Jewett Mold Report Shared at Jewett Meeting

By Michael Ryan

JEWETT - Multiple references to awful stuff like fungal spores, toxins and irritants were contained in a mold report recently prepared for the town of Jewett at its municipal hall and highway department.

While hideous sounding, they weren’t an immediate threat to public or employee safety, but they aren’t healthy either and have been addressed, according to town supervisor Greg Kroyer.

“There was no danger to anybody,” Kroyer said in a phone interview, noting councilman James Pellitteri and he contacted a remediation company late last week.

Crews from ServPro, an area mold remediation firm, were onsite as of Monday, June 23, isolating affected sections and doing what needed doing to make the place Mary Poppins spotless.

Amelioration in this case was relatively simple and work was expected to be completed by the end of this week if not sooner.

Inspections were done on June 5 by mold assessor Sarah Kinbar following a request for an assessment from Robert Mallory, the town highway superintendent and building custodian.

A 30-page indoor environmental evaluation was submitted, complete with detailed analyses and glossy photographs of funky zones.

Kinbar, in her report, stated the assessment was performed, “in response to water damage and suspect mold caused by water leaks.

“The rooms in the [highway garage] experience heavy water intrusion through gaps and holes along the bottom of the exterior masonry wall,” Kinbar wrote.

“The utility room in the town hall is experiencing heavy water intrusion from the exterior below grade wall. The presence of moisture is the principal risk factor for microbial growth and health effects,” Kinbar wrote.

“Mold growth leads to the amplification of airborne fungal spores and microbial fragments as well as microbial volatile organic compounds,” Kinbar wrote.

“Water-damaged materials often support microbial growth even after they are dry, and dead material (spores, antigens, toxins, irritants) can remain in such material for years,” Kinbar wrote.

“Exposure to elevated levels of molds can cause health complaints of allergy, cough and upper respiratory irritation,” Kinbar wrote.

“Even non-viable cell parts from bacteria and mold can elicit allergy symptoms and respiratory irritation in sensitive individuals,” Kinbar wrote.

“Some mold species can cause opportunistic infections in persons with compromised immune system function,” Kinbar wrote.

Getting down to the infrastructure nitty-gritty, the report states, “moisture readings revealed there is moisture in the [highway garage] exterior office wall, the exterior office bath wall and the town hall utility room exterior wall.”

Mold growth was spotted on several surfaces and the Recommendations section of the report states, “it is impossible to guarantee that all hidden mold has been located.”

The following scope of work was recommended:

—(In the highway garage office office) .Remove the lower foot of the rear and exterior wall, inspect the wall cavity for any visible mold, Inspect the exterior walls from the outside and inside to determine where the walls are not properly sealed allowing the flooding in;

Remove any mold contaminated materials that can be removed. Any surface or materials that cannot be removed should be thoroughly cleaned with a biocide. Repair and seal the walls to prevent further water leaks. Replace the removed materials and close the walls.

—(In the highway garage bathroom). Remove the lower foot of the bath wall behind the toilet. Clean all contaminated surfaces with a biocide.

When replacing the wall make sure there are no holes or gaps and that the wall is properly sealed.”

—(In the break room) Open the wood panel wall covering along the exterior wall and inspect for visible mold. Inspect the open cavity for holes or any other leak sources.

Clean any contamination that cannot be removed with a biocide. Make sure the wall is sealed before closing. Remove the wood panel over the base of the break bath wall left of the door in the break room side of the wall. Using a biocide clean the wall frame base. Close the wall base.”

—(In the town hall utility room) Pull all shelving and stored items away from the exterior wall. Remove the pipe insulation from the pipes along the base of the wall. Remove the lower 2 feet of wall along the exterior wall.

Remove an area under the minisplit where there is visible mold. Using dehumidifiers, dry the walls to below 17%. Address the water intrusion from the exterior wall by installing a French drain, digging the soil away from the side of the building, or remove the sheetrock from the exterior wall to expose the concrete and leave unfinished.

Clean any boxes are materials that were stored against the exterior wall. Using a biocide clean any contamination in the wall cavities. Consider installing a dehumidifier to run consistently.