Mold News
Second firm hired to tackle Hilton mold
Written by Andrew Gomes
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Three weeks after Hilton Hawaiian Village closed its Kalia Tower, another team of specialists has been hired to step up the search for the cause of mold growing in guest rooms.
An executive of CH2M Hill, a multinational engineering, construction and consulting firm based in Colorado, said a team from the company is scheduled to arrive today to start the complex process of identifying and correcting the fungi problem.
All of the 453 Kalia guest rooms remain closed. A team of mold investigators from Atlanta-based Air Quality Sciences Inc. has been sampling the tower's air quality, analyzing the mold and performing a preliminary inquiry into possible causes.
Although Hilton Hotels Corp. has estimated it will cost $10 million to find the source of the mold in Kalia Tower and remove it, the timetable and scope of the project still remain largely uncertain because of the complexities of the engineering, construction and mechanics that are enabling the mold to thrive.
Mold Insurance and Litigation
Written by Rick Fedrizzi
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The Insurance Information Institute estimates that $3 billion in mold claims were paid out in 2002, the most recent year for which detailed statistics are available. Most states have responded by passing laws allowing insurance companies to exclude mold from coverage, so plaintiff lawyers now target landlords, condominium associations and school districts instead. "I've got seven or eight cases set for trial between now and June," says William Slaughter, a defense lawyer in Ventura, Calif.
Mold-related claims have become a primary concern for the insurance industry. Mold litigation has exploded and the number and size of water-related property claims have skyrocketed. In response, the insurance industry is changing policy language, claims-handling procedures, and loss reserving, while trying to keep the regulators at bay.
Many insurance companies are now grappling with how to address mold claims and many ó especially homeowner's policies ó are excluding mold from their coverage entirely.
Homebuilders and smaller contractors, like plumbers, are finding it increasingly expensive to get mold coverage, if they can at all.
Most Insurance Won't Cover Mold Damage
Written by TERRI CULLEN - The Wall Street Journal
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Add mold to the growing list of household hazards that insurers won't cover.
After suffering steep losses relating to mold-related claims between 2001 and 2003, property and casualty insurers moved quickly to restrict coverage for mold damage in states such as California, Texas and Florida, where heat and humidity create an ideal breeding ground for mold.
Now those coverage cutbacks are spreading to the Northeast, Midwest and other areas of the U.S. More consumers are receiving notices from their insurers informing them that mold is being excluded from standard policies, unless the damage is a direct result of a water-related events that are covered under then- policies. Currently, some 44 states have such exclusions, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group based in New York.
As a result, homeowners must decide whether to pay extra for mold insurance "riders" that provide additional coverage, or take responsibility for preventing the spread of mold in their homes on their own. This week, I look at some things homeowners can do now to limit their exposure to mold-related damage.
Mold Insurance: Crafting Coverage for a Spreading Problem
Written by Julia R. Barrett - Environmental Health Perspectives
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Indoor mold is the culprit behind an epidemic of headaches in the United States. If these aren't literal headaches--residents in mold-contaminated buildings have complained of headaches and a rash of other ill effects, although an actual physical link is controversial--they certainly are figurative ones, as a result of the nightmare of cleaning up mold contamination and covering the associated costs.
Mold has modest demands for growth: a warm, damp environment with an organic food source. Unfortunately, most houses offer just such an environment--building materials such as wood and drywall fit the bill of fare; temperatures that suit humans also suit mold; and water may seep, leak, condense, or otherwise appear in homes.
On the surface, handling indoor mold growth appears simple. A resident merely conducts regular maintenance, controls moisture, and cleans away mold if it appears. However, mold grows in dark, sometimes inaccessible places. If it is not immediately apparent, a homeowner may not be aware of a problem until the damage is extensive and cleanup has gone beyond the powers of bleach and scrub brushes. At that point, mold-damaged materials must be replaced, a potentially expensive undertaking that in extreme cases could even necessitate razing the house and rebuilding. Such work may not be covered by insurance, and without some sort of financial assistance, residents may be unable to afford reconstruction. Their mold problem will continue, creating an unhealthy living environment, and eroding the value of a property or rendering it unsalable.
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