Mold business unregulated

[Guest guest]

Mold business unregulated

By Tony Quesada

The Business Journal of ville

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11197819/

Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET Feb. 5, 2006

JACKSONVILLE -- SkyeTec performed 26,000 inspections for mold in

Florida last year, even though none of its 29 inspectors in the

state is certified to look for mold.

It's not that ville-based SkyeTec's inspectors lack training

in how to find mold and its causes, president and founder Ted

said. It's that the state lacks a certification system.

Dozens of organizations offer certification in mold assessment and

remediation. But while respects many of them, he doesn't see

much point in obtaining a piece of paper that the state doesn't

stand behind.

" The only ones those certifications are recognized by are the

associations who give them, " said.

and other executives in the fledgling, multibillion-dollar

mold inspection and remediation industry say that without some form

of oversight, the business has been rife with fraudulent and

incompetent practitioners.

Many homeowners have been bilked for unnecessary repairs, while

others with serious mold problems have been left with unfinished or

botched work. And costly litigation has followed, along with a

retreat from mold coverage by insurance companies.

It's difficult to find anyone in the mold industry who disagrees

that regulation is needed. Yet only Texas and Louisiana, which

require licensure, have established standards for mold

professionals.

Florida could adopt regulations in the legislative session that

begins in March. A House bill creates a system for certification

that delegates that function to colleges and private entities, while

a competing Senate bill calls for a state-run system for licensure.

Similar efforts have failed in the past three legislative sessions.

Much of the concern involves how mold professionals are deemed

competent, including who trains them and how.

All agree the industry's potential is huge. But at this point in its

growth, it's hard to say what's more lucrative -- conducting mold

inspection and remediation or training others to do so.

An Internet search for mold remediation certification reveals dozens

of organizations, including for-profit businesses and nonprofit

industry associations, offering training that leads to certification

by them or affiliated entities.

Certification requirements vary. Some organizations have educational

requirements beyond the hours of instruction.

Seattle-based MICRO doesn't specify any educational or experience

requirements to earn certification through its Web-based

correspondence course. Instead, its Web site says, " a background in

the construction industry will prove beneficial when operating as a

certified mold remediation contractor. "

While the Indoor Air Quality Council administers a closed-book exam

with waiting periods before those who fail can retake it, MICRO

sends failed exams back to the takers with corrections and

alternative questions similar to those missed.

Some in the industry look skeptically upon training providers who

don't require a background in the field and who target their

students for sales. MICRO's online catalog includes equipment and

supplies, and it offers startup business advice and a boilerplate

hosted Web site.

MICRO founder Schatz, who recently sold the business to

focus on franchising another mold-related company, defended its

business model.

" There's nothing illegitimate about its approach, " said Schatz from

his Redmond, Wash., office. " Nothing prohibits it from selling

equipment. We never had a problem with the ethics of it. "

Schatz said MICRO is one of the most thorough mold training

organizations and can meet the standards for certifying entities

being proposed in Florida. He also said he supports regulation.

" It's too easy for people to be dishonest having a self-regulated

industry, " he said.

While most agree on the need for standards, there's less consensus

on what form they should take. Some believe a system for licensure

is in order, while others warn that excessive governmental oversight

will choke free enterprise.

Last year, Florida Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, and state Sen.

, R-Bradenton, filed bills to create requirements for

licensure. Both, however, were changed substantially by committees

into bills for certification.

The amended house version was added to a bill dealing with home

inspectors. That bill was passed unanimously in the Senate and in

the House with two dissenters, but it was vetoed by Gov. Jeb Bush.

Bush said he supported efforts to prevent fraud but the bill would

put " some legitimate and responsible employees out of business. " He

faulted it for grandfathering some home inspectors but

not " responsible and experienced " mold professionals.

Bush also worried about those who could not meet the training

requirements by Jan. 1 and said the bill did not establish clear

educational and testing requirements.

This year, has filed another licensure bill, while Domino

has reoffered the bill that Bush vetoed. The consensus is that

Domino's bill will pass, being more favorably viewed by most in the

industry.

" Philosophically, we feel the less involvement of government the

better, " said Bob Baker, president of the Indoor Air Quality Council

and chairman of Tampa-based BBJ Environmental Solutions Inc.

said it was clear last year that Florida's Department of

Business and Professional Regulation didn't want the role of mold

licensing agency.

" One of the problems we're having is determining who's going to

regulate it, " said. " That's the reason it died. We couldn't

find a home for it. "

Domino cited similar reasons for pursuing certification instead of

licensing.

" I have a feeling licensing won't fly, " he said. " There's a strong

resistance to putting in one more governing board. "

However, not everyone believes certification is adequate.

" [Licensing is] a better option than relying on associations to

issue certification, " said Steve Silicato, an executive at MARCOR, a

land-based environmental services contractor.

MARCOR was the first company to obtain a Texas license. Silicato

said the process was hard and keeps keeps out unqualified providers.

Like MARCOR, SkyeTec has employees who have obtained licensure in

Texas, but doesn't advocate Florida follow Texas' lead yet.

He said if certification proves to be insufficient, the state can

move up to licensure. It would be harder to go the other way should

licensure prove to be an undue obstacle.

said right after Texas enacted its licensing law it was

difficult for people to find mold contractors to do needed work.

But he doesn't fault Texas for enacting such measures.

said the mold fraud in Texas was so bad three years ago that

SkyeTec pulled out of the state for a while just to avoid being

associated with that activity. " It was a playground for anybody who

wanted to make money. "