Mold Cleanup Continues

In Tunbridge Buildings

By Sandy Cooch

Cleanup work is underway at both the Tunbridge Town Offices and Town Hall, after a toxic mold was discovered the basements of both buildings.

Tunbridge Selectboard member Shane Craig said a cough that Town Clerk Wendy McCullough had developed, and which was worse when she was at work, led to the discovery of the mold in the 1904 Town Offices building.

The mold was mostly confined to the furnace room and had gone unnoticed. Mold in the 1840 Town Hall, two doors down, was subsequently found, also in the furnace room.

The town has hired a Barre firm, Advanced Basement Technologies (ABT), to oversee the clean-up of both buildings, and construction of a drainage system in the Town Offices basement.

It was known that the Town Offices building had a moisture problem, Craig said, as the driveway "pitches" water from Route 110 towards the building.

A manhole had been installed, but it appears that an especially wet summer and fall contributed to a bloom of toxic mold. So far, no other employees have reported health problems and selectmen were very happy to hear that it appears McCullough is recovering.

For now, no one but ABT workers are allowed in the building. Craig said ABT has stripped out some basement walls in both buildings, and both structures will be treated with ozone, which, he said, "kills everything—mold, mites, flies, spiders."

After the buildings are "wiped down," town officials will be allowed back inside, while the construction of the drainage system is done.

Craig said the moisture and mold problem in the basement of the Town Hall was caused by a burst water pipe. The repair work there may be covered by insurance, he said.

ABT has estimated the work in the two buildings will total $49,000.

The good news is that the buildings are heated by hot water. Clean-up would have been more complicated and costly if there had been hot-air ducts to clean.

Those who need to contact town officials may call 889-5521 and leave a message; messages will be retrieved daily from the answering machine and returned as soon as possible.

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