Mold (sometimes spelled mould)is a type of fungi of which there are well over 100,000 species. The original thought that molds feed on decaying leaves and wood is only the beginning. Mold will consume anything organic if you add water or moisture: all plant products such as wood and paper which includes paper, drywall, furniture, clothes, flowers (dead or dried); all dead animal products such as house dust, leather, old meat, dog (and cat) feces. Mold tends not to grow on concrete, plastics and resins, glass, ceramic tile unless there is an abundance of dust covering it and good moisture conditions. It is molds digestive result (excrement) that emits a gas that emits that moldy smell. Some molds release gas that has been proven toxic.

Molds are a microscopic multi-cellular organism that for years were thought to be plants, even though they consume other organic matter. Then it was discover that molds lack that important plant ingredient, chlorophyll. This discovery has solidly placed mold outside both the plant and animal kingdom. The exact classification of mold has proven to be very elusive to scientists. Considering strange facts such as: mold does not have a stomach, can live dormant for hundreds of years and has been proven in tests to actually have a rudimentary intelligence. It is clear we are dealing with a very curious link in the Earths biota.

Mold is nearly everywhere yet is not seen to the naked eye until it gathers in colonies. Its growth rate once provided with with water or even a small amount of moisture is typically exponential. Visible mold represents a lot of mold. 1 million spores per square inch is not an unusual count in a growth colony. Regarding the inside of an enclosed area such as a house or basement disturbing this mold even with the slightest breeze can send tens of thousands of mold spores into the air and unto other non affected areas. That is why mold removal and remediation is done under such strict measures of containment.

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| Mold Remediation Information

As extensive cleanup efforts continue at Willowridge High School, Fort Bend ISD will begin posting daily afternoon updates on http://www.fortbendisd.com/WHSmoldremediation. The daily afternoon updates, posted at 3 p.m., will include general school announcements, as well as information about the continued remediation effort underway and efforts to support students and staff. Fort Bend ISD District leaders are currently finalizing plans for the start of the 2017-18 school year, as students and staff members will begin instruction at an alternative location on August 22.

Tuesday, FBISD Superintendent Dr. Charles Dupre released a video to the community, thanking them for the outpouring of support and reaffirming the Districts commitment to replacing items that have been lost.

As plans for the start of school are finalized later this week, details will be shared with students and staff members directly, posted on social media, and shared on the WHS mold remediation website.

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Update: Fort Bend ISD to post afternoon updates on WHS Mold Remediation Website - Fortbendstar.com

Willowridge High School

Willowridge High School

Relocation plan announced for Willowridge students displaced by mold infestation

Fort Bend ISD announced Wednesday that the students displaced from Willowridge High School due to a severe mold infestation will start the school year at nearby Thurgood Marshall High School.

The announcement comes less than two weeks before the first day of school and three weeks after Willowridge Principal Thomas Graham sent a letter to parents explaining that an aggressive mold infestation had taken over the nearly 40-year-old campus.

According the district officials, the mold ravaged almost the entire high school destroying nearly everything in it when the school's air conditioning was turned off for several days during construction earlier in the summer. The district expects remediation efforts to cost upward of $2 million.

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Willowridge staff has been housed at the Marshall campus since the mold was discovered in early July.

"Marshall High School has done a tremendous job of welcoming us into the campus and helping us in our time of need," said Graham in a video posted by the district Wednesday. "By having all of our students on one campus under one roof we can ensure that all of those educational needs are met during this very difficult time."

Thurgood Marshall High School Principal Alfred Holland said in the district video that students of the two high schools, which are about five miles from each other in Missouri City, already interact with each other in the community.

"They hang out on weekends together; they go to church together," Holland said. "So I think that this opportunity will help to bring the students even closer together in that they will be under the same roof to interact even more so."

Graham added that the two student bodies will become one as long as the Willowridge students are housed on the Marshall campus.

"For this transitional time, we will not have Willowridge students and we will not have Marshall students," he said. "We will have students that we will all service."

Fort Bend ISD will hold a community town hall meeting and celebration to share further details about the remediation and transitional plan next Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at Marshall High School, 1220 Buffalo Run in Missouri City.

The district has created a page on its website about the Willowridge remediation and relocation that it is updated daily at 3 p.m.

See the article here:
Relocation plan announced for Willowridge students displaced by ... - Chron.com

Rockwall County commissioners have taken another step to deal with issues that shut down the west wing of the Rockwall County Detention Center about six months ago.

County Judge David Sweet and commissioners Cliff Sevier and Lee Gilbert the only members of the court present for the Tuesday meeting voted to seek bids for a mold remediation project and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) replacement in the wing.

Mold in ductwork forced closure of the detention centers west wing about six months ago. The west wing normally houses 48 prisoners. Inmates have been transferred to Henderson County jail facilities on an as needed or overflow basis.

County Auditor Lisa Constant Wyle told commissioners Tuesday that an architect hired by the county had drawn up documents for the bids process.

County Maintenance Director Barry Compton is hopeful that going out for separate bids will work best from a time standpoint.

He told commissioners of how he would like both projects to flow:

It looks like what were going to hopefully be able to do is have the HVAC contractor do the demolition they need to do and in the time frame theyre waiting for their equipment it should be ordered when we give them the go-ahead therell be a window there while theyre waiting on equipment. That window is when we do the mold remediation and, hopefully, by the time thats done, we have HVAC equipment to have installed.

He also told commissioners about plans for better exhaust fans to test for humidity.

The better design, he said, involves exhaust fans bringing in fresh air and taking air out, which is why we had the mold issue, according to the reports.

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Commissioners work to reopen west wing of county jail - Commerce Journal

Related Coverage

AUSTIN (KXAN) Its one step forward and two steps back for the Austin Police Department and its shuttered DNA lab. According to a new city memo, mold was recently discovered on DNA samples dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s at an evidence storage facility.

The department originally found out about the mold on April 25, 2017 when Signature Science, a lab that the city has contracted to conduct DNA analysis as its lab remains closed, notified them that at least one sexual assault kit sent to their lab seemed to have mold on it. The paperwork that arrived with the cases was also described as being damp.

The following day, an inspection of the evidence warehouse walk-in refrigerator revealed mold on some boxes in the back of the cooler. According to the memo, none of the evidence in this particular walk-in cooler had been tested and, therefore, had never been considered as DNA evidence in the deliberation of any case already adjudicated.

Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said that while this development is concerning, it does not affect any current or active prosecutions.

As weve gotten the facts about the situation, were not alarmed. Right now, there really isnt any need to consider this something thats a debacle or a catastrophe in any way. There is no present impact on any cases in this office, said Moore.

The walk-in refrigerator in question is different than the storage freezer that broke last year.

An audit revealed of the 1,629 cases inspected, 780 had no visible mold and 849 had some signs of mold.

APD says they immediately hired a company to seal all seams on the outside of the refrigerator on May 3 to prevent moisture from entering. The department also installed a dehumidifier on June 2 to bring the humidity level down.

On June 21, Signature Science notified APD that no issues were observed with the samples processed from the case originally reported to have mold.

While APD says they were starting remediation efforts with recommendations from the DPS Capital Area Lab Section Manager to address the mold found on the cases, they have placed it on hold pending further research on mold remediation. A nationwide request has been sent out seeking information on the best way to address the mold issue.

Advocates for sexual assault survivors in Austin and Travis County say this is just another hit to the process, and the publics trust in the process, after the problems last year at the APD DNA lab.

The DNA lab is one piece of a very long system that victims have to navigate in order to seek any kind of justice after a sexual assault, explained Emily LeBlanc, the co-chair of the Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team, or SARRT. My initial reaction, of course, is concern primarily for how this affects the publics confidence in the process and potential victims willingness to come forward.

LeBlanc says Texas has a sexual assault reporting rate of only about nine percent.

Very few sexual assaults get reported to law enforcement to begin with, and when they do, its often years before they reach the prosecution stage. We tend to see victims drop out of that process along the way because of how difficult that is. So, putting one more barrier in an already lengthy, difficult, heart-wrenching process for victims of a really horrible crime, is likely to make that reporting number go down.

The mold discovery, LeBlanc says, is a symptom of a larger problem.

We have a justice system that allowed kits to sit and crimes go un-prosecuted since the 90s, and those seem to be the kits that seem to be affected by this most recent development, LeBlanc said.

She argues that something needs to be done.

Whatever we can do to restore the publics confidence, to be as transparent as possible, and to really process that evidence as quickly as possible so that we dont see a three-year delay from the time someones assaulted to the time that case is taken to prosecution, the better off were going to be and the safer were going to be as a community.

Survivors of sexual assault looking for information and resources, including legal aid, can call 1-844-303-7233 (SAFE).

See more here:
Mold found on hundreds of APD DNA samples - KXAN.com

SPARTANBURG CO., S.C. (WSPA) Over the last two years weve reported many times about the on-going mold issues at the Spartanburg County Courthouse.

Now that building has some company.

New testing confirms elevated levels of mold in two county owned buildings across the street.

In some cases, samplers found the worst kind of mold. We looked into what the county is doing about it:

The county showed us work that was underway in 180 Library street. An open air return, one of several spots slated for cleanup by the mold reports. The first one was done by JMAC Environmental, and the second, an air sample done by ECS Southeast.

I cant say I was surprised, said Murray Glenn, the Solicitors Spokesman, when he heard about the elevated mold levels.

Glenn recalls how his whole office was forced to move out of the Spartanburg County Courthouse for 5 weeks last year during the mold remediation.

Last summer it was my office, round two which was several months ago was directly across from me, he said.

And round three, was this month in his satellite office across the street from the courthouse.

Air quality test results show slightly elevated levels of spores right near Glenns office. The testing was even done after blackened vents were replaced, and some parts of the building underwent air scrubbing.

Well that remains to be seen. Were going to certainly investigate and follow the ongoing study and procedures with very high interest to make sure our employees are safe, said Peter OBoyle.

On the same block as that building, the Department of Juvenile Justice building also came back with slightly elevated levels of mold. One of the offices even had Stachybotrys (or black mold) in the air which can be toxic.

At both buildings, the county says it has followed all the recommendations of the mold reports with attempts to fix water leaks as well as clean air vents.

It is important to note, most of the rooms in those two buildings showed normal, not elevated, levels of mold spores. But at issue is whether clean-up that was done before air tests (some air scrubbing, and installation of new vents) should have been done after to get a more accurate reading.

The county says it followed the protocol of the testing companies. If taxpayers approve the building of a new courthouse this fall, all of the offices in these two buildings will be relocated to the new facility according to the countys Judicial Strategic Plan.

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June 30, 2017

Chimney Rock State Park was closed Friday while crews used a helicopter to lift new pieces for their elevator.

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Greenville County Council voted earlier this month on a $10 fee increase to car tags where they money would help maintain roads.

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Spartanburg County dealing with another mold issue - WSPA.com - WSPA.com

Pima County has been awarded a three-year, $1.7 million grant for lead paint abatement and other home safety repairs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Work funded by the grant will start in 2018 federal fiscal year.

About $1.5 million will be used to identify and remove lead hazards from an estimated 100 homes primarily in Ajo, the Flowing Wells area and the city of South Tucson. The areas were selected based on their large populations of low-income households with children, and concentrations of homes built before 1978.

Molly Hilber, the lead grant writer for this project, said the program will mostly target homes in these areas with children under the age of 6. The funding will also assist residents of Pima County who live outside the city of Tucson, which received a similar lead abatement grant from HUD in spring 2016.

The grant provides an additional $150,000 to help remove other household hazards in the selected areas. Potential items covered under the healthy homes funding include asbestos and mold removal, repairing broken handrails or steps, and removing other trip hazards.

Some of the funding will also be used for educational purposes.

Marcos Ysmael, the manager of the Pima County Housing Program, the department leading this project, said they are hoping to provide special safety trainings.

We are going to be promoting education for both homeowners and renters, as well as landlords, rental properties and contractors who will be working on these properties and may not be aware of all the hazards that could be present in these homes, he said.

Pima County will collaborate with several different local organizations to implement each part of the program.

Outreach and research will be done by The Southwest Fair Housing Council and the Sonoran Environmental Research Institute, which will assist Spanish-speaking communities and focus on outreach during community events.

The International Sonoran Desert Alliance and the Desert Senita Community Health Center will work to inform qualifying households in the Ajo area about this program. ISDA will undergo special training and will be responsible for conducting abatement in Ajo, under the supervision of Pima Countys Department of Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation.

Participating households will be able to have their children tested for lead through community health organizations including El Rio Community Health Centers, mobile nursing care services provided by the Pima County Health Department and Desert Senita Community Health Center, according to Hilber.

Lead poisoning in children can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties and a host of other serious health problems. Lead can be found in the paint of older homes, older water pipes and faucets, and in some toys manufactured outside of the United States.

I think every parent wants what is best for their children, but there are some very real barriers that make it difficult to get their homes assessed for lead hazards, she said. We hope to remove some of those barriers with this program so any child in Pima County can have access to a healthy home.

This is the first grant of its kind to be awarded to Pima County. This year HUD awarded $127 million in lead-abatement grants to 48 different agencies across the nation.

We dont always have the funding for lead abatement or to address these hazards in other properties, Ysmael said. This funding will allow us to be able to do that and hopefully we will get others involved, other partners and additional funding so we can keep this going.

To learn more about the program, call 724-8562.

Jamie Verwys is a University of Arizona journalism student who is an apprentice at the Star. Contact her at metro@tucson.com.

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County gets $1.7M HUD grant to rehab lead-tainted homes - Arizona Daily Star

Contact a mold remediation contractor when you need to clean up mold or remove contaminated building materials that prevents fungi and dust from leaving the work area and entering any occupied area.

Click below on the name of the county where you live, to find a list of mold contractors that work in that county. See the bottom of the page for a list of mold contractors that work statewide. Or you can browse a full A to Z list of all mold contractors and indoor air consultants.

Triple A Maintenance

Cameron , WI 54822

Email

877-387-4753

Triple A Maintenance

Cameron , WI 54822

Email

877-387-4753

Building Werks

Denmark, WI 54208

Email

920-866-9375

Certified Professional Restoration

Appleton, WI 54914

Email

715-241-9283

Mold Remediation Services, LLC

Luxemburg, WI 54217

Email

920-330-0253

Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling: Southeast WI and Fox Valley

Neenah, WI 54956

Email

414-383-3131

Zero Trace

Milwaukee, WI 53209

Email

800-210-3249

A & J Specialty Services, Inc.

Deforest, WI 53532

Email

608-846-9525 or 800-727-8990

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling: South Central Wisconsin

Cottage Grove, WI 53527

Email

608-839-4100

R3 Rapid Response Remediation

Middleton, WI 53562

Email1 or Email2

608-203-5788 or 608-213-2980

Zero Trace

Milwaukee, WI 53209

Email

800-210-3249

A & J Specialty Services, Inc.

Deforest, WI 53532

Email

608-846-9525 or 800-727-8990

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling: South Central Wisconsin

Cottage Grove, WI 53527

Email

608-839-4100

R3 Rapid Response Remediation

Middleton, WI 53562

Email1 or Email2

608-203-5788 or 608-213-2980

Total Clean Team (total cleaning, maintenance & restoration services)

Platteville, WI 53881

Email1 or Email2

Larry cell# 608-331-0507 Pam cell# 608-331-0133

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

Certified Professional Restoration

Stevens Point, WI

Email

715-241-9283

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Waukesha, WI 53186

Email

262-754-2560

Building Werks

Denmark, WI 54208

Email

920-866-9375

Certified Professional Restoration

Appleton, WI 54914

Continued here:
Mold Remediation Contractors List | Wisconsin Department of ...

Activity Description

About the Activity Sheet

This activity sheet does not provide an in-depth analysis of OSHA standards and regulations and cannot address all hazards. It does not increase or diminish any OSHA requirement or employer obligation under those requirements. It is intended as a guide and quick reference for employers and response and recovery workers. The Matrix captures major activities involved in hurricane response and recovery, highlights many of the hazards associated with them, and recommends beneficial work practices, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other exposure control methods. Employers must evaluate the specific hazards associated with the job/operation at the site where the work is being performed.

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their workers. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.

The Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix for Hurricane Response and Recovery Work provides a general overview of particular topics related to current OSHA standards. It does not alter or determine compliance responsibilities in OSHA standards or the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, or the equivalent State Plan standards and requirements. Because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, you should consult current OSHA/State Plan administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the courts for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements. Employers should modify their procedures as appropriate when additional, relevant information becomes available.

General Recommendations Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices. See general recommendations document.

Personal Protective Equipment. The general PPE is recommended for all response/recovery tasks/operations; only the additional PPE that may be needed for a specific hazard is noted below

General PPE includes:

Recommendations Specific to Hazards Associated with Mold Remediation

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Key Engineering Controls and Work Practices

Select any of the following potential hazards that can be associated with this activity in order to access relevant recommendations in the general recommendations document:

Additional Training Needs

Related Activity Sheets

Other Resources and References

Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at (202) 693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.

*These files are provided for downloading.

Go here to read the rest:
Mold Remediation - OSHA

Mold removal (also known as mold remediation), is the process of cleaning mold byremoving moldand treating surfaces and materials thathave been contaminated by mold or mildew. The methods used forremoving moldwill vary, depending on the type of mold in the house andthe effects of mold on the surface or material.

To ensure you are completelyremoving moldin your home, a customized mold inspection and mold cleanup process will be followed toproperly remove and treat the contaminated areas. Mold testing options include air-o-cell tests and swab samples to identify the types andconcentrations of mold present in an environment. Once the source and types of mold are identified, a mold removal plan will be developedand executed, including containment of the work area to control and limit the spread of mold in the house or other contaminants intosurrounding areas of the home.

AdvantaClean specializes inremoving mold, and their mold specialists use HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums for final mold removalafter affected areas have been thoroughly dried and contaminated materials have been removed. HEPA vacuums have specialized filters thatcapture tiny mold particles that would typically pass right through a normal vacuum filter. HEPA vacuums are also used for the cleanup of dustthat may have settled on surfaces outside of themold remediationarea.

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Residential Mold Removal