Milford classrooms reopen after inspections for mold

April 6, 2001

Tuesday, March 06, 2001

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By Mrozowski

The Cincinnati Enquirer

MILFORD - Two temporary classrooms outside Milford South Elementary

will reopen today with a clean bill of health. They had been closed since

Thursday while being checked for mold.

" We responded to the concerns and evaluated the situation, " said

Superintendent Frye.

" The air quality is acceptable and safe. "

The search for mold came after parents, concerned about a water

heater leak in the temporary classrooms, contacted the Clermont County

General Health District, Mr. Frye said.

About 90 kindergarten students were relocated to other classrooms

last week after the health district informed Milford school offi cials the

water leak had to be corrected and the building had to be checked for mold.

An industrial hygienist from Environmental Quality Management in

Forest Park issued a 19-page report Monday stating that levels of fungi

inside the building were lower than levels outside the building.

Higher levels inside the building could have signaled possible mold

contamination, said Kominsky, vice president and director of the

industrial hygiene and safety division at Environmental Quality Management.

There also was no visible mold, he said.

" If that is indeed the case, they can go back (today), " said Dr.

Janet Rickabaugh, health commissioner for the Clermont County General Health

District.

The report is being mailed to her office, she said.

As a precaution, school officials had the modular classrooms cleaned

and the carpet replaced with linoleum where the water heater had leaked, Mr.

Frye said.

Milford South is the second Tristate school within two weeks to

experience mold problems.

Maple Dale Elementary in Sycamore Community Schools was closed two

days, Feb. 23 and 26, after the discovery of minor mold contamination in a

storage closet.

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