Mold-Help.org - The world's largest TOXIC MOLD website
  • Mold Basics
    • Mold Overview
    • Mold Symptoms
    • Mold Types & Images
    • Fungal Infections
  • Resources and Tools
    • Home Care
    • Health & Diet
    • Tips for Parents
    • Coping with Loss
    • Private Research
    • Legal Suggestions
    • Mold in the Bible
  • Mold News
    • Current Headlines
    • “Sick Buildings”
    • The Environment
    • Construction Industry
    • Govt. & Politics
    • The Workplace
    • Landlords & Tenants
    • Insurance Companies
    • Schools & Institutions
    • Strange Fungal Tales
    • Personal Mold Stories
    • Additional Articles
  • Agencies & Experts
  • About Mold-Help
    • Mold-Help News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Black Mold Forces Relocation Of Staff

May 24, 2002/in Schools & Institutions, The Workplace /by Carolyn Willbanks

Imlay City – Black mold found in the walls at the Imlay City school administration building on Borland Road is forcing the seven-member staff to move into the middle-school library. The staff will remain at the middle school until every surface that mold could cling to is cleaned, Superintendent Timothy Edwards said. “The good news is it’s the smallest building we have and there are no students in there,” Edwards said.

A pregnant employee was the first to be moved when test results from Sanit-Air Inc. of Troy last week showed a high concentration of the mold strain stachybotrys. “She decided to get out of there as soon as possible. No sense taking any chances,” Edwards said. The finance department started moving out Wednesday, and the rest of the staff should be out by the last day of school, June 6.

The school contracts with Sanit-Air to perform air-quality tests in all buildings, and the mold was found during a routine check. Connie Morbach, environmental scientist and vice president of Sanit-Air Inc., said there are hundreds of black molds and the potential for serious health problems from this strain is unknown. “It’s a topic for debate,” Morbach said. “Just because it’s there does not mean you’re going to react. I’ve found it in more than 200 homes or buildings, and no one experienced adverse health.” She said all molds have the potential to aggravate allergies, but not all stachybotrys strains produce toxins. “Spores may and may not get into the air,” she said. “It’s wrong to assume because the mold lives there that we have serious toxic effects. It is a potential problem, and we should get rid of it.” She said this strain forms where there is significant water damage.

Edwards said there have been problems over the years with moisture from leaks around windows and flashing, and poor drainage kept rainwater from moving away from the building. He said the highest mold concentration was in the building’s north wall. Edwards said that besides removal of the drywall in that north wall, ceiling tiles and carpet will be removed. How much will depend on the extent of the problem.

Heating and cooling unit ventilators will be cleaned and sanitized so they are not blowing the mold. Edwards estimated the cost of cleanup at $10,000 and doubted insurance would cover the work. The school’s custodial and maintenance staff will do the work, using Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Boxes of old records that must be saved for up to 100 years were cleaned and moved to a storage facility at a cost of $730 a month for the next year. When work is completed, the building will be retested before staff members return. Edwards expects to be in temporary offices all summer.

School board meetings will be held in the middle school library, 495 W. First St., until the cleanup is completed, he said. Edwards hopes phone calls to the office can be transferred through the switchboard to the library.

Written by Berrnie Hillman

Carolyn Willbanks
Author: Carolyn Willbanks

Tags: mold, black mold, stachybotrys, sick employees
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://www.mold-help.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/moldhelp-654x300.png 0 0 Carolyn Willbanks https://www.mold-help.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/moldhelp-654x300.png Carolyn Willbanks2002-05-24 21:02:272019-03-28 01:41:28Black Mold Forces Relocation Of Staff
You might also like
Mold-Help logo Black Mold in Prisons is a Growing Problem
Mold-Help logo Mold and Renters - Who is Responsible?
House with moldy timbers Agents', Sellers' Responsibility to Report Mold
Mold-Help logo Allstate To Rein In Rates, Ceo Says
Mold-Help logo Dangerous Mold at Gainesville FL Apartment Complex
Moldy strawberries on a flat surface Handling Moldy Food

Mold News

  • Current Headlines
  • "Sick Buildings"
  • The Environment
  • Construction Industry
  • Govt. & Politics
  • The Workplace
  • Landlords & Tenants
  • Insurance Companies
  • Schools & Institutions
  • Personal Mold Stories
  • Strange Fungal Tales
  • Additional Articles

Latest Posts

  • Michigan Family Finds Toxic Mold Inside Home
  • California Winter Storms: Water Damage and Mold Exposure Concerns in California
  • Office and Commercial Buildings at Risk for Mold after COVID-19 Closings
  • COVID-19 Symptoms May Include Loss of Taste and Smell
  • New Mold Detox Information on the Horizon
  • COVID-19 Courses of Action
  • Stachybotrys
  • Simple and Easy Ways to Prevent the Coronavirus
  • Your Air Conditioning Unit Helps Eliminate Mold
  • Construction Workers Are Learning to Control Dust and Debris

Search Our Site:

Need Help with Mold?

Are you being affected by mold or other mycotoxins in your environment? Our team and community has over 15 years experience and can provide guidance. You can reach us by submitting your contact or through our Facebook page.

Have a Story to Share?

We're looking for stories and input to expand our database and to add to the personal experiences we've received from the thousands of victims over the last 15. If mold has impacted your life, please take the time to share your story. Your information is confidential and will only be shared with your permission.

Seeking Mold Experts

Are you an expert in the treatment of mold-affected health illnesses, or a provider of services to victims of mycotoxin exposure? Submit your information for listing consideration in our Agencies & Experts resource database.

Additional Resources

  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Survivor Resources
  • General Inquiries
  • Legal Disclaimer

© Copyright - Mold-Help Organization
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Mold Basics
  • Resources and Tools
  • Agencies & Experts
  • Mold News
  • About Mold-Help
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

OKLearn more

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Accept settingsHide notification only