Mold, Sick Building and Construction Defect Alert
Here's an update on mold, sick building and construction defect cases and news from around the country.
General Interest:
Governor's mansion woes: The Governor of North Carolina and the Governor of Louisiana have moved out of their official residences while mold remediation is completed and other repairs are made. The tab for mold remediation of the Louisiana residence exceeds $525,300. North Carolina first attempted to eradicate mold in the Governor's residence two years ago--but it apparently has come back. Click here and here for the stories.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contracted with the Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) to form a coalition of major players in the building design/construction and property management industry, including insurance and financial institutions, on indoor air quality(IAQ). A combination of EPA's IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) software and EEF's water intrusion and mold management program are providing new guidance for dealing with air quality issues. Commercial building owners and property managers who want to get mold insurance for their buildings can take the EEF mold course and become a member; the course is also being used by lenders as a requirement for their borrowers to have in place.
Researchers found flaws in the safety standard for brass used in plumbing. As a result, they say, some of the lead that crept into tap water in Washington, D.C., and other metropolitan areas may be traceable to household fixtures, valves and other components and not just pipes and systems further from the home reports Science Daily.
Texas:
After arbitrators awarded the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district more than $11 million for repairs caused by mold a builder settled with the district for $11.2 million. The same builder settled another lawsuit for $12 million for mold problems at Carrizalez Detention Center and a sheriff’s department administration building.
Georgia:
An arbitrator recently found a two story home in Marietta "unsanitary, unsafe and unlivable" and, in an unusual move, found Moore's home warranty insurer liable for repairs reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
South Carolina:
The parents of a former student are suing the Beaufort County School District, alleging their son developed respiratory problems from being exposed to toxic mold and fungus at the schools. The parents
are asking for the lawsuit to be certified as a class action on behalf of students, faculty and staff at the two schools who have been exposed to toxic mold and fungus and for a "medical monitoring fund" be set up reports the Beaufort Gazette.
Minnesota:
St. Paul's two-year-old Rice Street Library will closed while environmental crews assess and clean up a mold problem in the heating and air conditioning system reports the Star Tribune.
Ohio:
For the second consecutive year, potentially harmful mold has been discovered in the Warren County high school reports the Enquirer.
California:
Following a six week trial, a Los Angeles jury returned a defense verdict in a case alleging personal injury from exposure to mold in a single family residence, according to this press release.
Tenants in an apartment complex are worried that mold is endangering their health. Some tenants are dissatisfied with the repair efforts that have been made at the complex reports the Daily Pilot.
Tennessee:
"It was just fuzzy and black and green," is the way one student describes what's in her apartment complex which is a popular place to live for students at the University of Tennessee reports WATE.