid in recovery efforts
Huntsville Times - Huntsville, AL
Those of us from the Huntsville area who have joined work-missions to New Orleans this spring will long remember what we saw, but we have trouble describing it. New Orleans residents have even more trouble. ... all their possessions were strewn about and covered with now-dried slime and toxic mold. ...
See also "Rebuilding Gulf Coast" from the Hamilton Wenham Chronicle in Beverly, MA, and "Terris: Mold: An ever-lasting reminder" from the Concord (MA) Journal.

SBE Council applauds senators Specter and Leahy for introducing revised FAIR Act
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (press release)
... According to SBE Council President and CEO Karen Kerrigan, small businesses in particular will benefit from the protections offered by the revised FAIR Act. ... "Congress must pass the FAIR Act to ensure the end of bogus asbestos claims and to protect the health of thousands of small businesses," Kerrigan concluded. ...
See also "Bill lets 9/11 victims file asbestos fund claims" from Reuters.

Study compared air in 107 Ore. bars, restaurants
kgw.com - Portland, OR
The following is the Oregon Air Monitoring Project, a month-long study launched by the state Department of Human Services to examine indoor air quality in a sample of hospitality venues in Oregon. The study also looks at the the [sic] relation between indoor air pollution and the presence of on-premise smoking. ...

Church faces uphill battle in mold lawsuit; Word omitted from insurance policy sparks controversy
Mortgage 101
The Church of the Palms discovered extensive mold damage in one of its buildings, which is insured under an all-risk policy with the Cincinnati Insurance Co. ... Although the insurance policy omits the word "mold" in its exclusions, the insurer argues mold is a fungus, which is excluded from coverage, the judge emphasized. The church does not dispute that mold is a fungus, he noted. ...

Some HPD buildings mangled by mold, falling apart
KHOU - Houston, TX
... This is a story [the Houston Police Department] would like for you to know. It's a story about their buildings that seem unfit to work in. ... "The reason we have mold on the third floor is the leakage down from the roof," said Sgt. McCombs. There is so much mold that some of the offices have to be locked up. And the bathroom for patrol officers? A bad odor and lots of mold. "This is part of our problem," said Sgt. McCombs, "I am glad we don't have smell-vision." ...

Green building gets certification
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati, OH
... Melink [Corp.]'s new $2.5 million headquarters off Round Bottom Road as the first building in Ohio to achieve gold certification in the council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. ... The narrow, south-facing two-story building with lot of windows to capture as much natural light as possible has 64 panels on the roof turning the sun's rays into electricity, a geothermal system to capture the earth's heating and cooling, indoor air quality controls, water-saving toilets and urinals and recycling systems. ...

Hospital says water is free of legionella bacteria
Newsday - Long Island, NY
Three months after Strong Memorial Hospital determined that its water system was free of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, a sixth case of the pneumonia-like illness has shown up at the hospital. Strong officials said Wednesday that they don't know how the most recent patient caught the disease, which is contracted by inhaling infected water. They suspect the last two cases were acquired before the patients were admitted.

Mold affects apartments in Brockton complex
Brockton Enterprise - Brockton, MA
Linda Guertin's year-long fight to live in a mold-free environment is nearly over, but she says she will leave the Boulders apartment complex on Greentree Lane with a heavy heart. "I cannot sleep at night knowing people are so sick and others are going to get sick," said Guertin, 53. City officials said the complex has had a history of mold problems. ...

Valley to get roof next year
MaineToday.com - Portland, ME
Valley High School will get a state-funded new roof but not until next year. ... That means the district will have to survive another winter with a leaky roof that has caused mold to grow in the ceilings of the girls and boys locker rooms and the kitchen. ... The mold is not considered a health hazard although the problem could become one. Schools in other parts of the state have been closed because of dangerous mold. ...

Home sickness: Indoor air often worse; Our homes often seal up pollutants
Winnipeg Sun - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
... Our homes are tighter than ever, sealing us in with pollutants, biological - mould, dust mites, animal dander and bacteria - and chemical - cigarette smoke, heating or cooking appliance gases, building materials, furnishings and cleaning and hobby products. ... The Healthy Indoors Partnership (HIP), formed by groups to fight inaction on indoor air, has pressed Health Canada to take the lead on indoor air quality and fund research to probe the link between indoor air and illnesses such as asthma. It has successfully lobbied for the revision of exposure guidelines for substances like cancer-causing radon. ...

Smoke-free bars to see increase in business, survey says
Rocky Mountain News - Denver, CO
Coloradans will flock to smoke-free restaurants and bars like never before, once the state-wide smoking ban goes into effect July 1, a new survey released by an anti-smoking group says. The survey, by the anti-tobacco Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Alliance, indicates that 32 percent of those surveyed will be more likely to go out to eat than they do now, while only 8 percent will be less likely. ...

Disbarred attorney allegedly diverted $13.5 million from clients
North Country Gazette - Chestertown, NY
It is alleged that Louis S. Robles, disbarred in 2003, defrauded thousands of clients of settlement money from asbestos litigation. ...

Black mold affects Beale
Appeal-Democrat - Marysville, CA
Some Mid-Valley families have been driven from their homes to escape black mold. Beale Air Force Base officials have identified 59 homes in the last several years with black mold concerns, and those homes have been placed on an inactive list, according to Tech. St. John Asselin, a base spokesman. ...

Make those bunnies bite the dust
Daytona Beach News-Journal - Daytona, FL
... Poor indoor air quality can contribute to the development of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, according to the American Lung Association. ...

Rowley residents discuss options to keep their post office
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier - Waterloo, IA
... And now, toxic mold fed by a leaky roof poses health hazards for postal workers. The U.S. Postal Service temporarily closed the city's post office. Residents have 90 days from June 5 to submit possible locations to house a new facility, or else the office will close permanently. ...

Cleaning up a flooded home
Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota, FL
If your home has flooded as a result of the storm, there are two important things to keep in mind: Remember that floodwaters could be contaminated, and be aware that mold could be a health risk for your family. Take these steps to clean up and prevent mold ...

State looks into mold at Spring Valley Village Hall
The Journal News.com - Westchester, NY
The state has begun an investigation into the source of mold found during an inspection this week at Village Hall ... "There was a complaint of mold, and what the inspector is doing is looking for the source of it," said Francina Kitchen, a spokeswoman for the state agency. ... The village board took action in response to employees' growing concerns of health risks from water damage created by the leaky roof. ...

Parents denied school access; Mold a concern at Kings High; system fixes coming
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati, OH
... Kings business director Steve Waldmann met the women - and two men who identified themselves as air-quality experts - at the school's main entrance. Waldmann handed them a statement from a Kings attorney that stated officials are "not required to grant members of the public access to the operating systems and infrastructure of its school buildings." ...

Your workplace can leave you feeling ill
Forbes
Do you feel sick or run down every time you work overtime? You could work in a building that produces what health experts call "sick building syndrome." Poor indoor air quality or other pollutant and toxin problems can leave workers suffering from such acute health problems as eye, throat and nose irritation, headaches, coughing, dizziness and nausea. ...

Library working to clean up mold
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth, NH
Mold has been found in the basement of the Weeks Public Library. Currently the officials are "trying to determine if there's a problem and the severity of it," said Town Administrator Karen Anderson. Anderson said she met with two contractors and found a local company willing to assess the mold level and perform removal for free. ...

Tenants plagued with mold in apartments
CBS 13 - Sacramento, CA
In one neighborhood, residents with mold in their homes say they're being forced to live in unhealthy circumstances because they can't afford to go anywhere else. Tenants say that mold has ruined their clothes and has caused them health problems. ...

Orleans Parish Criminal Court reopens
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Seattle, WA
Nine months after Hurricane Katrina flooded the evidence room, drowned the electrical system and spawned a bumper crop of mold, the Orleans Parish Criminal Court building is reopening. ... Flood water from the Aug. 29 hurricane stood in the ground floor of the 1930s-era art deco building for weeks, leaving behind mold, soggy evidence and stench. The cost of the repairs completed so far is between $3 million and $4 million. ...