San Gabriel Valley Tribune, California, April
4, 2003
Residents evacuated due to toxic mold
Building owner may face prosecution
By Marshall Allen and Gary Scott, Staff Writers
PASADENA -- City officials ordered 111 people 49 of them children to be
evacuated from the Cinema 21 apartment building this week, after learning
the building was contaminated with toxic mold.
As they were moving out of their studio and one-bedroom apartments,
children played in the dilapidated halls while their parents scrambled to
gather possessions and motel vouchers for what city officials said could be
weeks away from the building.
Several third- floor apartments at the 38-unit Cinema 21, located in the
800 block of E. Washington Boulevard, were evacuated in February, after rain
poured through the building's rotten ceiling and dripped through its
hallways. Some apartment doors still bear the sticker: DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE
TO OCCUPY. After the rains city officials ordered the building's owner,
Norman Furman of San Diego, to repair the roof. Those repairs are still
being made.
A preliminary report on the building's health conditions was done in part
because of the wetness, said the city's Chief Prosecutor, Connie Orozco, a
member of the City Resources Against Slum Housing team. Two molds
Aspergillus and Stachybotrys are present in the building, according to the
report, Orozco said.
Exposure to the molds can cause various ailments, including allergies,
infections and respiratory problems, according to health experts.
Though the level of contamination is unknown, the report recommended the
building be evacuated immediately, Orozco said. A final report is expected
Monday, and the CRASH team then will decide when residents can return to the
building, Orozco said.
Five-day motel vouchers were provided to the residents by the Ecumenical
Council of Pasadena Area Churches. The group's executive director Frank
Clark said he's "never seen a building that bad in the city of Pasadena.'
Despite the fact that the paint is peeling, the carpets are filthy, the
light fixtures are falling and the building smells, the residents have made
it home, Clark said.
"When you go into the individual homes, you find articles of their faith,
clean dishes and the beds are made,' he said.
City Councilman Victor Gordo, who represents the area, said the
evacuation, which started Wednesday and concluded Friday, should send a
"strong message to this and any other landlord' who lets a building fall
into a similar state of disrepair.
"They either better get on top of the situation and do the right thing by
improving living conditions or turn the building over to someone who will,'
Gordo said. "If they are not willing to do that then the city will be forced
to take the action it took this week. Either do it, or get out of the
business.'
City officials should have evacuated the building long before the rains
came, said resident Ladonna Woodley.
"I've been to the city several times and they never did anything,'
Woodley said. "Now, they don't have a choice.'
The situation is being investigated and Furman, who's owned the building
for about 20 years, may be prosecuted because of the conditions, Orozco
said.
"This really is the landlord's responsibility, but we're stepping in to
make sure (the residents) are well taken care of,' Orozco said.
Furman did not return phone
calls.
|
 |
For an
effective home inspection and home testing without hiring a Home
Inspector visit:
Do-it-yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation
Mold Legal Guide Book
|
|
Read
Mold Legal Guide
as an in depth introduction to both
sides of the key mold legal issues and of the essential claims and defenses
in mold lawsuits.
Entire Home Mold Testing
Effectively test your entire home for toxic mold, black mold,
and/or any type of mold growth by hiring a
Certified Mold Inspector.
Be trained and certified as a
Certified Mold
Inspector,
Certified Mold Remediator,
and/or
Certified Environmental Hygienist.
Solve Your Home Mold Problems for $199
anywhere in the world with the UNLIMITED (60 days) expert
email guidance, direction, and assistance of Phillip Fry, Certified Mold
Inspector, Certified Environmental Inspector, Certified Mold Remediator, and
Certified Environmental Hygienist!
Mold Library Combination
Read the 5
mold advice ebooks in the
Mold Library Combination, for a combined discount price of only
$49.00
[$75.00 if bought separately]. Combo package includes: (a)
Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation,
$15; (b)
Mold Health Guide, $15; (c)
Mold Legal Guide, $15; (d)
Mold Home Remedy Recipes, $15; and (e)
Mold Monsters, $15. All helpful ebooks are delivered to your
designated email address by email attachments only within 12-24 hours of
your order.
Order Now!
Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective
mold remediation. |
|
