Friday, August 22, 2003

Duncan Park faces more problems

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

It's like something out of a bad science fiction movie. A quiet, little town goes about its daily routine while, unknown to its citizens, a dangerous and potentially lethal "thing" slowly grows in the shadowy recesses of a local park facility.

This may sound a little far-fetched, but the black mold discovered in one of Fairburn's Duncan Park's recreational facilities was serious enough to have samples collected for analysis.

City officials learned of the problem during Monday afternoon's budget retreat.

Black mold, which can cause respiratory problems and can even be deadly, must be handled very carefully using protective gear, said city officials.

The building containing the mold has been closed off and the results from the sample analysis are expected in the next couple of weeks. Efforts to rip up old carpet inside the building were stopped. It was explained that thousands of black mold spores could be sent into the air and spread.

City Administrator Jim Williams said the cleanup "could cost a small fortune." He cited the Honolulu Hilton's encounter with the black mold in the recent past.

"They had to close the hotel and spent $50 million cleaning it up."

The mold has to be disposed of by burying it deep in the ground like nuclear waste.

Duncan Park was padlocked for some time and has only recently been reopened. The pool, which the city is trying to find sponsors for, sits empty this summer, as it has for several summers past, but is still salvageable.

"The community needs a pool," Williams said emphasizing the need for young kids in the area to take swimming lessons.

The park has suffered from years of neglect and without money in the budget to rectify the situation, it may be a while before something gets done, he added.