The crawl space isnt really inviting. You dont go down there very often. Still, the wholehouse smells musty, and youve looked everywhere else. You grab a flashlight and take a peek. Right away, you can see the source of that unpleasant odor. Its there in the crawl space.

You know how to deal with the stuff under a sink. Do you know how to get rid of mold in a crawl space?

As a DIY project, crawl space mold remediation is usually manageable, but you have to be very careful. You need personal protection gear, the right cleaning products and plenty of patience.

When you tackle mold in crawl spaces, its dangerous for the same reasons mold thrives under your homes first floor. The area is dark, humid and badly ventilated. The conditions are ideal for a mold outbreak that can pose serious health hazards in a compact space.

Mold type is another health consideration.White moldin a crawl space is easier to remove than toxic Stachybotrys chartarum. DIY removal of this strain of black mold in a crawl space can be very dangerous to your health. Before starting your cleanup job, think abouttesting the moldso that you know exactly what youre dealing with.

When were asked about how to get rid of mold in crawl spaces, we always stress the importance of personal protection. Before you begin any DIY mold removal project, protect your health with an OSHA-ratedrespirator or face mask, non-vented goggles, heavy gloves and throw-away coveralls.

Wearing your protective gear, assess the extent of mold in the crawl space. Set up lights, and lay down plastic sheets to catch mold as its cleaned from surfaces. If the job seems too big, contact a mold remediation company right away.

Spray affected areas with afoaming cleaning productspecially formulated for mold removal. Allow it to expand and loosen mold, and then begin carefully cleaning surfaces.

Soak any remaining thin coats of mold with a homemademold-killing mixtureor mold-removal cleaner. Commercial products are usually more effective, and they often remove mold stains too.

Let affected areas dry, and then use a stiff bristle brush to scrub away any remaining mold. This can be a time-consuming process, but you want to remove as much mold residue as possible.

Carefully fold up your plastic sheeting, and seal it in a heavy trash bag. Dispose of coveralls, brushes and any other contaminated gear the same way. Keep bagged items stored outside until trash pickup.

There areseveral different waysto address crawl space climate, but a dehumidifier is usually the most effective and affordable solution. Consider installing a model designed to operate in tight places. Make crawl space inspection a part of spring and fall home maintenance.

As sure as you are of your DIY talents, dont risk taking on a job thats too big or too dangerous. We strongly recommend calling in a mold remediation service if:

Affected areas include damaged or rotted wood. Mold covers multiple areas larger than 3 square feet. You or any family members deal with allergies or respiratory problems.

Bringing in a mold remediation specialist also addresses issues like identifying and eliminating mold sources and repairing and replacing affected materials.

If you decide to take on mold in the crawl space, removal techniques are very important, so please follow our guidelines carefully. We want you to stay safe. Wear protective gear, and take your time. Let us know how your DIY mold removal project turns out by sharing your experiences with our online community through our Comments Section.

Dont hesitate to call us if you have any second thoughts about doing it yourself. We have years of experience withcrawl space mold remediationin Chicago and the suburbs. Our services cover residential and commercial properties, and our team members are industry certified in mold removal and remediation. When the job makes you think twice, call us first here at ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba.

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How to Get Rid of Mold in Crawl Spaces Like a Pro in 6 Steps

At a special meeting, Chris Arnold, the districts buildings and grounds director, told board members about high levels of mold found in certain areas of West Elementary, which make evacuation of all students and staff necessary.

The air quality in the school is safe, but mold in a tunnel and library at the school exceeded acceptable limits, Arnold said.

About 90 students in kindergarten through grade 5 and about 30 school staff members will likely be relocated to a local church building.

School district administrators have talked with pastors and priests about available space and have visited two of three preferred sites. They plan to visit the third one Thursday, Feb. 13, said Associate Superintendent Jody Thompson, who declined to name the churches because their councils have not been consulted and one site has not yet been visited.

It is unclear at this point if the roughly 40 students in the early childhood special education program at West will be moved to the same location as the other West students or to one of the districts other schools, Thompson said.

A meeting with West parents is planned for 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at West Elementary School, he said. At that time, he hopes to identify the new location the West students and staff will occupy, he said.

How long they will be in the new space is not known yet, because the extent of the remediation work that needs to be done is not yet known. It could be weeks or extend through the end of the school year, Thompson said.

Members of the West staff were informed of the situation at a meeting with Arnold and his colleagues on Wednesday afternoon, just before the School Board meeting.

The boards vote for a declaration of an emergency situation allows the school district to contract on a project without seeking bids, in keeping with the North Dakota Century Code.

All reports of building inspections are available on the school district website, Arnold said.

The cost of the mold remediation project is not yet known; it will depend on what workers find when walls are opened, Arnold said.

Similar work is needed in some other schools that have been damaged by extensive rains last fall.

In the recent past, two such emergency declarations have been approved by the School Board -- one in September for the repair of an elevator shaft at Red River High School and the other in December 2018 for the repair and replacement of boilers at Grand Forks Central High School and Schroeder Middle School.

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West students, staff to be evacuated for mold remediation - Grand Forks Herald

The School Board voted at a special meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12, to declare an emergency for mold remediation at West, which will be evacuated as a result. Neither the date for evacuation nor the new location have been announced. School district administrators and School Board members plan to meet with West parents at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at the school to discuss details regarding the evacuation plan.

The boards decision to deal with this situation as an emergency was the right one, Radha Panini, who heads the schools PTO, said in an email to the Herald. We are thankful that the School Board is addressing this and taking the action needed to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for the kids.

I am glad that at West they are taking preventive measures and evacuating students during the removal process to ensure that students are not exposed to any mold, Panini said. However, this is going to cause a significant disruption to the children and staff of West, and adjusting to a new environment in the middle of the school year will not be easy.

The boards emergency declaration, which covers mold remediation at any Grand Forks public school, allows the school district to contract with service providers without going through the bidding process.

Some have speculated that the emergency vote signals an underlying intent on the part of the school district or the School Board to eventually close the school. It's a notion Superintendent Terry Brenner emphatically denied at Wednesdays meeting.

There is no conspiracy theory, no undermining, Brenner said, noting that the evacuation is simply a necessary response to damage caused by excessive rains last fall.

We are pleased with the decision of the School Board about West, he said.

West Elementary was considered for closure earlier this year, but was saved by the boards unanimous vote to keep it open and include it -- on an equal footing with other schools -- in the overall study of the districts facilities.

Another West parent, Amanda Walker, said Grand Forks residents need to remember that West is an older building, and this is why were looking to pass a referendum.

The schools age, 71 years, however, doesnt take away from the quality education that the children are receiving, she said.

It is great that the district listened to its community and working on the (deferred maintenance), Walker said, but it is manageable to get the school back to where it needs to be.

Evacuation of West is necessary because exposure to mold can cause asthma problems and other issues, Chris Arnold, director of buildings and grounds for Grand Forks Public Schools, told the board Wednesday.

Also, steam lines at West are very old, very brittle," Arnold said, noting that workers could be burned if steam leaked. He intends to shut down the heating system and bring in supplemental heat during the project.

Air quality and mold inspections have been conducted by Lars Knobloch of Nordic Home Inspection, a Fargo-based business, with assistance from school district buildings and grounds staff.

Knobloch is very thorough, Arnold said. So far, testing has been done in eight schools, starting in November with Twining Elementary and Middle School at Grand Forks Air Force Base.

We focused on schools that got wet, said Arnold, noting that they are mainly those with crawl space or a garden view.

Because of their construction design, the citys three high schools and Discovery Elementary were not affected, he said.

An inspection at West, which was postponed twice due to snowstorms in December and January, was completed Feb. 3. After three lift tests were done, extremely high levels of mold were found in the library and in a tunnel near classroom 2, Arnold said.

Those areas were closed off Wednesday, he said.

The tops of library books will be wiped with a bleach solution to get rid of any mold spores, he said.

At other schools, the levels we found were far less, so they do not need to be evacuated, Arnold said. Century (Elementary) was barely over the threshold in one area.

The cost of removing moldy pipes at Century will likely cost more than $40,000, he said. A spray product will be used to neutralize mold; the product doesnt destroy mold but keeps it from growing.

Some School Board members questioned the cost of mold remediation, and the costs that come with it -- on top of other deferred costs that are adding up at the school.

At the school districts public forum Monday, Feb. 10, I heard from some who were not pleased with the boards decision about keeping West open, said Cynthia Shabb, School Board member. How far do we go with the cost of this (since) youre not sure how much (mold) youre going to find?

But, for West, the work must go forward, said Doug Carpenter, board member.

Whether or not we use it as a school, we need to get rid of the mold, he said. We need to take care of the first step.

The temporary location for West students and staff should include from five to eight classrooms, a kitchen and lunchroom, library, music room, space for physical activity, a small break-out room for groups to meet and an office, said Jody Thompson, associate superintendent for elementary education.

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West School parents see evacuation as necessary; they hope disruption at the Grand Forks school is minimal - Grand Forks Herald

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Rand Memorial Hospital on Grand Bahama is expected be ready for move-in by the end of next month, Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands said yesterday.

When Hurricane Dorian barreled its way through Grand Bahama and Abaco in early September, the monstrous Category 5 storm debilitated the governments ability to deliver health care services in the storm-ravaged areas.

As a result, 75 percent of the square footage of the Rand had to be taken out of commission, due to blackwater intrusion water mixed with stool or sewage and subsequent mold overgrowth.

In November, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Carnival Corporation for the remediation of the Rand Memorial Hospital, which has been shuttered since the passage of Hurricane Dorian.

Work continues at an impressive pace at the Rand Memorial Hospital, Sands said.

He noted that Ministry of Health toured the construction on Thursday alongside Public Hospitals Authority staff.

He noted that the construction showed considerable progress on the remediation which is expected to be ready for move-in by the end of next month.

In the aftermath of the storm, several international organizations,including Samaritans Purse, sent volunteers to assist with the deliveryof health care.

The Rand Memorial Hospital, the High Rock Clinic, health facilities inMcCleans Town and a number of east Grand Bahama facilities were lostduring the storm.

In the interim, there were Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) providingservice to a number of areas on the island.

Samaritans Purse extended its engagement until March. The hospital is expected to be prepared by its departure.

Sands also noted yesterday that efforts are being made to ease the overcrowding venue experienced at the Princes Margaret Hospital on New Providence.

The old Operating Theatre is being renovated to create a comfortable 22 bed unit, Sands said.

We expect that this newly repurposed space will ease the overcrowding at our nations primary healthcare facility.

There has been an ongoing bed shortage at the facility which has resulted in the suspension of elective surgeries on a number of occasions.

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GB hospital to reopen by the end of March - EyeWitness News

Eventually, even the best-laid carpets must be replaced. While regular upkeep can increase your carpets lifespan, most manufacturers estimate youll need a full replacement after about 10 years. And the signs you need to start shopping around arent always obvious. Here are a few ways you can tell your carpet is reaching the end.

Stains wont come out

Whether its from spilled wine or a new puppy, there are some stubborn stains that even professional cleaning cant get rid of. If theyre minor, you can typically hide them with area rugs or furniture. But if the damage is permanent and unsightly, its probably time to look for new carpeting. Homeowners typically pay between $760 and $2,540 to replace a carpet, according to the Angies List Pricing Guide. Per square foot, carpet materials usually cost an average of $2 to $7, though price can fluctuate depending on quality.

Foul odors wont go away

If you notice that deep cleans just arent banishing the bad smells, that likely means the issue isnt in your carpet alone it could be in the padding or floor beneath the carpet. How you handle the problem depends on the type of smell. If your pet is the root cause of the issue, youll likely need a full replacement. If you notice a musty smell, that could mean you have a water or mold problem. In that case, carpet replacement may be necessary after a mold remediation specialist takes a look at things.

Theres visible damage

Carpet damage can range from smaller issues, like a burn mark or two, to extensive problems like the mold damage mentioned above. If theres just a small area where the carpet is frayed, its possible for a flooring pro to help you patch it up. If your entire carpet was flooded with dirty water, or clean water flooding has taken a long time to dry out, replacement is the best course of action. A pro can also let you know if the damage extends to the floor beneath your carpet, and how to fix the problem before it creates bigger problems.

You have increased allergy symptoms

It can be difficult to remove dust, pet dander and pollen that embeds in carpet fibers over time. If you or your loved ones notice more sneezing, itchy eyes or coughing, it may be that the problem is beneath your feet. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or opting for linoleum or hardwood if youre truly concerned. It costs about $180 for carpet cleaning, via the Angies List Pricing Guide, and its worth a try before replacing the carpet.

The carpet is old

At a certain point, patching and deep-cleaning your carpet isnt going to do the trick. If you notice matting, fading color or that the padding just doesnt feel like its there anymore, its probably time to move on. If you see ripples or wrinkles, it is possible to have your carpet re-stretched. This is a more expensive repair, so discuss with a carpet pro whether or not it makes sense to fix the issue or get a complete replacement.

2020 Ask Angies List

Visit Ask Angies List at http://www.angieslist.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ask Angie's List: When is it time to replace my carpet? - WV News

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The Hampden County Courthouse in Springfield is one of the oldest trial court buildings in the Commonwealth. Some employees say the building is making people sick.

The 22News I-Team was sent a copy of an eight-page report created by an unknown number of employees at the Hampden County Courthouse. Inside, it details serious illnesses that they say other people got while working at the courthouse.

The Hampden County Courthouse, also known as the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, in downtown Springfield is nearly five decades old. For the past 15 years, employees have raised concerns about the health risks that allegedly come with working in the building.

This began in 2005 when it was discovered that four employees died from pancreatic cancer within a 10-year span. Then in 2018, these concerns were renewed when Judge William Boyle was diagnosed with ALS, just five years after Judge Robert Kumor died of the same disease. Both worked in the same office, one right after the other, and died of the disease.

The report says its like hitting Powerball, having two people in the same room, in the same building, coming down with the same dreadful disease, State Representative Angelo Puppolo said. Coincidences are one thing, but this is highly coincidental.

A third long-time courthouse employee also was diagnosed with ALS and died in 2017, according to the employee report.

According to The ALS Association, ALS is discovered in about two people per every 100,000. There is no known cause of the rare disease, but 10 percent of cases are inherited through a mutated gene, according to ALSA.

The employee report cites a Harvard University study from 2018 that found that people who were exposed to diesel fumes were more likely to get ALS. The employee report says that both judges and the third long-time worker had offices over what was, at the time of their employment, the entrance to the underground parking garage where diesel vehicles entered and idled. About a quarter of employees reported smelling diesel or gasoline-like odors throughout the building at some point.

The courthouse windows do not open but are known to be poorly sealed, allowing in moisture on rainy days. These poorly sealed windows make it likely that fumes from the garage entrance below also entered the offices of the person who had ALS.

Rep. Puppolo was a good friend of Judge Boyle and has been advocating for a new courthouse in Springfield for years.

Theres a ton of people that go in there, either work there or utilize, Rep. Puppolo said. My main concern is public safety and the safety of the people who work there. If there wasnt a case to build a new courthouse, I think this document outlines a solid foundation that the Trial Court needs to start doing it.

In 2018 after meeting with Hampden County Courthouse employees, the State Trial Court hired an environmental consultant, Environmental Health & Engineering, to test the air and water quality in the building. John Williams, Massachusetts Trial Court Administrator, told the 22News I-Team that these tests were run day and night for six weeks. They were testing for things that could be tied to the symptoms employees were reporting.

In a newly released draft report of those results, EH&E did not identify conditions that would support an environmental work-related cause for the cases of chronic health conditions reported in the buildings, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or cancer.

The draft report does say, though, that the building has mold issues, water damage, and dirty air ducts.

We tested the air quality, the mold is not in the air, Williams said. In fact, the mold inside the building is lower than the mold in the air outside.

The 22News I-Team asked Williams if the building was safe.

Theres nothing in the evidence that we collected that shows anything of concern, except we need to do better jobs of cleaning, Williams explained. There are some areas of mold, things like that. We need to get rid of moisture sources. We need to clean that up, and there are some better ways for us to do business.

Both Rep. Puppolo and Sen. Welch say they are concerned about what will happen to the day-to-day business at the courthouse when the clean-up projects begin.

If they do mold remediation, are they going to remove the employees from the building and put them in another? Sen. Welch questioned.

Employees still need to work, so we need to have some sort of temporary facility, and then look at either putting in another building right on that footprint or looking somewhere else, Puppolo said.

The state Trial Courts Capital Master Plan, issued in 2018 did not include the Hampden County Courthouse in Phase 1 of $3 billion in work planned for courts statewide.

If this issue was happening in Boston, they would have built two courthouses, State Senator James Welch said. We should be able to, as a Commonwealth, ensure that when we ask people to show up to work in a state building, its safe and its healthy.

As we prioritized things, health issues were among the major concerns, and at the time, we didnt have those things sort of front and center in what was found for immediate action, Williams said.

According to Williams, the Trial Court will be investing more than $300 million into the Hampden County Courthouse, mostly in Phase 2 of the Master Plan, which will begin several years from now.

Its Springfields time right now, Rep. Puppolo said. This building certainly has outlived its usefulness and, more importantly, outlived its safeness.

The employee report mentions physically testing people who work in the courthouse for heavy metals. Williams said the trial court is working to coordinate blood and urine tests for all employees.

One of the recommendations is to have an occupational health professional to coordinate counseling employees on next steps, Williams explained. We think blood and urine samples should be done in that framework. Then, we can have a health professional receive those results, aggregate them, and tell if there are patterns.

Still, employees say their health concerns are serious, and they are being minimized or ignored by the State Trial Court.

Representative Puppulo is now calling for a meeting between Springfield lawmakers, and the States Trial Court officials to discuss these health concerns. As of this publishing, a date for this meeting has not been set.

I dont think they (The Trial Court) are trying to brush anything under the rug. I think they realize its a significant problem, but its also a significant problem to deal with, Puppolo said.

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I-Team: Health concerns at the Hampden County Courthouse - WWLP.com

The Breathable Antimicrobial Coatings Market Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis Along With Major Segments And Forecast (2020-2026).

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EZ Mold Inspections now provides mold testing and mold inspections in Poway. The company now serves five cities in San Diego County including Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, Poway and San Diego, CA.

Poway, CA, February 3, 2020 -- EZ Mold Inspections now provides mold testing andmold inspections in Poway.The company now serves five cities in San Diego County including Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, Poway and San Diego, CA. Poway residents will benefit from the companys experience with more than two decades of expertise and insights in real estate and mold inspections.Poway residents deserve honest and ethical mold inspection and testing, which is why I startedEZ Mold Inspections, stated Robert Armstrong, owner and inspector of EZ Mold Inspections. We serve our customers with honesty, integrity, and superior customer service.EZ Mold Inspections only offers inspection and testing servicesand does not offer removal or remediation services. As a result, the company is an independent, third party with no conflict of interest. Clients can fully trust that they will receive truthful, honest answers if they have a mold problem in their Poway home. Poway homeowners can watch the companys video athttps://youtu.be/hEieC3QIeIsMolds are part of the natural environment, existing indoor and outdoor. But mold problems can develop in Poway homes when mold grows on surfaces that are damp or wet. If your home smells moldy but you cannot see the mold source, you might need a mold inspection to locate hidden mold. In addition, you might want a mold inspection if your Poway home had water damage or if you or your tenants are experiencing health problems. Mold could be hidden in many possible places.Poway residents may also want mold inspections and testing performed so they can have peace of mind that their home does not have a mold problem in the indoor environment. EZ Mold Inspections can help them find out if they need to be concerned about potential mold problems inside the building.For more information, visit the company website athttps://www.ezmoldinspections.comContact Info:Contact Person: Robert ArmstrongOrganization: EZ Mold InspectionsAddress: 39252 Winchester Rd, Ste 107-196, Murrieta, CA 92563Phone: (951) 401-0565About EZ Mold InspectionsLocated in Murrieta, EZ Mold Inspections provides mold inspections and asbestos testing services and serves communities in San Diego and Riverside Counties. The company specializes in residential properties including single family homes, town houses, condos and apartments buildings. The company was established by Robert Armstrong who has more than two decades of experience as a real estate and mold inspector in Southern California.

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Poway, CA Mold Inspection and Testing Services Added by EZ ... - Environmental Expert

It was an elementary school. For almost three years now, its been Phillipsburgs temporary town hall. And it may remain so for another year and a half.

The municipal government wants to extend its rent-free agreement for the Freeman School with the school board through September 2021. After that, all options are on the table, Mayor Todd Tersigni told lehighvalleylive.com.

The municipal offices moved in 2017 due to mold in town hall on Corliss Avenue. The arrangement through September 2020 allows the town to use the school and the district to use a bus garage, both at no cost except utilities. The same lease allows the Phillipsburg police to use the former Andover-Morris Elementary School as a headquarters.

In a recent report to the town council, Tersigni said he wants to extend the lease through September 2021. Schools Superintendent Greg Troxell said no formal action is expected at the boards next meeting on Monday, but it appears they are desirous to assist the town.

A desk is set up in an old Freeman Elementary School classroom in October 2017 as Phillipsburg's municipal offices move in.Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

The extension would give the town government more time to find a permanent solution. Before Tersigni took office in January, it had appeared town hall would return to the Corliss Avenue building after remediation. But the new mayor said he is looking at all kinds of solutions.

In a previous stint on town council, Tersigni advocated moving town hall to South Main Street, where it was until the Corliss Avenue building went up in the 1970s.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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Phillipsburg wants to stay in its temporary town hall another year. After that ? - lehighvalleylive.com

U.S. Rep seeks federal support for neglected State property

The residents of Tinley Park are left to wonder yet again when enough will finally be enough, as a new evaluation report detailing a December inspection of the abandoned Tinley Park Mental Health Center has raised new and renewed concerns over the neglected site.

The report, which was obtained earlier this month through a Freedom of Information Act request, indicated the Mental Health Center site nearly 280 acres, located along 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue, and made up of around 45 structures is rife with hazardous materials, while evidence also suggests people have used a portion of the property for shelter despite its current state.

The Village has long contended, with documentation from a 2014 hazardous materials survey, that there are as many as 95 drums of hazardous materials on the site which includes underground tunnels, 10 underground fuel storage tanks, five above-ground storage tanks, three landfills, 22 state-owned transformers and a lime pit with hundreds more containers filled with hazardous materials and buildings filled with asbestos.

What was discovered

Nancy OConnor is the Tinley Park resident who submitted the FOIA request that yielded the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency report regarding the Dec. 17-18 inspection. She and many residents have been concerned about the site for years. For her, the report validates those concerns.

This is far worse than I think anybody realizes, OConnor said. I think our EPA knows: It has to be cleaned.

OConnor said the site is rife with asbestos, black mold, possible mercury leakage on the ground, along with other hazards.

There are 122 barrels of unknown, unmarked contaminants on the property, she said. Three dozen of them are outside. They are not secured inside the building and buildings are not that secure anyway.

According to the IEPA report, a multi-media site inspection was conducted. The report stated that the last inspection took place in November 2016.

The December evaluation involved not only representatives from the IEPA but also the chief engineer of the Mental Health Center and representatives from the Illinois Department of Public Health though the report noted that Department of Public Health officials did not participate on the second day.

The inspection was conducted pursuant to a special request from Springfield, following a citizens complaint, per the report. Several environmental areas of concern were observed and noted by the Agencys inspectors.

According to the report, the inspectors did not enter many of the buildings because of the presence of asbestos-containing material or in some instances because of visible black mold.

But one of the inspectors had a respirator and was able to enter and observe the state of several of the buildings. In one of these instances, in the Water Treatment Plant, the inspector observed three pallets of aluminum sulfate, broken bags of potash, four dozen cans of paint thinner and old fluorescent bulbs still installed in the ceiling.

In the Transportation Building and Garage, the inspectors found metal drums containing oil and a plastic drum containing waste antifreeze, as well as 10-20 scrap tires on the floor. Also found in the building were paint cans, about 25 used fluorescent light bulbs stored on the floor, and propane tanks. On the second floor, inspectors found eight plastic 55-gallon drums most of which were not labeled, but two were marked as containing lithium bromide.

In a tunnel between two of the buildings Oak Hall and Maple Hall inspectors reported finding rolled up comforters and other bedding in the tunnel that suggested the tunnel has been used as a shelter by vagrants.

In the summary of observed areas of concern, the inspectors noted most drums were unlabeled and not all were stored closed. It also stated that there was asbestos-containing material located throughout all of the buildings on site.

In an attachment to the report, one of the inspectors wrote, It should be noted that much of the [suspect asbestos-containing materials] across the property is in poor condition, including some usually non-friable materials, such as floor tile and mastic, due to age, lack of maintenance, and exposure to weathering/water.

There were also many below-grade sections of buildings and tunnels running under large sections of the property. These areas are nearly all submerged due to lack of running pumps and looting of rooftop drain-system copper.

This report comes five years after the Village commissioned a survey of the land that identified these environmental concerns and more.

In 2014, Tetra Tech a consulting and engineering firm examined the Mental Health Center and produced a wetland analysis, a hazardous materials survey and a cost estimate as to what it would take to remediate the site. Tetra Tech estimated it would cost approximately $12.39 million to clean the site.

The Hazardous Material Survey noted that the firm observed various types of oils, chemicals, paints and cleaning chemicals stored throughout many of the buildings, with missing labels in some cases. The report also stated that outside of the Cedar Hall building, a pile of broken fluorescent light bulbs was observed and that it was likely that these bulbs contained mercury vapor, which was released when broken.

Waiting for answers

In November 2019, the Village of Tinley Park sent a letter requesting the IEPA act at the site.

The State of Illinois walked away from this property, its structures and all its contents in 2012, according to the letter. The State of Illinois left the property unsecured with no fencing, and has allowed brush and weeds to become overgrown, providing a natural cover to unauthorized entrants to the site. Theft, vandalism and litter on the site and numerous videos loaded onto YouTube of the site are evidence of such entry. Furthermore, the State of Illinois has not reported the sites hazardous chemical inventory.

The letter stated that the failure to act upon these hazards has created a threat of imminent and substantial endangerment to health and the environment.

The Village asks you to act immediately to secure the site with fencing and a locked gate, remove the overgrowth, contain the friable asbestos, prevent migration of hazardous substances through stormwater and remove the hazardous materials, the letter requested of the State.

Reached by phone on Thursday, Feb. 6, Tinley Park Village Manager David Niemeyer said the IEPA notified the Village that it was sending surveyors out to the Mental Health Center site prior to the Dec. 17-18 inspection. But he said it was not until OConnor sent him the IEPA report that he was aware of what was noted during the inspection.

The report kind of speaks for itself, Niemeyer said. Its really disturbing I guess thats the nice way of saying it. Were obviously glad they did [the inspection]. Now, we want to hear what their plan for action is to clean it up.

Niemeyer said the Village is actively trying to set up a meeting with IEPA to learn those answers.

The site has been vacant for 10 years, and it is in the middle of our town, Niemeyer said. The fact that something like this has fallen into this level of environmental problems and disrepair is really horrible. We just want it cleaned up. The fact that it has taken this long just to get a report is not acceptable. We want them to take action right away.

He said it is frustrating to the Village, because a developer recently had plans for the site that included funds to completely remediate the site if the State agreed to sell the land. But after a Chicago Tribune article mentioned the developer as having possible ties to a reputed mobster, the Village received a letter from Central Management Services stating that the department did not intend to sell the land to the Village.

That was their call, but we had a plan to clean [the site] up, Niemeyer said.

Niemeyer said the Village was sent another letter from CMS earlier this year, reiterating that the department would not be selling the land at this time. CMS Chief Operating Officer Ayse Kalaycioglu confirmed this to The Tinley Junction on Friday, Feb. 7.

As the Villages attempts to clean up the property have been stymied at every level, Niemeyer said it is now time for the State to fix the site.

The problems are only going to get worse, he said. Its very clear what needs to happen. The report outlined where the problems are at. Those problems need to be addressed.

Niemeyer said he realizes not everything can be fixed right away, but he wants to see action now not in two or three years.

Lets start to clean up some of the worst areas, he said. Thats really the action we are going to be insisting upon.

Meanwhile, after receiving the IEPA report from OConnor, Tinley Park Trustee Michael Glotz sent a letter on Feb. 4 to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, State and federal legislators, CMS, and both the U.S. and Illinois Environmental Protection Agencies. In it, he requested help from the governmental entities to address the problems at the Mental Health Center.

The Village believes that the results detailed in the IEPA report create an immediate concern for the health, safety and welfare of the Village and its residents, Glotz wrote.

His letter further states that the Village has been actively working since 2012 to remediate the environmental concerns at the site and to revitalize the property into productive use for the Village and its residents.

Glotz stated that despite not receiving any help from previous State administrations to clean up the site, he thinks the Mental Health Center area can become an economic catalyst towards the revitalization of the Southland.

Reached by phone on Feb. 5, Glotz said one of his biggest concerns about the site for both the residents or any first responders who could potentially be dispatched there in an emergency is the number of unmarked barrels containing unknown chemicals and fluids.

We dont know what is on that site, Glotz said. So, for the safety of our first responders, Im concerned about all the stuff that is there if, God forbid, something happens. That would put our firemen in a very difficult position.

There is no water on site, and, in the event of a rescue, theres too many unknown conditions to attempt [one]. A lot of the roads are overgrown with weeds, and the roads are in bad shape. We dont know if the roofs are structurally sound. There are no material safety data sheets, and there are broken mercury bulbs all over the ground.

I would be scared for their safety to enter any of the buildings under those conditions.

An expert weighs in

Michael Greenberg, a distinguished professor and former dean at Rutgers University, said he has worked on some of the worst contaminated sites in the country. To him, security at the Mental Health Center site is paramount.

The longer you leave it unguarded and unsecured, the larger the probability increases that something really bad is going to happen, Greenberg said.

He suggested constructing a fence around the site and having security patrol the area on a regular basis to deter anyone from entering the property.

If nobody can gain access to it, its [just] an eye-sore which I know the neighbors dont like and the town doesnt want, Greenberg said. But the first thing is to protect human health and safety. And that means denying access.

Greenberg said the second step would be to systematically go through each of the structures to find out the exact amount of hazardous materials in every area in order to prioritize which buildings should be remediated first.

It has to be done very thoughtfully and carefully, Greenberg said.

While Greenberg said the situation at the Mental Health Center did not yet sound like an emergency, it could become one if people can easily gain access and if no action is taken to remediate the structures.

The longer you let it go, the bigger the economic cost of solving the problem, and the greater the chance of a fire and a major spill, he said.

Kalaycioglu issued a statement on behalf of the department in response to questions from The Tinley Junction regarding the security at the Mental Health Center, the possible hazards at the site, and uncertainty from residents and the Village regarding what was being done to fix the issues there.

The Department of Central Management Services takes all health and safety concerns very seriously, the statement reads. CMS issued a lock-down policy for the property in November 2019, limiting access for the health and safety of all. Only CMS staff or CMS-approved visitors are allowed on the property with personal protective equipment. The department contracts with a security company to patrol the property. In addition, CMS is working closely with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on an ongoing basis to assess the conditions on-site and properly address any findings.

In response to a follow-up question, Kalaycioglu said the security team performs daily monitoring of the site.

Requests for comment from IEPA officials were not returned as of press time.

U.S. Reps seeks federal involvement

The emotion OConnor said she most feels when thinking about the current state of the abandoned Mental Health Center is anger.

Im angry that the State of Illinois not only allowed this to take place but [also] that theyve continued to ignore it, she said. They know it is an environmental hazard. They know it is a health risk.

She also suggested that the State is playing by a different set of rules.

If this were a private-owned property, the IEPA and the State of Illinois would have requirements that the private company would have to follow or there would be heavy fines against them, OConnor said. So, why isnt the State of Illinois held to that same standard? Why can they ignore the IEPA and a private company cant? Its wrong.

We shouldnt have to fight this hard to get hazardous property cleaned up in the very center of our town.

But help may soon be on the way, as a federal politician is getting involved.

On Friday, Feb. 7, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1) sent a letter to the U.S. EPA asking for it to respond to the problems at the Mental Health Center site. In the letter, Rush criticized the IEPAs handling of the inspection.

Despite knowing the concerns that have been expressed by community members, the IEPA evaluation team did not undertake proper precautions and were, therefore, unable to conduct a thorough and legitimate evaluation, the letter stated. Nevertheless, even their limited evaluation found widespread asbestos and black mold contamination.

Rushs letter stated that the EPA has stepped in to oversee remediation efforts in the past, including an effort to clean up an area in Crestwood.

While it is unfortunate that EPA must once again step in to correct inaction at the State level, we must not let jurisdictional issues prevent us from doing what is right: protecting the American people from environmental hazards, no matter where they live, the statement reads.

See the article here:
Report: Tinley Park Mental Health site rife with hazardous materials, may have been used as shelter - The Tinley Junction