Advocate: Mold is 'massive problem, a hard one'

General Assignment Reporter

David Adams shows a sample of the mold problem at his Wilmington residence.

WILMINGTON — David Fontaine, chairman of the Scientific Advisory Panel at Change the Air Foundation, is used to advocating for mold awareness and regulation on the federal or state level.

“But I never realized just how much this is really mechanized at the local level,” he said, having recently joined in on a discussion at a special Wilmington Select Board meeting.

After David Adams of Wilmington grew more and more upset about the mold issues at his family’s rented apartment at the May 25 meeting, where he urged local officials to demand more of the property owner in terms of required action items, he became disruptive and was asked to leave the meeting. Fontaine urged the board and town officials to have empathy.

Fontaine attributes neurocognitive effects from mold to being a big part of the mental health crisis in the U.S. He’s preparing an article for Change the Air called “Conception to Grave,” which looks at how mold affects people throughout their lives.

“There’s plenty of evidence showing mycotoxins in the bodies and in utero,” he said in an interview Sunday. “And so it starts there, and that’s even if you can get pregnant because this stuff, they’re hormone disruptors and they have a massive impact on fertility.”

Fontaine brings personal experience to his work with the foundation. He said his parents, in-laws and others are dealing with illnesses that likely have to do with mold toxicity.

After Fontaine and his wife bought a house in Ferrisburg, they experienced different health and neurological issues. Then he found mold during a bathroom renovation project.

“It felt like someone hit me in the face with a shovel,” he said. “It was just bang, like instantly stung, like what the heck was that and couldn’t think straight. My balance was all screwed up. I was disoriented and I went staggering out to the living room to tell my wife what went on. And that was the start that suddenly made us realize, holy crap, this stuff is real.”

His family paid for tests then remediation. Ultimately, they sold their house, as the issue was so widespread. They also learned of health issues experienced by the former owner, which they believe have to do with the mold.

One of Fontaine’s “big beefs” is with public health education.

“There is absolutely zero coverage of mold, water damage, health risks of mold, anywhere in any public health curriculum,” he said.

Fontaine said the second biggest lobbying group is the real estate industry, which has “deeply entrenched interests” with the insurance world and construction trades.

“They like having people ignorant because it’s less liability lawsuits,” he said. “It’s less hassles. It’s less expense. It’s smoother sailing.”

In 2019, living conditions in military housing became the subject of congressional hearings. Fontaine said the sessions resulted in the federal government “actually doing a lot to educate people in the military about the dangers of mold and all of that.”

“It’s a bright spot,” he said. “Change is possible.”

At the board meeting in Wilmington, local officials said state guidance calls for cleaning mold with soap, not mold testing. However, Fontaine said testing can allow people to know more about what they’re up against in terms of health dangers.

Wilmington Zoning Administrator Jessica Roberts had given the owner, property investment firm My Three Sons LLC, time to correct seven items including cleaning dirty areas where mildew or mold is visible, adding trim around a door where daylight to the outside is clearly visible, and repairing a wall where wood rot and water damage is visible.

Paul Martin, owner of My Three Sons, hopes to gut the building. He’s in the process of evicting the tenants due to nonpayment.

“I intend to rehab that property to bring it into full compliance with all health regulations as soon as the tenants vacate,” he said Thursday. “My contractors were there this week completing the repairs ... required.”

On Thursday, David Adams’ wife Sarah Adams said issues haven’t been corrected and her family isn’t paying rent because “the place is a [expletive] hole.”

Martin said the Adamses wouldn’t allow contractors to work on certain areas. The family has been warned that issues can be worsened if not properly remediated.

Sarah Adams said her family is looking at other places to live, but they want to stay in Wilmington because they said their children have been excelling at the local schools. They have many pets, which also makes it difficult to find new housing.

Rental housing inspections conducted by the Brattleboro Fire Department also follow mold guidelines from the Vermont Department of Health.

“Typically if there’s mold,” Fire Chief Len Howard said, “the reason is obvious. There’s a moisture problem. The big thing is finding out where and how the moisture is going in to cause the mold.”

Howard called testing “a tricky subject.” The state health department says the information would not change the action steps recommended to fix the problem and there are no standards that test results can be compared to, so test results can’t be used to say a building is “safe” or “unsafe.”

“There are people who are mold expects, third party contractors who you can get a hold of,” Howard said, “but it goes back to the moisture.”

For treatment, Howard said the state advises people to apply hot water and a little bit of Clorox to mold.

“It should treat it,” he said. “But again, unless you get rid of the moisture that’s causing the mold, it’s going to be a continuous process.”

Howard said the town receives a fair number of complaints each year about mold. His crews try to identify where moisture is coming from to correct the issue.

Fontaine said the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance is “all about air filtration.”

“They don’t talk about the fact that the fundamental issue is the water damage,” he said. “You got to fix the water damage. It’s like they’re intentionally kind of trying to keep that off to the periphery.”

Change the Air has presented to federal lawmakers such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Fontaine is trying to speak with Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders’ camp. The foundation has found support from Hollywood actors and actresses, which helps with spreading its messages.

Pointing to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fontaine said mold is “exceedingly prevalent” in homes.

“It’s a massive problem and it’s a hard one,” he said. “But at the same time, those of us that are working in advocacy can see so many easy solutions that could make this problem much less severe.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says mold can cause many health effects and be worse for those with other health issues.

“People with asthma or who are allergic to mold may have severe reactions,” the CDC website states, which the Vermont health department also says. “Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung disease may get infections in their lungs from mold.”

Mold can come into a home through open doors, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems, according to the CDC. Mold in the air outside can be brought indoors on clothing, shoes, bags and pets.

“Mold will grow where there is moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been a flood,” the website says. “Mold grows on paper, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.”

General Assignment Reporter