May 21, 2003 The Herald-Sun Mold problem spreading in NCCU buildings By Angela Forest A growing mold problem in several buildings combined with the state’s budget crisis may force N.C. Central University to restrict access to facilities when more students are on campus this fall. Eight varieties of mold found in the Lee Biology Building shut it down in February for an extensive cleanup. Mold also was found in Chidley Main residence hall, but cleaning the mold would have meant disturbing asbestos. Instead of investing millions to remove asbestos and fix ongoing health and safety code violations in the 53-year old structure, the school opted to close Chidley Main permanently, eliminating housing for about 300 male students. At least four other buildings show signs of mold contamination, including the Fine Arts Building, the William Jones Building, the James E. Shepard Library Annex and Building One of the New Residence Hall complex, constructed in 1999. The mold in Building One -- one of the newest on campus -- is restricted to a fifth-floor closet. Officials are now working to confirm the presence of mold in the Miller Morgan Building and the Student Services building. Help sought NCCU Chancellor James H. Ammons outlined the extent of the problem and concerns about a particular type of mold identified, Stachybotrys chartarum, in a March letter to UNC system President Molly Broad. In that letter, Ammons asked for emergency state funds totaling $20 million to clean and repair buildings. Known for producing a toxin, Stachybotrys chartarum can cause a number of physical symptoms, among them "nose bleeds, burning sensations in the mouth and nasal passages, cold and flu-like symptoms, headache, general malaise and fever," Ammons wrote. The fungi has been located in Lee Biology and closed the Willis Commerce Building in March 2002 for several months of mold removal and upgrades, according to Ammons. Lee is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. NCCU is scheduled to receive a total of $121.2 million in bond funding to renovate existing campus buildings and construct new ones, but it is not enough to clean up the mold and prevent it from returning, Ammons said in his letter. "The presence of excessive moisture will limit the use of several campus facilities if sufficient funding is not secured," he wrote Broad. UNC General Administration officials sought funding for NCCU through the Office of State Budget and Management, specifically asking whether the university could use some money that Gov. Mike Easley has requested agencies and institutions set aside in preparation for returning to the state, said Joni Worthington, UNC system associate vice president for communications. The Office of State Budget and Management has been withholding various amounts of its monthly allotment given to the 16 public universities in trying to plug the state budget hole. Because general fund collections for April fell below state projections, the agency could not release money to NCCU, Worthington said. "There’s still agreement that this is a serious problem [at NCCU] that needs correction," she said. "It’s simply a matter of the funds not being available to address it at this time." The source NCCU officials say the university’s steam heating system, which consists of a main distribution line that carries steam to all buildings via several channels, is failing at various points. As a result, steam collects inside the buildings, leading to mold growth. In some buildings, such as Miller Morgan, roof leaks also build up moisture, said Mike Logan, the university’s hazardous waste program specialist. While older campus buildings use the system to heat the air and water, the new dorms only use the system for heating water, Logan said. In his letter to Broad, Ammons noted that although $3.1 million in bond funds will allow NCCU to replace the main steam lines, another $5 million is needed to repair the remaining two-thirds of the system. Of the contaminated facilities, both the William Jones and Student Services buildings underwent renovations in 1997. Renovations to the Fine Arts Building began in 2001 and are ongoing. Several buildings at NCCU that are more than half a century old have gotten some kind of renovation. But the improvements have not included replacing the heating and cooling systems, which use equipment installed when buildings were first constructed, Logan said. In order to have enough money left over to do any upgrades, university officials have often dropped plans to install new heating and air systems. "To move forward with projects you have to cut out some of the more expensive items," Logan said. The state has also cut public university funding for building maintenance in the past few years because of budget shortfalls. In 2000, NCCU had to scrap 14 repair projects in the process of returning $700,000 in repair and renovation money to the state. During the 2001-02 fiscal year, the state took all universities’ repair and renovation money, which totaled $125 million, to meet a $1.5 billion budget gap. The 16 schools received no repair and renovation money this fiscal year, during which NCCU also lost $1.7 million in overall operation funds. Some of that money goes toward building maintenance. For the upcoming fiscal year starting in July, the General Assembly and governor planned to provide $50 million for state building repairs. However, in the House budget none of that money is allocated for universities, said Dan Gerlach, the governor’s senior budget adviser. The House budget also includes $200 million and the Senate budget $250 million -- both in non-voter approved bonds -- to fix state facilities. Searching for dollars With no immediate state assistance on the way, NCCU officials say they are trying to find the money to keep buildings from falling into serious disrepair. A concern is that if repairs are put off for too long, facility upgrades can become cost prohibitive, making it more likely that sections or entire buildings could be permanently closed, according to Logan. Still, no decision has been made to limit access to mold-affected buildings in the near future, said Charles O’Duor, vice chancellor for financial affairs, and the facilities will be used as needed for summer classes. During an NCCU Board of Trustees meeting last month, Ammons said the state needs to include repair and renovation money in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. "[For] those facilities that are not in the bond package, we need to have R&R funding so we can continue to maintain our existing facilities." Ammons said early in his tenure as chancellor that NCCU must obtain more private dollars to modernize buildings. While the flow of private dollars has increased, most has gone toward student academic support. NCCU also receives a small share of alumni dollars compared to UNC, N.C. State and Duke universities. The poor economy doesn’t help. The university’s infrastructure is sick and only an infusion of adequate funding will fix it, according to officials. For years, NCCU has patched and repatched facilities with the funds available at the time. But it’s never been enough, Logan said. "A lot of these buildings, at the time they were constructed, they were expecting [them to last] 50 years," he said. "Well, a lot of them have done their 50 plus and they haven’t had a major renovation. No matter how well you maintain something, eventually it’s going to wear out."
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