Report: Mold in two ECSU buildings

Fine Arts Center, Little Library cited

By Kristin Pitts
Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

A report released Wednesday shows concentrations of mold in two Elizabeth City State University buildings, validating student and faculty concerns about mold growth in campus facilities.

Chancellor Willie Gilchrist said during a press conference that the university continues to address mold and water problems, specifically in the G.R. Little Library and the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center.

Students and faculty members told The Daily Advance last month that both buildings had concentrations of mold. But university officials said they couldn’t confirm the presence of mold until after inspections were conducted.

According to a mold survey report compiled by The Solutous Group, the highest concentration of mold was found in areas of the G.R. Little Library. A professor’s office was found to contain nearly double the concentration of total fungi found in an outside control environment, while the Little Theatre had more than five times that amount, the report states.

The Fine Arts Center had less than the outside control environment in the total fungi category, but showed high concentrations of certain mold species in some areas of the building.

Gilchrist stressed that the mold found in the buildings was not hazardous.

“Do we have toxic mold, dangerous mold, that would create a problem with your respiratory functions? The answer is no, according to the reports,” Gilchrist said. “Did we find mold that we definitely do not want here? Yes. We found that.”

But Larry Curcio, president of The Solutous Group — the Chapel Hill-based firm that analyzed the inspection results and put together the reports on the Fine Arts Center, the G.R. Little Library and Williams Hall — said that the potential for health complications associated with different mold species is often determined by a person’s sensitivity to that mold.

Gilchrist said the university is working hard — and has been for some time — to clean and fix the problems with the Fine Arts Center and the Little Theatre.

As of Monday, workers began replacing the roof on the Fine Arts Center. The roof, which leaks in several places, is believed to be the cause for much of the building’s mold problems. Gilchrist also noted that the building had been cleaned thoroughly, in accordance with the recommendations in The Solutous Group’s report.

“This project should be completed by December 1st,” Gilchrist said.

The ECSU chancellor added that the classes and faculty offices that had been relocated because of the mold and leaks would in all likelihood be back in their previous locations by the spring semester.

The Little Theatre, which Gilchrist said is less of a priority because of its size, will be addressed during the spring semester.

“We are hoping the second semester that we will concentrate on the G.R. Little Theatre,” he said.

In the meantime, ECSU will do everything in its power to clean the theatre, which has mold growing on its chairs, Gilchrist said.

The chancellor was unsure how much the cleaning and repairs will cost the university, but said the contract price for the new roof is $66,000.

Gilchrist also said that The Solutous Group’s air quality report will be posted online, and that the university will do a better job of thoroughly cleaning its buildings — even if that means having to hire additional staff.

“Technically speaking we do need more hands on deck in terms of having a preventative maintenance program,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist said he was offended that faculty and students had spoken anonymously to The Daily Advance regarding their concerns about mold and leaks in some of the ECSU buildings.

In previous interviews, faculty and students said they had complained to the university’s administration about mold and leaks in ECSU buildings for years, but that their complaints received no response.

Those who spoke to The Daily Advance did so on the condition of anonymity because they said they wanted something done about the problem, but were afraid that they would face either career or academic repercussions for going public.

Gilchrist said Wednesday that those fears were unfounded, and that faculty and students must feel comfortable voicing their opinions.

“I know we have an open-door policy,” Gilchrist said. “My issue is go through the proper channels and make sure that we try to fix issues together. And if we can’t fix them, then I’ll put a mask on and go with you to the next level.”

Gilchrist appeared to be referring to the fact that a number of students and faculty members who use the Fine Arts Center had taken to wearing surgical masks inside the building because of the mold smell and out of concern for their health.