Alvah Hardy II, Executive Director Facilities Services

Environmental Hazards Summer 2013

Definition of Hazards

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Mildew Mold

Definition: Mildew is a specific kind of mold, usually with a flat growth habit.

Mold is a fungi that contains multiple identical nuclei. It grows in the form of hyphae of filaments.

Appearance: Mildew could be downy or powdery: Downy mildew starts as yellow spots that first become brighter in appearance and then the color changes to brown. Powdery mildew is whitish in color and that slowly turn yellowish brown and then black.

Mold has a fuzzy appearance and can be an orange, green, black, brown, pink or purple in color.

Examples: Examples of mildew include Peronospora sp, Blumeria, and Podosphaera.

Some of the common molds include Acremonium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium.

Location: Mildew typically grows on damp surfaces like bathroom walls, leather or fabrics.

Mold typically grows on food source like paper, cloth, and carpet.

Definition of Hazards

• How is Hazard defined? – Lowest resistance sets standard, unlike any other environmental hazard. Professional

assessments establish comfort levels.

• What are standards of hazard levels? (excerpt from www.extension.org)

Are there any standards for how much mold is harmful?

Home Energy

Unlike other environmental hazards such as lead or radon, there are no federal standards for

how much mold is harmful. There are also no national standards for mold inspection. Since there

is not a clear "dose-response threshold" for mold (effects depend on several factors), it isn't

feasible to establish mold level standards.

• How are air quality tests evaluated?

– Comparison of levels between rooms and outside. – Professional consultant determines size of variance of inside air particles to outside air

particles.

Background information – Summer 2013

• What is different about this summer?

• Extensive rainfall in the state of

Georgia

• Anecdotal information from GDOE Facilities office

Our Experiences

• Buildings are not continuously occupied during the summer, especially when students are out

• There are limited personnel in the buildings on a regular basis

• There are minimal leading indicators of mold.

• Dealing with mold is something we are prepared to handle. We have well established mold remediation protocols

• This summer has seen extraordinary weather and environmental factors

Recent 2013 Remediation Efforts

School Resource Status Date

Jackson HS @ Coan Consultant Closed 7.26.2013

Scott ES Consultant Closed 8.2.2013

Hope Hill Consultant Closed 8.1.2013

Fickett ES Consultant Closed 8.2.2013

Brandon Main (Howell Mill) Internal resources Closed 7.31.2013

Thomasville Heights Internal resources Closed 8.3.2013

Jackson ES- Main Consultant Closed 8.6.2013

Bethune ES Internal resources No Action

Sarah Smith Intermediate Consultant Closed 8.5.2013

Carver HS- Leete Hall Internal resources Closed 7.25.2013

Sutton MS @ North Atlanta Consultant Closed. Cleared by Air sampling 8.6.2013

Humphries Consultant Closed 7.31.2013 – 8.3.2013

Washington High School Consultant Partially Closed 8.5.2013

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Abatement Protocols

• Identification – Odor, respiratory issues – Visual observation – School staff, administrators, maintenance, custodial staff. Reviewing protocols for confirmation.

• Evaluation – Engage professional contractor with appropriate certifications to evaluate the spaces, determine: ▫ Low significance – severity of growth, nature of impacted object, hard/soft surface ▫ High significance – severity of growth, nature of impacted object, hard/soft surface

• Remediation – Low significance – can frequently be cleaned by APS staff

▫ Wipe down surfaces with approved cleaning agents – High significance – cleaned by professional remediation contractor

▫ Wipe down surfaces with approved cleaning agents, vacuum soft surfaces like upholstery and carpet with high HEPA vacuums, apply approved cleaning agents to soft surfaces, re-vacuum and use drying machines to expedite drying time.

• Clearance for Space Occupancy – Spaces with moderate severity – cleared verbally and in writing by professional abatement

contractor after completion of cleaning – Spaces with high severity – air quality testing is performed to confirm spaces are clean. – Clearance for Space Occupancy and methodology of analyzing test results is a professional

opinion. There are no objective numerical codes or standards for air quality results

Washington HS water issues

Water • Water appears in the basement of the Auditorium Building. That is the Fine Arts floor with

Music and Art spaces. At one end, it is below ground.

• Drainage issues outside that part of the building.

• The water does not appear to be sewage. The water is clay red. Sewage is not typically red.

• Ran a camera down the sewer lines. Did not find a blockage. Sewer lines should be flowing. Odor • There are multiple bathrooms and custodial service closets at that end of the hallway. Each of

those rooms has a floor drain. The floor drains have plumbing traps to prevent sewer gases from entering the spaces.

• This appears to be two separate but related issues. Storm water and plumbing.

• Engaging civil and plumbing engineers to evaluate source of water in “basement” of the Fine Arts building

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Questions?