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Experts Don't Find Mold

Gregory Burr

A group of experts say a university building on the USD campus is not making people sick.

Three experts with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were called to the University of South Dakota following complaints in a campus building.

USD officials brought in federal health experts after reports of mold and other poor conditions at Noteboom Hall on campus. 

But, after days of testing and inspecting the building, the experts found no mold or dangerous contamination. They blamed the uncomfortable conditions on lack of air ventilation.

Gregory Burr is an industrial hygienist and he says the 61 year old hall just doesn’t meet today’s standards.

“Back in the 1950s, you know they were building a system that by those standards it was probably pretty good. It’s not air conditioned, at least at the time it wasn’t. I think you have to keep in mind when it was constructed what the standards and expectations were at the time and with our current view on how to maintain good ventilation in the building it’d be similar to like a 1950s car versus a car in 2015. There’s a lot of things the new car can do that the older car it would not be reasonable to expect it to do. Similar analogy here,” Burr says.

The university says they will do what they can to follow the evaluation’s recommendations. But, they say it is not likely the building will get a new central air system for added ventilation.