THE ROAD IS SHUT DOWN RIGHT NOW. WHILE POLICE INVESTIGATE
THE ROAD NOT EXPECTED TO OPEN
SOMETIME UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT.
>> 25 INVESTIGATES TONIGHT WITH
A WARNING ABOUT MOLD IN PUBLIC
BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STATE AND
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR HEALTH.
OUR TEAM FOUND MOST COMPLAINTS
IN COURTHOUSES, FIRE STATIONS,
LIBRARIES, EVEN YOUR KIDS,
SCHOOLS, ANCHOR AND
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER KERRY
LEARNED PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS
MAY HAVE LED TO A SPIKE IN
THESE MOLDING MATTERS.
>> 25 INVESTIGATES GOT A TIP
ABOUT MOLD THROUGHOUT A MAJOR
PUBLIC LIBRARY. THERE ARE A
SERIES OF PUBLIC RECORDS
REQUEST. WE FOUND A MUCH MORE
WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. MOLD IS AN
ISSUE IN BUILDINGS ALL ACROSS
THE STATE. CLEANUP ISN'T CHEAP.
AND THE PANDEMIC MAY HAVE MADE
IT WORSE. WE ALSO WANTED TO
KNOW HOW EXPOSURE TO THAT MOLD
COULD AFFECT YOU.
>> WELCOME TO THE WEST ON A
PLAYSTATION, BUT WHO WANT TO
LIVE IN COURT? AS YOU CAN SEE
MOLD AND NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN
SMELL IT FROM A FIRE. CAPTAIN
BRIAN BAIRD, WANAT SAYS AFTER
YEARS WITH A LEAKY ROOF, THEM
ALL GOT SO BAD RIGHT HERE IN
SO JUST COMING UP. AND IT WAS
NO LONGER SAFE FOR FIREFIGHTERS
AND PARAMEDICS TO SLEEP IN
HERE. THIS SPOT RIGHT HERE IS
WHAT ACTUALLY FINALLY GET THIS
BILL DONE CONDEMN. THAT'S WHEN
STAFF MOVED INTO A TEMPORARY
TRAILER. ONLY HERE, EVERY
EXPOSE WALL. YOU CAN SEE IT'S
WORSE OVER HERE. EVEN MORE
MULLED. I NEED MY STAFF TO BE
AS HEALTHY AS THEY CAN. AND THE
WORKING AGAINST ME. FIRE CHIEF
ED BRADLEY SAYS IN THE TRAILER
THEY HAD TO FOLLOW COVID SAFETY
PROTOCOLS THAT MEANT DOORS AND
WINDOWS WERE OPEN DURING A
HUMID AND RAINY SUMMER. SO
YOU'RE DRESSING ONE PROBLEM
POTENTIALLY CREATING ANOTHER.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS ONE
PROBLEM. KEEP GOT CREWS HEALTHY
AND CREATE ANOTHER PROBLEM.
AND NOW THEY'RE BUILDING IS
NOT HEALTHY. THIS ISN'T JUST A
PROBLEM HERE. LIBRARIES ARE
ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE.
ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE. >> BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE BOOKS
AND OTHER THINGS GLOVES TO GROW
ON AT THE BRIDGEWATER STATE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY. 25
INVESTIGATES FOUND SIGNS
WARNING OF MOLDY BOOKS IN EARLY
OCTOBER. THINK ACROSS THE
COMMONWEALTH IS CHALLENGING.
MARK DAVID CARR, MODI IS THE
UNIVERSITY'S ASSISTANT VICE
PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS.
HE SAYS THE CHALLENGE IS
COMBATING HUMIDITY WHILE
FOLLOWING PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS.
ONE OF THE STRATEGIES IS TO
BRING IN AS MUCH FRESH AIR INTO
THE BUILDING AS POSSIBLE.
>> THAT HOT, HUMID, FRESH AIR
THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER
TO CONDITION THOSE THINGS
COMBINED. CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR MOLD TO GROW AND IT DID.
>> DESPITE 6 LARGE
DEHUMIDIFIERS RUNNING ALONG
WITH 3 AIR SCRUBBERS MODI SAYS
THE UNIVERSITY NEEDED TO HAVE
SOME 300,000 BOOKS SPECIALLY
CLEANED LOSING DOZENS IN THE
PROCESS. BRIDGEWATER STATE SAYS
IT SPENT 250,000 ON MOLD
MITIGATION AT THE LIBRARY SINCE
JULY. MOST ALSO GREW IN SCHOOLS
DURING THE PANDEMIC. BUT FOR A
DIFFERENT REASON, THOSE
BUILDINGS WERE LARGELY SEALED
UP DURING REMOTE LEARNING.
>> SOUTH HADLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN
WESTERN MASS DELAYED ITS
SEPTEMBER REOPENING TO ALL
THROUGHOUT.
THROUGHOUT. 25 INVESTIGATES REACHED OUT TO
18 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
STATE OF THE 13 DISTRICTS THAT
RESPONDED 11 HAD MOLD ISSUES
OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS,
PARTICULARLY DURING THIS PAST
SUMMER, INCLUDING BRAINTREE
FRAMING HIM, SALEM, BEVERLY.
>> THAT'S VERY SCHOOLS HAD 16
WILL COMPLAINTS OF 4 BUILDINGS
OVER 13 MONTHS. CLEMENT SCHOOL
SAID IT HAD 19 COMPLAINTS OF
MOLD IN 4 SCHOOLS OVER JUST
3 MONTHS.
3 MONTHS.
3 MONTHS. AND IN COURTHOUSES FROM ALDEN
TO CONQUER 2 NEWTON 2, WEST
ROXBURY.
ROXBURY.
ROXBURY. >> THE STATE HAS HAD TO
REMEDIATE MOLD ISSUES, THE
HAMPDEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN
SPRINGFIELD WAS TEMPORARILY
SHUT DOWN IN AUGUST AFTER
NUMEROUS AGENCIES LODGED
COMPLAINTS THERE, MOLD ITSELF.
WE HAVE BEFORE BREATHING IT
IN OR INHALING IT.
>> IT COULD GO INTO OUR LUNGS
AND STIMULATE A REACTION THAT'S
DOCTOR SAYS ICON A
PULMONOLOGIST AT UMASS MEDICAL
IN WORCESTER.
IN WORCESTER. >> HE SAYS MOLD COULD TRIGGER
A COUGH CONGESTION, WHEEZING
AND ASTHMA AND A PERSON'S
REACTION DEPENDS ON LENGTH OF
EXPOSURE. USUALLY LIKE HIGHER
CONCENTRATIONS.
CONCENTRATIONS. >> OR FOR PROLONGED PERIODS
WHERE THERE'S BAD VENTILATION.
>> BACK IN PLYMOUTH CHIEF
BRADLEY SAID A RECENT SURVEY OF
UNION MEMBERS REVEALED MORE
THAN 60% OF THEM WERE DEALING
WITH SOME HEALTH EFFECTS OF
MOLD EXPOSURE. DO YOU FEEL SAFE
JUST COMING TO WORK? I DON'T.
>> I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET
FOR CTE, A EXAM BY LONG'S JUST
TO MAKE SURE. BUT I
WAS HEALTHY OUT THE STREET.
THEY DEAL WITH ENOUGH HAZARDS
THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO
HAPPEN HERE IN THE BUILDING.
>> AS FOR THE FIREHOUSE, THE
PLYMOUTH MAYOR SAYS THEY ARE
AGGRESSIVELY AND ACTIVELY
WORKING ON UPGRADING AND
RENOVATING MANY OF OUR FIRE
STATIONS AS WELL AS OUR OTHER
OLDER TOWN AND SCHOOL
BUILDINGS. DOCTOR KHAN SAYS
DON'T IGNORE SYMPTOMS LIKE
COUGHING, SHORTNESS OF