~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday Morning Mold November 15, 2004

Mold in the Media

November 15, 2004

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mold Stories

-- New vent may solve mold problem (Elizabethtown Bladen Journal, NC - Nov 12, 2004)

-- Lenders Called to Arms to Diminish Mold Problem (Commercial Property News - Nov 10, 2004)

-- Knoxville woman claimed mold complaint lead to eviction (WATE.com, TN - Nov 10, 2004)

-- SIUE sells bonds for mold fix - School is suing dorm contractor (Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Nov 14, 2004)

-- Celebrity Mold: Busey and Landlord Reach Settlement (Celebrity Justice - Nov 5, 2004)

-- Mold Education: Diseases Due to Environmental Moulds (DoctorFungus)

-- Court Mold: Commissioners agree to county courthouse cleanup (Mooresville / Decatur Times, IN - Nov 3, 2004)

-- School Mold: Teachers move mold off the back burner (Harvard Post, MA - Nov 12, 2004)

-- Mold & Insurance: Battling the claims juggernaut - Meeting an insurance company in court, where its resources outweight the average homeowner's, is a last resort for many (Houston Chronicle, TX - Nov 14, 2004)

-- Mold & Insurance: Dewhurst warns two insurers - State Farm, Farmers face hostile Legislature if refunds not made (Denton Record Chronicle (free subscription), TX - Nov 9, 2004)

-- Mold & Technology: PDG Environmental Awarded $3.5 Million in New Contracts (Business Wire, CA - Nov 12, 2004)

-- Mold Litigation: When Mold Attacks (KSBY, CA - Nov 5, 2004)

Dear C,

This week's photo is of slime mold, from www.mykoweb.com. Despite the name - and the fact that this photo appears on a mycology website - slime molds are not fungi. They are in an entirely different kingdom. The five kingdoms of living things are: Monera (think bacteria); Protista (protozoa); Fungi (mushrooms and yeasts); Plant; and Animal. Some classifications have things divided into seven kingdoms. And no, I have no idea which kingdom lichen falls under (lichen is a symbotic relationship between fungi and bacteria).

In addition to making pretty pictures, slime molds are fascinating. These are the protozoa that group themselves together, form slugs, and travel around gardens. They've been known to learn how to do mazes. The reason this website had slime molds posted appears to be that someone was making a comparison between Bloggers and Slime Mold, with the opinion that Slime Mold was smarter.

New vent may solve mold problem (Elizabethtown Bladen Journal, NC - Nov 12, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A persistent mold problem at the White Lake fire station likely comes from a flaw in the building's design.

Commissioners discussed the problem Tuesday at the regular monthly meeting of the White Lake Town Council.

Lenders Called to Arms to Diminish Mold Problem (Commercial Property News - Nov 10, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like mold itself, its effect on real estate just will not go away. While a federal study in late May found no evidence it causes the types of health problems alleged in lawsuits in the past few years and a recent court ruling found in favor of Equity Residential, the property owner, a new survey by the Environmental Assurance Group found developers and lenders still concerned--and for good reason.

"If people are focused on the health issues, I don't think it's an appropriate place to be focused. The real issue is what is my property value's health," said Charles Perry, founder of the Environmental Assurance Group and a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association's mold task force.

Knoxville woman claimed mold complaint lead to eviction (WATE.com, TN - Nov 10, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A Knoxville woman claims she's being evicted after complaining about mold and mildew in her apartment. However, apartment management cites a visitor on their "no trespass" list.

Exposure to mold and other fungi, often caused by either water or dampness, isn't healthy, especially if you have respiratory conditions.

SIUE sells bonds for mold fix - School is suing dorm contractor (Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Nov 14, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will have to sell bonds to fund its recent mold removal in three residence halls, but the lawsuit against the contractors who built it is still under way.

SIUE spent $10 million over the summer to remove mold from three residence halls, including one that just opened in 2001. The mold was caused by moisture buildup within the walls, according to university officials.

Celebrity Mold: Busey and Landlord Reach Settlement (Celebrity Justice - Nov 5, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's a check in the win column for actor Gary Busey, who emerged from a Santa Monica, California, courthouse Friday with high-profile attorney Vicki Roberts by his side and a smile on his face.

Busey was in court over a lawsuit filed against him last summer by Robert Wessen, his landlord of more than 10 years. "CJ" was first to break the news of the dispute over Busey's rented three-bedroom Malibu hillside home with a calming view of the ocean. In the suit, Wessen alleged Busey owed him "unpaid and delinquent rent in the sum of $22,000." Back then, Roberts admitted Busey was behind in the rent, but she said her client had a very good reason. "There's a tremendous amount of dust and mold in the vents and the air registers," she told us then.

Mold Education: Diseases Due to Environmental Moulds (DoctorFungus)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fungi in general, and moulds in particular, can cause disease of people and animals in three ways:

1. Fungi can produce an actual infection of the host. This involves growth on or in the person or animal. It is quite uncommon for environmental moulds to produce this sort of disease unless one has a very severe reduction in the function of the immune system (e.g., is undergoing intensive therapy for cancer or is taking high doses of corticosteroids for prolonged periods of time.)
2. Fungi can produce allergic reactions. This usually involves inhalation of mould particles. This type of problem can occur whether or not the fungus is still alive.
3. Fungi can produce toxins that make people or animals sick. Although some toxins can be inhaled,the toxin is most often introduced into the person or animal by ingestion of mould-contaminated foods. Some of the toxins are very powerful.

Allergic Reactions to Fungi Fungi and fungal particles can clearly induce an allergic response in susceptible individuals. Typical symptoms are wheezing, cough, rhinorrhea, itchy nose, sore throat, sinus congestion, and so forth. These are well described and quite familiar. Dead fungi are able to produce symptoms just as well as live fungi. Thus, elimination of this form of reaction to requires reduction in the amount of fungi in the environment, not just disinfection of the environment.

Court Mold: Commissioners agree to county courthouse cleanup (Mooresville / Decatur Times, IN - Nov 3, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORGAN COUNTY - The Morgan County Commissioners voted to obtain quotes for work to correct problems in the Morgan County Courthouse that appear to have led to health problems for county employees.

The courthouse has been closed since August, after a number of workers there became ill. The commissioners were reacting to a written report from a federal agency that stated that one reason for the employee health problems was probably the ventilation system. The report said the county should make improvements to the air handling systems.

School Mold: Teachers move mold off the back burner (Harvard Post, MA - Nov 12, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After years of discussion and considerable documentation, the debate about solving the mold problem in the Harvard Elementary School's kindergarten wing is moving off the back burner and into the community. The issue has faded in and out of prominence over the years as other projects have taken the limelight but now appears poised to rise to the top of the town's agenda.

A recent report by Environmental Health, Inc. has prompted renewed interest in the problem and the best way to solve it. The report, issued by Phillip Terrell of Environmental Health of Hollis, N.H., was conducted at the behest of the Harvard Teacher's Association. According to President Diane Temple, HTA received a $4,000 grant from the Massachusetts Teacher's Association to retain an independent environmental consultant to review data gathered throughout the school by OccuHealth, Inc. of Mansfield. School Superintendent Mihran Keoseian retained OccuHealth in 2002 to test, measure and document indoor air quality at the elementary school in light of disagreeable odors, the long-standing presence of mold from roof leaks and anecdotal evidence of adverse health effects on some staff and students. Terrell reviewed the data and recommendations made by OccuHealth in February 2003 and presented his recommendations in a report dated Sept. 5.

Mold & Insurance: Battling the claims juggernaut - Meeting an insurance company in court, where its resources outweight the average homeowner's, is a last resort for many (Houston Chronicle, TX - Nov 14, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ask Mohammed Khan why he's willing to drag out an already two-year battle with his insurance company, and he'll tell you he's got nothing to lose.

His Sugar Land home is uninhabitable. While he lived there, he claims, his wife and children experienced breathing problems, skin rashes and fatigue caused by exposure to the mold.

Mold & Insurance: Dewhurst warns two insurers - State Farm, Farmers face hostile Legislature if refunds not made (Denton Record Chronicle (free subscription), TX - Nov 9, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUSTIN - Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Tuesday warned two leading home insurers that they face hostile action by the Legislature next year if they don't refund an estimated $250 million in alleged overcharges.

Mr. Dewhurst issued the warning one day after a judge in Travis County ruled in favor of State Farm Insurance Co. and Farmers Insurance in their long- running legal battle with the state over double-digit rate rollbacks that were ordered by Insurance Commissioner Jose Montemayor.

Mold & Technology: PDG Environmental Awarded $3.5 Million in New Contracts (Business Wire, CA - Nov 12, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 2004-- PDG Environmental, Inc. (OTC BB: PDGE), an environmental and specialty contractor, today announced that it has just been awarded 3 contracts in the Pacific Northwest totaling $1.5 million and 4 projects in the Mid-Atlantic region valued at $2.0 million in the aggregate.

The 3 projects in the Pacific Northwest include one for a university in Seattle, Washington and involves the removal and replacement of transite cable trays in the school's steam tunnels. The contract amount is $525,000 and will be completed within 180 calendar days. The second project is for the interior demolition and power washing of all surfaces within a large manufacturing facility near Portland, Oregon. The contract amount for this work is $595,000 and will be completed within the next 45 days. The third contract, valued at $400,000, is to perform cleaning above ceilings and encasement of asbestos- containing fireproofing at a major hotel/casino in Reno, Nevada.

Mold Litigation: When Mold Attacks (KSBY, CA - Nov 5, 2004)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Household mold can eat away at your health and pocketbook, but insurance companies, attorneys, and builders are also affected when mold wreaks havoc on your home. Adrienne Moore shows us the legal options homeowners have when dealing with indoor mold.

Farmers Insurance has dealt with dozens of mold cases, incluing one in Dripping Springs, Texas, that resulted in a $37 million settlement. "We see between five to 10 mold claims a year, depending on the wetness of the season," says financial services agent Will Phillips.

Monday Morning Mold Archives

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

·  Hyde Mulvihill APC

·  Monday Morning Mold Archives - 2004

·  Monday Morning Mold Archives - 2003

Contact Information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

email: cmulvihill@cmsynergy.com

phone: 626-358-7471

web: http://www.cmsynergy.com/California/California%20Law%20Firms/cynthia_coulter_mulvihill.htm