Toxic Mold Hides in California Schools

Summary

Jamie Green, Superintendent of Trinity Alps School District, reached out to CBS13 to help investigate how dangerous breathing mold spores could be to teachers and kids in classrooms. And to find out why no one was doing anything about it. Mold in schools is often under investigated due to little or no federal or state regulations.

The answer – no required mold testing or indoor air quality regulation in California schools.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says they can’t set science-based exposure limits. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has not set standards for acceptable or normal levels.

Even more shocking, California does not require mold assessors and remediators to be licensed. And there are no federal mold licensing regulations.

Federal Regulations

The CDC and EPA provide guidelines for preventing, finding and cleaning up mold which are very helpful. However, there are no federal regulations to determine types and amounts of mold and the legal and remediation ramifications of mold infestation.

Recently, several states have passed legistation regarding tenant/landowner regulations, migration and financial ramifications.

Outcome

Trinity County Department of Public Health hired an Industrial Hygienist to test for airborne mold spores throughout schools in the district. The tests revealed very high mold levels. Now the Board of Education plans to set the nation’s first mold safety threshold for schools. Superintendent Green is calling on lawmakers to protect students state-wide.

To read the entire article written by Julie Watts and published by CBS13, click here.