Garage reopens after illness

CLEVELAND (AP) -- City officials have reopened a service garage seven weeks after closing it when workers became sick with Legionnaires' disease.
Mayor Jane Campbell said the city had cleaned up water sources that could harbor Legionella bacteria in the garage, although officials still did not know the source of the bacteria.
"I wanted to come out myself because there has been a lot of nervousness in the community about what happened here," Campbell said Wednesday.
The garage employs 30 streets department workers. Two were diagnosed with Legionnaires' in late July and early August, and are still on medical leave.
Another worker was sickened last fall, and has returned to work.
A suspected source of the bacteria was a high-pressure truck wash. The bacteria thrive in warm water systems and cause pneumonialike symptoms in some people who inhale mist from the contaminated water.
The city hired an environmental services company to recommend sanitation methods for water systems at the garage. They included replacing galvanized pipes with copper and chlorinating the system.
The consultant declared the building safe Sept. 7, Campbell said.
"I'm glad to get back here," said Roderick Marion, a streets department supervisor. "Everyone is relieved that everything has been taken care of."