By Tyler Mercer–
Mold remains a large topic for students, staff and university officials at the University of Louisville. Previous residents of Miller Hall are now relocated to other living arrangements that include off-campus locations like The Province, The Bellamy and Cardinal Towne.
“Regular shuttle service and increased security have been arranged for the students at the hotels and affiliated properties,” reports Mark Hebert, Director of Media Relations, in a news release sent out Oct. 17, 2012.
Since the relocation of these students, the University alongside National Environmental Contracting Inc. have been performing inspections of other residence halls on campus. Unfortunately, some of these inspections resulted in the discovery of more mold.
When informed about the new mold discoveries in other residence halls, sophomore Nursing major, Emily Ammons, said, “I’m glad that the university is taking action to protect students. But, I hate it for those students that had to move out in the middle of the semester. I am sure that their studies will be impacted by something that seems like it could have been better maintained.”
Residence halls such as Threkheld, Wellness and West Hall were each found to have visible mold growing in rooms. Fortunately for residents in these halls, experts have determined that there is no need to relocate these students as well.
Shannon Staten, Director of Residence Administration, reported that Wellness and West Halls were not found to have substantial mold growth in residents’ rooms. Concern was directed more so at mechanical rooms that would be handled over a longer period of time.
To control the spread of mold spores in Threkheld Hall, the University has turned off all heating and air-conditioning units used in the residence hall. Officials performed air tests after shutting down ventilation and found a significant decrease in mold spores in the air. When questioned about air quality test results, Staten replied that almost all the rooms in the tested halls were found to have low amounts of mold spores in the air.
In the previously mentioned media release, Hebert also reports, “Rooms with visible mold will be cleaned over the next few days by specially trained crews. Students will not need to leave their rooms for the cleaning.”
