The basement at Sulzer Regional Library has received some repairs after recent publicity that undesirable flora—mold and mushrooms—had gotten out of hand.
However, the building’s leaks haven’t been repaired, and the recent heavy rains have once again raised concerns of water damage and regrowth of the mold.
The problems are by no means new, as Sulzer supporters are quick to point out: the leaking of the windows and roof began when the library was built in 1985. At one point, the moisture and mold in the basement threatened parts of the library’s historical collections stored in a basement room; mold grew on bound volumes of Northwest Side community newspapers dating from 1965; and storage boxes containing 19th-century magazines were warped, exposing the contents to moisture and possible mold contamination.
Concerns about the “health” of the Sulzer facility, and its staff and patrons, comes at a time when certain types of toxic molds are emerging as potentially serious health hazards.
The highest-profile recent case is that of St. Charles East High School: After toxic molds were found growing inside the high school’s walls in April, a student filed a class-action lawsuit against the school district. As a result, the building was shuttered indefinitely. According to an article in the Aug. 12 Chicago Tribune, testing alone at the school had cost nearly $750,000, and estimates on remediation were running into the millions.
The Tribune also reported in Sunday, Oct. 14, that major homeowners insurance companies—including Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance—had decided to cease covering mold damage in many areas, including Illinois, because of “heavy losses.”
And no wonder, because mold removal is a “significant, expensive proposition,” said Dale Emerson, assistant deputy director of the Illinois Department of Insurance to the Tribune.
A central library in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was shut down in August and its staff relocated because of toxic mold strainsStachybotrys, Rhodotorula and Basidiomycetes, found in a utility tunnel beneath the library and in the ventilation system.
According to American Libraries, a publication of the American Library Association, mold-laden air was being recycled throughout the building and was suspected of contributing to dry eyes, sneezing, fatigue, diarrhea and even hallucinations. The cleanup was estimated at $1 million or more and could close the library for up to six months, American Libraries reported.
At Sulzer, media librarian Maureen Kennedy said, “Every time it rains, [it seems] more people are kind of sneezing and dripping all over the place—the people who are more sensitive.” Kennedy added that she herself is allergic to certain molds.
Even on the library’s first floor, wet spots in carpeting along some walls are visible after heavy rains. “The rugs are constantly getting wet, and they take a while to dry out,” Kennedy said. “Sometimes you can smell [mold] on the rug on the first floor. In the basement it’s a little more noticeable,” she said—a “slightly musty smell.”
Another staffer said her eyes and nasal passages had always seemed to “burn” when she ventured into the basement rooms whose walls were later found to be mold-infested.
It was unclear whether the mold found at Sulzer was garden-variety mold—which itself can cause unpleasant reactions in some individuals—or a more dangerous toxic variety.
“As far as I know we haven’t even gotten a complaint on it,” said Chicago Dept. of Health spokesman Tim Hadac in a recent interview. “I’m not aware of any calls complaining or about anyone being ill.” While stressing that he didn’t want to “pooh-pooh” activists’ health concerns, Hadac said “the jury is out on mold in terms of any health problems it causes.” It simply hasn’t been studied enough.
When further questioned, Hadac then said: “It depends which molds we’re talking about.” But he said that because of recent publicity, “any mold anywhere is causing people to panic. Mold is older than human beings. It’s been around a long time.” And, he said, “Hot water and bleach still goes a long way.”
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