Another mold story from Salem, MA - also shoddy construction

[Guest guest]

News

Home oil spill creates dilemma for lawmakers

By Cassidy

Staff writer

DANVERS — Since Tim Creamer and his family discovere

an oil spill beneath their newly purchased ranch

house, jus 14 hours after moving in, the Lynnfield

science teacher ha taken his story nearly everywhere

— onto the newscasts o Boston TV stations, to local

selectmen, to the Board of Healt and to the offices

of U.S. senators

The soil underneath Creamer's house has been saturated

with oil for years — long before he bought it in

October, he said. He didn't know about the problem

when he bought the house, but that doesn't matter. He

owns it now, and the state Department of Environmental

Protection says he's responsible for the cleanup.

Creamer plans to sue to recover the costs, which could

run into hundreds of thousands of dollars if he has to

tear the house down to treat the soil beneath it.

But he also wants action from the Statehouse.

" There has to be some kind of fund set up to help

people with this, " Creamer said. " It's not a $2,000 or

$3,000 problem, like if your heater blows or your roof

comes off. This is a problem that can cost as much as

the house itself. "

But it has left lawmakers with something of a dilemma.

To what extent should taxpayers foot the bill to clean

up contamination on private property — particularly

when it could have been caused by shoddy construction

or shoddy maintenance?

" This is an area that's treading new ground for the

Legislature, " said state Rep. Theodore Speliotis,

D-Danvers, who has received several phone calls about

the issue.

Creamer's problem is far from unique. Massachusetts

sees an average of 300 to 400 residential oil spills

every year, according to the Department of

Environmental Protection. In Danvers, at least three

homes in the Woodvale neighborhood where Creamer

bought his house have experienced similar leaks. The

problem has been serious enough to grab the attention

of state legislators, who are now wondering whether

government should pitch in to bail out cash-strapped

homeowners.

'Far more frequent'

Speliotis is backing legislation that would set up a

state trust fund to help families with costly oil

cleanups. The proposal is similar to a program set up

in Maine and Vermont that assists homeowners based on

financial need, he said.

Similar legislation, which already passed the state

Senate, would require Massachusetts homeowners with

oil tanks to upgrade their systems by 2009. It would

also force insurers to provide coverage for the cost

of cleaning up home heating oil spills, up to $25,000.

" The reality is this is becoming far more frequent in

my district, " he said. " What I'd like to do is not

leave these people helpless. "

But oil spills are not the only environmental hazard

that can hit homeowners — and helpless is exactly how

West Peabody resident Sonya Calvino felt when her own

disaster struck.

For two years, Calvino developed mysterious illnesses

that left her and her doctor puzzled. She came down

with bronchitis and pneumonia. She battled sinus

infections. Her breathing became labored.

" I was tired all the time, " Calvino, 42, said. " I had

no energy. I had a lot of headaches. My neck and

shoulder and my whole right side was really bothering

me. "

Fearing she might be suffering from lymphoma, a type

of cancer, doctors removed her lymph nodes and

conducted biopsies on her tongue and tonsils. But the

problems lingered.

Then, after her symptoms suddenly cleared up during a

two-week trip to Florida, Calvino's doctor began to

suspect her health problems had something to do with

her house.

" We found out the house had a lot of problems with it,

and it probably was the cause of a high percentage of

the things she had gone through, " said her physician,

Dr. Mark Allara.

Workers inspected Calvino's home and drilled holes in

the floorboard. That's when they made the unsettling

discovery — mold.

" It was under the floors. It was in the walls. It was

everywhere, " she said.

Insurers off the hook?

Calvino believes the mold grew from tiny holes in the

underground pipes that slowly leaked and trapped water

underground. Over time, it spread into the walls,

exposing Calvino to a serious health risk.

Her father, Al, who owns the house, paid to tear it

down and clean up the mold. But it came at an

exorbitant price — $300,000.

Even though she lived atop one of the highest points

in the city, Calvino's home insurance company refused

to pay for the cleanup because it felt the mold could

have been caused by groundwater, she said. And with no

avenues for legal action, Calvino's father was forced

to bear the cost himself. She was lucky that he could

do it.

" Most people don't have the money to replace their

home, " Speliotis said. " They're caught in an

incredible bind. "

And that leaves state lawmakers asking themselves what

role — if any — government should play in helping

homeowners overwhelmed by the astronomical cost of

their flawed homes.

" I'm not prepared to write legislation that's going to

let the insurance companies off the hook and let

taxpayers pick up the cost, " Speliotis said.

" We're in the process of saying, 'What in the realm of

local government is our role in this situation and

where should we be going?' We're still in that stage. "

Government relief may come too late for the Creamers

and Calvinos. But Creamer said he hopes something can

be done to help families facing similar problems in

the future.

" If you buy a $250 car, there's a lemon law protecting

you, " Creamer said. " For a piece of property that's

worth 2,000 times as much, there's no such thing. "

Staff writer Cassidy can be reached at (978)

338-2526 or by e-mail at ccassidy@....

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

this is what bothers me, where is the homeowners insurance at threw

this, damn, we pay home owners insurance to protect us from natureal

hazards! natureal hazards are acts of nature that harm our health.

mold is a act of

nature!

--- In , dottykalm <dottykalm@...>

wrote:

>

> News

> Home oil spill creates dilemma for lawmakers

>

>

> By Cassidy

> Staff writer

>

>

> DANVERS — Since Tim Creamer and his family discovere

> an oil spill beneath their newly purchased ranch

> house, jus 14 hours after moving in, the Lynnfield

> science teacher ha taken his story nearly everywhere

> — onto the newscasts o Boston TV stations, to local

> selectmen, to the Board of Healt and to the offices

> of U.S. senators

>

> The soil underneath Creamer's house has been saturated

> with oil for years — long before he bought it in

> October, he said. He didn't know about the problem

> when he bought the house, but that doesn't matter. He

> owns it now, and the state Department of Environmental

> Protection says he's responsible for the cleanup.

>

> Creamer plans to sue to recover the costs, which could

> run into hundreds of thousands of dollars if he has to

> tear the house down to treat the soil beneath it.

>

> But he also wants action from the Statehouse.

>

> " There has to be some kind of fund set up to help

> people with this, " Creamer said. " It's not a $2,000 or

> $3,000 problem, like if your heater blows or your roof

> comes off. This is a problem that can cost as much as

> the house itself. "

>

> But it has left lawmakers with something of a dilemma.

> To what extent should taxpayers foot the bill to clean

> up contamination on private property — particularly

> when it could have been caused by shoddy construction

> or shoddy maintenance?

>

> " This is an area that's treading new ground for the

> Legislature, " said state Rep. Theodore Speliotis,

> D-Danvers, who has received several phone calls about

> the issue.

>

> Creamer's problem is far from unique. Massachusetts

> sees an average of 300 to 400 residential oil spills

> every year, according to the Department of

> Environmental Protection. In Danvers, at least three

> homes in the Woodvale neighborhood where Creamer

> bought his house have experienced similar leaks. The

> problem has been serious enough to grab the attention

> of state legislators, who are now wondering whether

> government should pitch in to bail out cash-strapped

> homeowners.

>

> 'Far more frequent'

>

> Speliotis is backing legislation that would set up a

> state trust fund to help families with costly oil

> cleanups. The proposal is similar to a program set up

> in Maine and Vermont that assists homeowners based on

> financial need, he said.

>

> Similar legislation, which already passed the state

> Senate, would require Massachusetts homeowners with

> oil tanks to upgrade their systems by 2009. It would

> also force insurers to provide coverage for the cost

> of cleaning up home heating oil spills, up to $25,000.

>

> " The reality is this is becoming far more frequent in

> my district, " he said. " What I'd like to do is not

> leave these people helpless. "

>

> But oil spills are not the only environmental hazard

> that can hit homeowners — and helpless is exactly how

> West Peabody resident Sonya Calvino felt when her own

> disaster struck.

>

> For two years, Calvino developed mysterious illnesses

> that left her and her doctor puzzled. She came down

> with bronchitis and pneumonia. She battled sinus

> infections. Her breathing became labored.

>

> " I was tired all the time, " Calvino, 42, said. " I had

> no energy. I had a lot of headaches. My neck and

> shoulder and my whole right side was really bothering

> me. "

>

> Fearing she might be suffering from lymphoma, a type

> of cancer, doctors removed her lymph nodes and

> conducted biopsies on her tongue and tonsils. But the

> problems lingered.

>

> Then, after her symptoms suddenly cleared up during a

> two-week trip to Florida, Calvino's doctor began to

> suspect her health problems had something to do with

> her house.

>

> " We found out the house had a lot of problems with it,

> and it probably was the cause of a high percentage of

> the things she had gone through, " said her physician,

> Dr. Mark Allara.

>

> Workers inspected Calvino's home and drilled holes in

> the floorboard. That's when they made the unsettling

> discovery — mold.

>

> " It was under the floors. It was in the walls. It was

> everywhere, " she said.

>

> Insurers off the hook?

>

> Calvino believes the mold grew from tiny holes in the

> underground pipes that slowly leaked and trapped water

> underground. Over time, it spread into the walls,

> exposing Calvino to a serious health risk.

>

> Her father, Al, who owns the house, paid to tear it

> down and clean up the mold. But it came at an

> exorbitant price — $300,000.

>

> Even though she lived atop one of the highest points

> in the city, Calvino's home insurance company refused

> to pay for the cleanup because it felt the mold could

> have been caused by groundwater, she said. And with no

> avenues for legal action, Calvino's father was forced

> to bear the cost himself. She was lucky that he could

> do it.

>

> " Most people don't have the money to replace their

> home, " Speliotis said. " They're caught in an

> incredible bind. "

>

> And that leaves state lawmakers asking themselves what

> role — if any — government should play in helping

> homeowners overwhelmed by the astronomical cost of

> their flawed homes.

>

> " I'm not prepared to write legislation that's going to

> let the insurance companies off the hook and let

> taxpayers pick up the cost, " Speliotis said.

>

> " We're in the process of saying, 'What in the realm of

> local government is our role in this situation and

> where should we be going?' We're still in that stage. "

>

> Government relief may come too late for the Creamers

> and Calvinos. But Creamer said he hopes something can

> be done to help families facing similar problems in

> the future.

>

> " If you buy a $250 car, there's a lemon law protecting

> you, " Creamer said. " For a piece of property that's

> worth 2,000 times as much, there's no such thing. "

>

> Staff writer Cassidy can be reached at (978)

> 338-2526 or by e-mail at ccassidy@...

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>