Liberty mold problem not severe, experts say

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February 16, 2006

Liberty mold problem not severe, experts say

By Yakin

Times Herald-Record

hyakin@...

Middletown,NY

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/02/16/news-hymold-02-16.html

Liberty - A pair of building consultants say Liberty's school

buildings are wet, but there isn't a lot of mold.

An audience of about 50 listened as they said this at Monday night's

school board meeting, but many in the crowd viewed the report -

ostensibly good news - with suspicion.

Building scientists Terry Brennan and Mike in of Camroden

Associates went through the schools room by room, checking anything

that looked like mold or water stains under a portable microscope.

They took tape-lift samples and sent them to a lab, but no air

samples were taken, which bothered some residents.

" It was just inadequate, " said Hibbert, a district taxpayer

who works as a home consultant and does mold inspections and

removal. " I cannot believe they would say the building is safe

without doing air sampling. "

Over the past few years, the district has had a significant mold

problem, particularly in the middle school. After helping with

cleanup efforts, a middle school librarian was stricken with

respiratory and immune-system problems triggered by mold that had

infested the carpeting, books and shelves.

Over the summer, at the request of the Liberty Faculty Association,

technicians from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health inspected all three schools and recommended extensive clean-

up and repairs. Since then, the district has worked to clean things

up. A major renovation project to fix roofs and leaks is planned for

spring. BOCES does quarterly air sampling.

Superintendent Lawrence e said the district hired Camroden to

get a third opinion for concerned parents.

" You really don't need a remediator to come in here, " in said.