Environmental Cleaning, Some Classrooms Affected
UPDATES:
10/6: The mold remediation company has finished their work and the licensed testing company has declared all the spaces ready for occupancy. The testing of the spaces revealed that they are under the state limits. Therefore, the remediation company is removing their barriers and equipment now. We are working to make the no-cost changes to the HVAC system. Other changes that are more complicated or have substantial cost associated with them will commence as soon as practical. For now, we are accelerating the HVAC work in Fine Arts, with other areas to follow suit soon thereafter.
10/3: All classrooms in the Liberal Arts and Science buildings have been cleared and are available for occupancy. The testing in the Fine Arts Building (auditorium, black box, green room) has not happened yet. We will notify the campus community when that occurs.
9/28: The HVAC engineers and consultants provided the college with a report on potential adjustments to the system to reduce humidity. The college received reports that the crews are making progress as planned.
9/24: Grayson College's contracted cleanup crew began work in the areas identified as needing remediation. Grayson College's Environmental Consultant reviewed additional sites identified by faculty, staff, and students and recommended normal cleaning procedures. The additional spaces investigated will NOT require more extensive measures.
9/23: The Grayson College Board of Trustees authorized the engagement of an environmental cleanup company to remediate the affected rooms.
ORIGINAL RELEASE:
An environmental consultant recently completed a microbial assessment of three buildings on the Grayson College Main Campus after maintenance reported concerns of high levels of moisture.
The results of the report indicate that some portions of the buildings will need to be closed for professional mold remediation. While experts assured the college that all buildings were safe to occupy, to ensure the safety of Grayson College students, faculty and staff, some classes will be relocated immediately until cleaning has been completed. The following areas will be affected:
- Arts and Communications – auditorium, black box theatre and green room
- Liberal Arts – rooms 101, 103 and 107
- Science – room 100
State officials must be notified five days before cleaning can commence. Cleaning of the auditorium, black box and green room will begin Sept. 26 and may take 10 days. The four affected classrooms will be cleaned immediately after the auditorium. The mold was identified as aspergillus, based on small spore size (.3 to .5 microns). It is not “black mold.”
According to the consultant, there were no issues in any other areas of the Liberal Arts building. The Science building was also further evaluated, and the consultant recommended that on-campus janitorial staff clean certain areas following a prescribed protocol.
Grayson College is also taking measures to control moisture levels in the buildings caused by the HVAC system not properly dehumidifying the air. Various options will be explored, including: installing dehumidifiers, cleaning and rebalancing HVAC systems and treating all woodwork with an anti-microbial coating.
For more information contact evansa@grayson.edu.
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