Permanent fix planned after mold found in Legislative Plaza

The stachybotrys chartarum mold doesn’t pose an imminent health hazard, state officials said.

“Panic? No. Evacuation? No. Health risk? No. Sinus irritation, make you sneeze if you’re sensitive? Yes,” said Connie Frederick, director of legislative administration.

Officials blame the mold on leaks that leave some parts of the plaza damp after storms. The Legislative Plaza offices are underground, topped by a stone roof that is the base of an outdoor plaza beside the War Memorial Auditorium. The state will spend $8 million to remove the roof, repair and replace it this summer when the Legislature is out of session.

The risk to people with asthma or allergies should be minimized, if not eliminated, by a temporary cleanup effort that includes “air scrubbers,” dehumidifiers, disinfectants and plastic “mold containment barriers” plastered over infected areas, Frederick said.

The temporary cleanup has been completed and results of an air test in the building should be available in about 10 days.

The cleaning and testing were conducted by Quantum Engineering and Environmental Services Inc., a Knoxville firm that discovered the mold problem in February.

In addition to the stachybotrys mold, two other types of mold were found. But the aspergillus and penicillium molds pose fewer health concerns, officials said.

In the past, smoking was permitted in the building and some complained of health problems. Last year, smoking was banned in all but three designated areas of the plaza. Earlier this year, smoking was banned in the state Capitol which adjoins the Legislative Plaza.

Nevertheless, some complaints have been received from staff and visitors since the smoking ban, said Burney Durham, chief of staff to House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh. Those complaints prompted the air testing that found the mold.

State architect Mike Fitts said some people may overreact to the discovery of mold.

“Every time somebody gets a cold, you’re subject to that somebody saying, ‘You got a sick building’ and saying that’s the cause,” he said. “But it is not to be ignored, in light of the danger it represents for some people.”

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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com