Mold remediation has prompted Monroe County to close its justice complex, including courts, about a week after state regulators told county officials they needed to address the problem.
County commissioners said in a news release Wednesday that they expected operations at the Charlotte Zietlow Justice Center, 301 N. College Ave., to resume on Thursday, Aug. 21.
“While it’s never ideal to close essential offices, this is a temporary measure to ensure the safety of our dedicated county staff and minimize disruption to their work,” Julie Thomas, the commissioners’ president, said in a news release.
The county had the 40-year–old building tested last week after an employee had filed a complaint with the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The employee, who was not identified, had reported that mold and mildew were dripping onto the desks of county employees.
Bloomington-based VET Environmental Engineering earlier this month already had conducted mold testing on the building’s third floor after workers near damaged ceiling tiles reported “adverse health conditions.”
Commissioners said Wednesday that remediation work began Monday but became so “significantly disruptive” by Tuesday afternoon that they decided to close the building.
Some remediation work will continue into next week, and once completed, VET Environmental will run more tests, the commissioners said.
In a report about the initial tests, Sara Hamidovic, VET's president, CEO and principal engineer, wrote she found mold on surfaces on the building’s third floor.
“One indoor air sample also exhibited ‘Elevated’ levels of airborne Aspergillus/Pencillium spores, however total fungi levels for all indoor air samples were reported as ‘Acceptable,’ she wrote.
According to the CDC, most people do not get sick from Aspergillus, a common mold, although it can cause mild to severe illness in certain populations such as people with weakened immune systems or lung diseases.
The report by Hamidovic includes photos of a discolored — and since removed — ceiling tile in the office of Monroe Circuit Judge Holly Harvey and a "gray substance forming on ... concrete blocks; arranged in a splatter pattern;" in the building's north stairway.
Hamidovic recommended the county clean “active mold growth on building material on the third floor” and, out of an abundance of caution, implement remedial measures “to address possible development of problematic airborne mold conditions.”
She said the county also should implement humidity controls. Commissioners said they have approved the purchase of commercial-grade humidifiers.
“The mold was most likely caused by water issues in the building, potentially caused by inefficient HVAC design, aging infrastructure or improperly wrapped ductwork,” the commissioners said. “Combined with prolonged high humidity and temperatures, these were ideal conditions for mold to grow.”
Commissioners also said the jail, which is above the county offices, does not have a mold problem, because it is serviced by a separate air-handling system.
The worsening condition of the justice center is arriving at an especially inopportune time for county leaders, as the state has cut local governments’ property tax revenue and implemented a moratorium on borrowing more money, which the county desperately needs to fund its long-delayed $225-million new jail/criminal justice complex. A federal lawsuit the ACLU filed in 2008 — because of overcrowding and deteriorating conditions — has required the county to upgrade or replace the current jail.
Thomas said in Wednesday’s release, “Ultimately, these mold issues underscore the need for a new, modern facility to serve the residents and employees of Monroe County as soon as possible.”
Boris Ladwig can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Mold problems prompt closure of justice complex in downtown Bloomington
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