Mold treatment report on Monroe County justice building released, long-term monitoring planned

According to a contractor’s report that has now been released, mold remediation work has been completed throughout Monroe County’s justice building, and follow-up testing shows indoor air quality at levels that are considered “acceptable.”

The report, prepared by VET Environmental Engineering of Bloomington, describes inspections, testing, and cleanup work that took place between Aug. 6 and Sept. 5, following employee complaints about health symptoms, and their reports of specific locations they suspected were infested with mold. An IOSHA complaint was filed by a justice building employee on Aug. 4

The mold remediation came somewhat dramatically into the public eye, when the work turned out to be so disruptive to the justice building employee work spaces that workers were sent home early on Aug. 19. The building closure that day was announced using the county’s emergency alert system.

VET’s report was released to members of the board of county commissioners and the county council on Monday afternoon. A copy was made available to The B Square on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the report, over the course of VET’s work, a total of 131 air samples and several surface samples were collected across all five floors of the building, along with outdoor “background” air samples for comparison.

On Aug. 6, testing in 3rd-floor west offices found “elevated” levels of Aspergillus/Penicillium spores in one judge’s office, and “high” surface levels of Alternaria and Aspergillus/Penicillium on ceiling tiles in other offices.

On Aug. 13, testing in 2nd-floor west offices found “elevated” levels of Stachybotrys/Memnoniella—commonly called “black mold”—in one prosecutor’s office, prompting immediate treatment. According to the report, the targeted treatment of the black mold was effective, as confirmed by followup testing.

A building-wide investigation on Aug. 20 sampled 75 locations, including the sheriff’s department on the 1st floor, courtrooms and offices on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and jail dayrooms on the 4th and 5th floors. This round of testing found widespread but mostly “slightly elevated” levels of Aspergillus/Penicillium and Alternaria. Surface sampling in a 3rd-floor bathroom identified “high” levels of Cladosporium.

Follow-up tests after remediation showed that spore counts dropped significantly. By Sept. 5, total fungi counts inside the building were equal to or lower than those measured outdoors—meeting the definition of “acceptable.”

VET’s report states that condensation from HVAC ducts and high relative humidity were big drivers of mold growth. The contractors insulated ductwork, replaced stained ceiling tiles with PVC, and treated active growth with an EPA-approved cleaner, RMR-141.

Large areas—including the entire jail—were fogged with the same solution to neutralize airborne spores. Because of security constraints, all jail inmates were relocated to allow contractors full access for treatment.

It was through the county’s emergency alert system that the announcement was made on Aug. 27 that the justice building would be closed in order to do mold treatment at the jail. Prisoners were transferred from the jail to the courtrooms on the lower floors, for the time that jail cells were being treated.

VET’s report says that clutter and housekeeping conditions played a role in the mold problem. Offices with accumulated papers, dust, food, and potted plants were more likely to have elevated mold counts, according to the report. The potential role of plants in causing mold, especially when they are overwatered, was one of many topics that VET founder Sara Hamidovic talked about in a meeting with justice building employees on Aug. 21.

The following day, the county commissioners, who have the statutory responsibility for building maintenance, promulgated a ban on plants in the building, including those that they themselves had installed.

The plant ban was not well received by many justice building employees, including circuit court judges. Judge Catherine Stafford used social media to publicize the availability of free plants from her offices and courtroom.

According to VET’s report, a “long-term stewardship program” will be developed to keep airborne mold spores under control. That program is expected to include: ongoing testing and spot remediation; installing dehumidifiers in stairwells and other problem areas; regular cleaning of windowsills and showers with RMR-141; and continued enforcement of housekeeping standards, including limits on plants and clutter.

The report cautions that “mold cannot be eliminated from any office building environment.” Because the justice building’s design and age make it prone to leaks and humidity, conditions favorable to mold growth are expected to persist. VET’s report stresses that quick identification and repair of water intrusion will be critical to preventing new outbreaks.

The county’s efforts to fix the problem with mold at the current facility comes as planning continues for the construction of a new $225-million facility, between Bloomington and Ellettsville, to replace the current justice building.