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Pesky mold removed from R. Cullen

By Bridget Brown
The Daily Cougar

Faculty and students are breathing sighs of relief now that the University finally put an end to the mold invasion in the Roy G. Cullen Memorial Building. The mold contributed to the sudden illnesses of many who worked and studied in the building.

Tropical Storm Allison flooded the building's upper levels in 2001. It has since undergone a tremendous amount of revamping by the University to ensure all are safe, English Department Chairman John McNamara said.

"They have been very good about taking care of the problem, and I cannot say enough good things about them," McNamara said.

The humidity level in the building has dropped from 80 to 60 percent thanks to major changes in air conditioning and the addition of alarms that will sound if the environment becomes conducive to mold growth.

"We have done $300,000 worth of improvements to make the building more mold resistant," Associate Vice Chancellor and Vice President of Plant Operations Dave Irwin said. "The air quality inside the building is now even better than the air outside."

The extensive spring campaign included a plan to repair all buildings on campus to stop mold-friendly environments.

"We have changed operating systems throughout campus and have instated an early warning system where we have trained custodians to spot and get rid of mold," Irwin said.

The situation will never resurface, Irwin said, because of routine environmental checks.
 

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