GREENLEAF PUBLIC HEALTH BILL ON MOLDS MOVES FORWARD

HARRISBURG – The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee has approved a measure sponsored by Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf to establish a public information and education program on molds, including toxic molds.

"The aim of Senate Bill 218 is to provide greater public awareness of the health effects associated with exposure to molds, including toxin-producing molds such as Stachybotrys," Greenleaf said.

Under the legislation, the State Department of Health would be required to develop a program to inform citizens about possible health effects as well as methods to prevent, identify, and remediate mold growth. The department would establish a toll-free number and provide information on the departmental Web site, and would provide informational and educational materials to public health officers, health care providers, commercial and residential landlord organizations and tenant groups, as well as to the general public.

Greenleaf said the measure is in response to concerns about toxic molds found in homes, schools, and offices in Pennsylvania and across the country. He said he was contacted two years ago by a constituent whose family was displaced from their home after mold growth made them sick. The senator pointed out that molds have been discovered in some commonwealth schools as well.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have performed numerous studies on the effects of mold and have found possible linkage to problems such as coughing, wheezing, and other upper respiratory problems as well as to skin rashes and eye irritation. Health professionals have investigated possible relationships between mold exposure and allergies, asthma, and negative effects on the functioning of vital organs.

"This is a problem worthy of a public information effort by the Health Department. The idea is to make people aware of the issue and to inform them so that they know what to do about preventing and removing molds, and the role mold exposure may play in health," Greenleaf said.