UTSA reopens dorm after taking care of mold

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Express-News: Metro and State

UTSA reopens dorm after taking care of mold

By Matt

San Express-News

Web Posted : 08/24/2001

Nearly three months after toxic molds forced the evacuation of hundreds of

students from UTSA's only dormitory, university officials opened the doors

to Chisholm Hall on Thursday, just days before the academic year is set to

begin.

" This is a big moment for our students, particularly our new ones, " said

University of Texas at San President Romo.

" We wanted them to be able to start the year off right. "

Classes begin Monday.

Romo said the 509-bed residence hall was given a clean bill of health

earlier this week after air quality officials inspected the facility

following nearly 21/2 months of remediation efforts to eradicate the molds.

High levels of the potentially dangerous mold called stachybotrys

(pronounced stacky-botris) - a greenish-black organism that thrives on water

and construction materials - were discovered in the dorm last semester.

Along with minor symptoms attributed to most molds, such as runny noses,

sneezing and allergylike symptoms, stachybotrys also is believed to produce

toxins that can cause memory or mood changes, or flulike reactions such as

fatigue, sore throats and headaches.

Romo ordered that the residence hall be evacuated May 3 - just two days

before final exams were to begin - after mold samples taken from the dorm

proved to be stachybotrys.

Students were housed in nearby hotels, shuttled to and from the campus, and

given food vouchers for the remainder of the school year.

Because the evacuation was ordered abruptly, students were unable to

retrieve many of their belongings.

Several days later, the university allowed students to return to their rooms

briefly so they could label their belongings, which later were cleaned,

sanitized and returned to the students at UTSA's expense.

Romo said the university so far has spent about $500,000 in costs related to

the incident.

He acknowledged Thursday that the university still is trying to reconcile

claims with some students.

Within days of the evacuation, Houston-based Century Campus Housing

Management, which operates Chisholm, began a comprehensive remediation

effort to eliminate the molds.

Crews worked night and day seven days a week to replace plumbing and ceiling

tiles, remove carpeting, repair air-conditioning units and strip and

sanitize walls, among other things.

Changes also were made to improve bathroom ventilation systems.

Besides remediation efforts, Century Housing also repaired fixtures and the

dorm's pool, and repainted rooms, President Jim Short said.

Short estimated all costs at $1 million.

For their part, incoming freshmen roommates Estrella de Leon and Selena Rios

Valdez, both of Austin, seemed happy with their first-floor quarters.

" I was a bit worried, but I'm satisfied with what they have done, " Valdez

said, noting that her sister was one of the student evacuees last spring.

Added de Leon: " The (lack of) carpeting doesn't bother me. That means no

allergy problems for me. "

mflores@...

08/24/2001