Re: School to face more mold tests

[Guest guest]

Thanks KC.

[] School to face more mold tests

> Wednesday, January 11, 2006

>

> School to face more mold tests

>

> http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

> AID=/20060111/METRO01/601110377/1006

>

> New round planned at Dearborn's to allay fears about musty

> odor that began last year.

>

> Darren A. Nichols / The Detroit News

>

> Jan. 23: School board will review the qualifications of Boelter &

> Yates Inc. and Partridge Consulting.

> Feb. 13: A decision on an environmental firm could be made.

> Upcoming: More environmental testing at Middle School.

>

>

> DEARBORN -- School officials plan to commission a second round of

> environmental testing at Middle School, where some parents

> say mold and odors have sickened their children.

>

> The school board is set to review applications Jan. 23 from Park

> Ridge, Ill.-based Boelter & Yates Inc. and Partridge

> Consulting of Birmingham on their credentials for conducting the

> testing. If members have no further questions, a firm could be

> chosen at the Feb. 13 meeting.

>

> Three other experts have reviewed data originally taken by Testing

> Engineers and Consultants Inc. of Rochester. Each said the building

> is safe, but some parents aren't convinced.

>

> " We continue to work on this problem, bringing in additional medical

> experts, now bring in additional environmental teams to get this

> problem solved, " district spokesman Mustonen said Tuesday.

>

> " Obviously, hundreds of kids are going to that school with no

> problems. (But) whether it's five or 10 or hundreds, whatever that

> number of students it is, it's important to correct that problem.

> Otherwise, we would have stopped long ago. "

>

> Mustonen said the district has spent more than $100,000 since the

> issue first surfaced in fall 2004.

>

> He was unable to estimate how much the new set of environmental

> testing would cost the school district.

>

> Complaints of a musty smell started more than a year ago and were

> followed by concerns that mold could be causing students' headaches

> and respiratory problems.

>

> In fall 2004, the middle school, which has about 650 students, was

> tested for environmental hazards. Samples taken found no signs of

> airborne mold spores.

>

> The most recent expert to review the data was Rosenman, a

> Michigan State University professor and national expert on

> occupational and environmental medicine.

>

> While saying the school is safe, Rosenman recommended that students

> and staff who suffer from asthma be allowed to transfer to another

> building.

>

> He further recommended monitoring the building's 10 separate

> ventilation systems.

>

> Rosenman's report was discussed at Monday's school board meeting.

>

> " It seem like they are going to go ahead and do (the environmental

> study). I would be very disappointed if they didn't proceed with the

> next step. It's necessary, " said parent Wendzinski, whose

> daughter may attend in the fall.

>

> " I'm starting to feel like we are spinning our wheels. Some of us

> are looking at some other option (like leaving the district), unless

> they get going in fixing it. "

>

> You can reach Darren A. Nichols at (734) 462-2190 or

> dnichols@....

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