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I
WILLI,NGBOR
WILLINGBORO,
~~.
I
LICSCHOOLS
SEY08046-2847
DR.
RONALD
G.
TAYLOR
SUPERfNTENDENTOFSCHOOLSCOUNTRYCLUBADM1NlSTRATlONBUlLIJING
440
BEVERLy-RANCOCASROADTELEPHONE:
(609)835-8600
EXT.
1Ol3FAX:(609)835-3880
September12,2011GreetingsWillingboroHighSchoolFamily,ThefollowingservesasofficialnotificationfromtheOfficeofSuperintendentofSchools,exclusivetoWillingboroHighSchoolconstituents.InanefforttopreservethehealthandsafetyofstudentsandstaffinconsultationwiththeWillingboroBoardofEducation,adecisionhasbeenmadetocloseWillingboroHighSchoolforaperiodofnolessthanfivedaysbeginningMonday,September
12th
untilatleastMondaySeptember19
th.
Schoolwillbeclosedforallstudentsandteachers
only.
TheadministrativestaffsinclusiveofthePrincipal,AssistantPrincipals,Secretaries,Clerks,SecurityandCustodiansarerequiredtoreporttoCountryClubforfurtherdirectionatyourscheduledtourofduty.Incloseconversationswithathirdpartyconsultant,itwasdeterminedthattheWillingboroHighSchoolhasaneedtoassessthepossibilityofthepresenceofmoldinisolatedareas.Whiletheassessmentisnotcomplete,theinitialfindingscompelustoerronthesideofsafety.Wewillnotifyyouofanyupdatesandchangestothissituationasitoccurs.
It
goeswithoutsayingthateveryeffortisunderwaytopreservethecontinuityofeachstudent'seducation.Whileweappreciateourstaffmembers'diligenceandprofessionalism,duringtheperiodoftimethattheschoolisclosed,
onlv
employeesorstaffmembersapprovedbytheOfficeoftheSuperintendentofSchools,willbeallowedtoentertheschool.AllHighSchoolextracurricularstudentactivities,i.e.sportsand/orbandactivitiesare
cancelled
untiltheschoolisofficiallyreopened.Ifyouhavefurtherquestions,pleasecontacttheOfficeoftheChiefofSchools,609-835-8600xl069orconsult,theWillingboroPublicSchools'Website,www.willingboroschools.org.Ihaveattachedforyourinformationfrequentlyaskedquestionsonthesubjectmatterof
MoldinSchools.
Weappreciateyourcooperationandunderstandinginthismatterasweensurethesafetyofall.Yoursineducation,
r:5~Cs;
RonaldG.Taylor,Ed.D.
---_
SuperintendentofSchoolsC.WillingboroBoardofEducation
WillingboroPublicSchools-WhereExcellenceIsTheExpectation
 
GENERALINFORMATIONFORNEWJERSEYRESIDENTS
WHATISMOLD?
Moldsarefungiandoccurnaturallyintheenvironment.Manydifferentspeciesofmoldexist
in
NewJersey.Moldscanbefoundalmostanywhereandcangrowonjustaboutanymaterialaslongasconditionsarefavorable.Forgrowth,moldsneednutrientssuchasoxygenandmoistureandamaterialtogrowon.Molds
in
theenvironmenthelpbreakdowndeadmaterialsandconvertitbackintoorganicmattertobeusedagainbylivingorganisms.Moldsgrowbydigestinganddestroyingthematerialtheygrowon.Moldsgrowincolonies.Visiblemoldgrowthmaytakeondifferentformsandcolors.Somemoldsmayappearcircularin
growth
whileothersmaygrowandspreadtocoveranarea.Moldsmayappearbrownoryellowincolororgreenandblack.Theappearancewilldependonthespeciesofmoldpresent.SomecommonmoldsfoundindoorsincludespeciesofAspergillus,Cladosporium,PennicilliumandAlternaria.Moldsreproducebymakingspores.Thesesporesbecomeairborneandcirculateintheair,bothoutsideandinsideofbuildings.Ifsporeslandonasuitablematerialandconditionsarefavorable,themoldwillbegintogrow.
WHYISMOWAPROBLEM?
Moldsbecomeaproblemwhentheygrowinsideofhomesandbuildings.Manybuildingmaterialssuchasdrywall,ceilingtilesandwoodframingcontaincellulose.Celluloseisabasiccomponentofwoodandisanexcellentmaterialonwhichmoldscangrow.Asmoldsgrowonbuildingmaterialstheybecomedestructive.Moldsmaygrowunnoticed,aboveceilings,behindwalls,inatticsandbasementorincrawlspaces.Moldscancausestainingofwallsandceilingsandcanbegintobreakdownthestudsandjoistsofbuildingscausingextensivepropertydamage.Excessivemoistureisakeyingredientformoldstogrow.Excessivemoisturemaybecausedbyplumbingleaks,leakingroofsorwindows,highhumidity
in
thebuilding,floodingcrcondensationinsidewallsduetopoorinsulation.Moldsarealsoaconcernbecauseofthehealthproblemsthattheyhavebeenshowntocause.
ISMOLDAHEALTHCONCERN?
Moldcanbeahealthconcern.Unfortunately,itisnotknownhowmuchmoldisneededtocausehealthproblems.Also,therearenostandards,regulationsorguidelinestobaseahealthdeterminationorexposure.However,therearefactorsthatcanbeusedtoassesswhetheranincreasedhealthriskmaybepresent.Theseincludeevaluatngtheindividualspotentiallyexposedandtheextentandconditionsofthemoldgrowth.Someindividualswhohavepre-existinghealthconditionsmaybeatanincreasedrisk.Individualswhohaveallergiesorlungconditionssuchasasthmaoremphysemacanexhibithealtheffectsfromexposure.Veryyounginfantsandtheelderlymayalsobeatanincreasedrisk.
WHATARESOMEOFTHEHEALTHCONCERNS?
Moldsemitsporesandchemicalsaspartoftheirnormallifecycle.Individualsmayexhibitreactionswhenexposedtothesematerials.Sporesemittedbymoldsaremicroscopicandonceairbornecanbeinhaledeasily.Sporesmaycontainallergensandcancauseirritation
in
thenose,throatandrespiratorytract.Cornmana1lergicreactionsincludesneezing,nasalcongestion,coughing,andskinrashes.Moldsmayalsotriggerasthmaattacks
in
personswhoareallergic.
In
additiontoallergens,moldsmayemitmicrobiologicalvolatileorganiccompounds(MVOC's).Thesechemicalsusuallyhaveastrongandunpleasantodorandareassociatedwiththemustysmellthatmanyindividualsequatetomoldbeingpresent.Thesechemicalsarereleasedintotheairandwheninhaledcanalsocauseallergicreactions.MVOC'shavealsobeenlinkedtoheadaches,nausea,dizzinessandfatigue.Somemoldsmayproducetoxicsubstancescalledmycotoxins.Mycotoxinscanbeinhaled,ingestedorabsorbedthroughtheskin.Mycotoxinsarepotent,toxicchemicalsthatcancausesignificanthealth.problems.
 
Differentmoldsmayproducedifferentmycotoxinsandsomemoldsmayproducedifferentmycotoxinsdependingonthesurfaceonwhichthey'regrowing.Mycotoxinscanaffectthecentralnervoussystem,theimmunesystem,therespiratorysystemandthedigestivesystem.Somemoldsmaycausemoreseverereactionsthanothermolds,soit'simportantthatmoldberemediated.Foranysevereexposuresorhealtheffectsassociatedwithamoldexposure,individualsshouldconsulttheirphysician.
HOWDOIFINDOUTIFI
HAVB
MOLD?
Identifyingrmldinyourhomeshouldalwaysbeginwithathoroughvisualinspection.
An
inspectioncanbedonebyahomeownerorbyaqualifiedenvironmentalconsultant.Theinspectionmaybefocusedonspecificareaswheremoisturehasbeenseen,wherefloodingorwaterdamagehasoccurredorincommonareasknownformoldgrowthsuchasbasements,atticsandcrawlspaces.Stainedordiscoloredareasofwallsandceilingsthatcontinuetoincreaseinsizeorcbangecolorscanbesignsofmoldgrowth.Apungentmustysmellisalsoanindicatorofmoldgrowth.
SHOULDMYHOMEBETESTEDFORMOLD?
Ifavisualinspectionrevealsthepresenceofmoldadditionaltestingisnotnecessary.Thefocusshouldbeoncorrectinganymoistureproblemsandcleaningupthemoldcontamination.However,ifmoldisnotfoundduringavisualinspectionandisstillsuspectedofbeingpresent,additionaltestingmaybenecessary.Testingformoldshouldalwaysbeperformedbyaqualifiedperson.YourLocalHealthDepartmentmaybeabletoassistoranenvironmentalconsultantwhospecializesinorhasexperience
in
evaluatingmoldcontaminationshouldbecontacted.Additionaltestingmayincludeanevaluationoftherelativehumidityinthehomeandtakingmoisturereadingsofbuildingmaterials
in
suspectedareas.Swabtestingofsuspectedsurfacesandbulksamplesofbuildingmaterialsmayalsobeperformed.SpecializedairtestingisalsoanoptionforidentifyingmoldsporesorMVOC'sfrommoldgrowth.However,thesespecializedairtestscanbeveryexpensiveandneedtobeconductedincontextwithanoverallassessmentplan.Cautionshouldbetakenwhenconsideringairtestingsincetherearenostandardsfordetermininganacceptablelevelofmoldintheair.Carefulinterpretationofairsamplingresultsisalsoveryimportantsinceindividualsusceptibilityandhealthstatusvaries.
If
airsamplingisconducted,anoutsidereferencesampleshouldalsobecollectedatthesametimeforcomparisonwiththeindoorsamples.
WHATSHOULDIDOIFMOLDISFOUND?
Correctiveactionandremediationstepsneedtobetakentoaddressthemoldconditionsfound.Remediationisnecessarytopreventfurtherpropertydamageandpreventfurtherexposures.SpecificstepshavebeenoutlinedbytheUSEPAtoremediatemoldcontamination.Theseincludeidentifyingandcorrectingthesourceofmoisture,removingand/orcleaningmoldcontaminatedmaterials,removingthemoldandensuringtheareaiscompletelydrybeforeperforminganyrenovationorconstructionwork.TheUSEPAalsonotesthatitisimportantnotonlytokillthemoldbuttoalsocleanitupsinceevendeadmoldremainsallergenic.Whoperformsthisremediationworkisnotalwaysclear.Forsmallareasaffectedbymoldgrowth(i.e.,
<
10:ft2),ahomeownerorbuildingmaintenancestaffforapartmentsandcondominiumsmaybecapableofperformingthework.Largerareasaffected(i.e.,
>
100ft\shouldbeperformedbyaqualifiedcontractorwhohasexperienceinmoldorenvironmentalcontaminationcleanup.Professionaljudgmentshouldbeusedforaffectedareasthatfallwithinthesetwodimensions.Moldworkcanbehazardous,soregardlessofwhoperformsthework,workpracticesthatprotecttheworkersaswellastheoccupantsneedtobeused.Workersneedtobeprotectedwithgloves,arespirator,protectiveclothingandgoggles.Also,theworkareamayneedtobecontainedtopreventthespreadofmoldtootherareas.TheNJDHSSmaintainsalistofconsultantsthatcanassistintheevaluationofmoldcontaminationandinmoldremediationwork.ForalistoffirmsorforfurtherinformationcontacttheDepartmentasnotedbelow.
REFERENCES
MoldRemediationinSchoolsandPublicBuildings,
USEPA-Officeof
Air
&Radiation,IndoorEnvironmentsDivision,EPA402-K-OI-00I,March2001.
MoldinMyHome:WhatShouldIDo?,
CaliforniaDepartmentofHealthServices,IndoorAirQualityInfoSheet,July2001.
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