HUBBARD Official questions purifiers

The city's safety director said the problem has been solved.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- A Trumbull County health official questions the use of air purifiers in dealing with mold problems at the city police building.
"I'm not willing to do that in my building," Frank Migliozzi, director of environmental health for the Trumbull County Health Department, said Tuesday.
On Monday, city council was told by Robert Paterniti, city safety director, that he is giving two purifiers a chance to remove mold inside the police station.
Tests have shown that the aged police building has a variety of mold in it. Sylcom Safety Specialists in Youngstown issued a report that the mold levels are generally safe, except for people with existing health issues.
Sylcom also recommended the building be wet mopped and vacuumed with special equipment. No mention was made of using air purifiers.
Paterniti told lawmakers that rather than spending $18,000 to clean mold from the police station's first floor, he decided to test the air filter system for two weeks.
Although the basement has been sealed from the rest of the building, Paterniti said it will cost $22,000 to remove the mold there.
Given a chance
After mold was found in the basement of the building that houses the county health department in Chestnut Street in Warren, a salesman offered Migliozzi the opportunity to give the purifiers a chance.
"They weren't going to stop mold from growing," Migliozzi said of the machines, adding that they couldn't destroy toxins.
Migliozzi said if the purifiers were used at the Chestnut building that houses the health department, the county would have had to pay an additional $5,000 to test their effects.
Paterniti said the Com-Air sales representative claimed the purifiers will destroy the mold.
"To me, it seemed like a good move," the safety director said.
He explained that it will cost the city only $500 to retest the air quality after the two-week trial.
"We have, in essence, eliminated the problem," Paterniti asserted.
Dennis Devine, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 132, who has a Com-Air device in his home, said the purifier doesn't remove mold.
"That's a bit optimistic," Devine said of the claim.
"We're not getting to the real problem," Devine added, although he welcomes the purifiers if they do provide better air quality.
"Any step to improve the air is welcome, but the underlying problem remains ," he asserted, adding that putting money into the building is a waste.
yovich@vindy.com