Analysis reveals mold in courthouse

By Belinda M. Paschal and Bethany J. Royer

Originally published in the Piqua Daily Call Wednesday, August !, "#$
%RO& ' A(ter Mia)i County Co))issioners con*ened earlier %uesday (ro) discussions on
courthouse reno*ations, +,ee sidebar (or (ull story- Da*e .isher, Chair)an (or the Mia)i County
De)ocratic Party, held a press con(erence concerning results o( a )old analysis at the building.
/0, in good conscience, can1t sit on this,2 said .isher o( )old (ound in 3ust one o( )any tiles
inside the courthouse, citing it is a health ha4ard not only to those 5ho 5or6 there but those *isiting.
7e added that as as 5or6er in the heating, *entilation and air8conditioning industry (or a nu)ber o(
years, he is adept at recogni4ing 5hen a building has )old issues.
%he analysis by %urn89ey :n*iron)ental Consultants o( %roy re*ealed )oderate le*els o( both
Aspergillus and Cladosporum (ungi, as 5ell as light a)ounts o( Stachybotrys )old.
.isher said so)e courthouse e)ployees reported reactions such as rashes, open 5ounds, nose8
bleeds and respiratory proble)s. 7e said that these indi*iduals had approached hi) about that )atter
rather than spea6ing 5ith city o((icials because o( 5hat he described as /a culture o( 5or6place
inti)idation.2
/%hey 6no5 0 get things done,2 continued .isher, 5ho had put on rubber glo*es be(ore
un*eiling a tile containing )old that had leached through (ro) the inside out.
%his particular tile had been ta6en (ro) the Board o( :lections o((ice, but .isher said the )old
proble) also a((ected the second and third (loors o( the building.
/%his is syste)ic throughout the courthouse,2 he said, adding that )old can cause health issues,
people could be hospitali4ed and the issue needs to be ta6en seriously. /+county o((icials1- idea o(
sol*ing the proble) is changing the ceiling tiles.2
Changing the tiles 5on1t sol*e the proble), .isher e;plained, saying that by the ti)e the )old
had per)eated the old tiles, /it1s too late2 and that changing the tiles 5ithout proper *entilation causes
the )old to beco)e airborne. %his is an issue o( concern gi*en e)ployees 5ere present during the
process, one that he has photos o( (ro) a pri*ate in*estigator and other indi*iduals inside the
courthouse.
/%his has been an ongoing issue (or quite a 5hile,2 continued .isher 5ho said an unna)ed
indi*idual pro*ided the ceiling tile that 5as tested, and he has been in contact 5ith O,7A
+Occupational ,a(ety and 7ealth Ad)inistration- and the Depart)ent o( Public ,a(ety out o(
Colu)bus.