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This document is also available as a PDF. AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
CANTON BUILDING'S BILL OF HEALTH
CLEAN
DOWNTOWN OFFICE GETS OK FROM
HEALTH COMMISSIONER.
BACTERIOLOGICAL TESTS NEXT
Wednesday, June 17, 1998
Section: METRO
Page: B1\
By George W. Davis, Beacon Journal staff writer More investigation has revealed "no obvious problems" in a downtown office
building housing more than 150 state and local workers. However,
bacteriological testing has been ordered. City Health Commissioner Robert E. Pattison said yesterday that only
satisfactory results were found by several inspectors from his office, building
owner Ed Buttle of Tri-State Realty and an Ohio Bureau of Workers
Compensation worker who had assisted with testing in the former Stern &
Mann department store building last year. 1 of 2 7/25/99 6:46 PM NewsLibrary Document Delivery http://newslibrary.krmediastream.com/cgi...cument/nl2_auth?DBLIST=ak98&DOCNUM=34448 The building is at the northwest corner of Cleveland Avenue Northwest and
Tuscarawas Street. "Our people went over this morning and did some air testing and checked the
ventilation system. They found no problems," Pattison said. "We left with an
agreement from the owner that he is to contract with a bacteriological
laboratory to come in and test for specific molds in specific places." Some of those working in the three-story facility, especially on the first floor
where Ohio Bureau of Rehabilitative Services workers meet with clients, have
complained for over a year about allergies and other health problems they
believe are related to building conditions. In March 1997, a state inspection showed mushrooms growing in the
basement carpeting and potentially deadly stachybotrys mold flourishing in
wet areas of the structure along with other fungi. The problems were
corrected then, according to Buttle, who said the building was then given a
clean bill of health. State administrators have yet to receive medical
corroboration from any of the workers concerning their complaints. Some employees have started seeing clients at the Goodwill Industries
facilities several blocks away rather than expose them to the building. According to Pattison, areas that had been considered problem areas before
showed no visible signs of problems now. "The problem is that sometimes
getting a professional laboratory to come right away isn't feasible because of
the lab's schedule. It also will take time for the analysis," said Pattison, who
plans to monitor the project since it took 14 months after testing before the
last report was made available. Pattison said the Health Department will work with Buttle and Tri-State and
wait for the results from the laboratory. Pattison said the owner is to confer
with him on the results as soon as they are received. All content © 1998 AKRON BEACON JOURNAL and may not be republished without
permission. All archives are stored on a SAVE (tm) newspaper library system from MediaStream Inc., a
Knight-Ridder Inc. company. 2 of 2 7/25/99 6:46 PM |
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