Mold debate festers
Scientific mold findings are inconclusive, but mold costs are real
by Kelly Zito, San Francisco Chronicle, May 26, 2004
For the past several years, mold-related insurance claims have battered
the housing industry, squelching multifamily construction and making it
hard for many consumers to obtain homeowners coverage.
Now, a new study links excessive indoor dampness with asthma and
respiratory symptoms, and calls for federal standards on prevention
measures. However, the same report says what little evidence is available
does not show mold infestation causes more serious disorders, such as
neurological, reproductive or gastrointestinal symptoms.
The inconclusive results further muddy the waters of an issue that has
made national headlines since it emerged in the late 1990s. "There's a lot
of mixed science about mold," said Tyler Berding, an Alamo attorney who
represents clients in construction defect litigation, which often involves
water damage and mold.
Just the same, the economic realities of mold are clear.
Last year, the U.S. insurance industry paid out about $3 billion in
water damage-related claims, compared with $150 million in 2002, according
to Peter Moraga, spokesman for the Insurance Information Network of
California in Los Angeles (the group did not have data specific to
California or the Bay Area).
Concerns about potentially damaging health effects of so-called toxic
mold -- including memory loss, persistent fatigue and skin ailments --
have underscored many some of the larger payouts, Moraga said.
Tuesday's study, a review of the current literature on mold, by the
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies shed little new light on
the debate. However, the researchers did say there is sufficient evidence
tying mold to wheezing and asthma in susceptible people.
At the same time, the study stated there is inadequate or insufficient
evidence linking mold to more serious problems such as cancer or pulmonary
disease, and the authors called for more examination of those illnesses
and mold exposure.
Moraga said more definitive evidence -- even if it proves that mold is
more harmful than previously thought -- would be helpful.
"Anything would be better than hysteria," he said, noting that some
attorney groups hold seminars on mold cases titled "How to Make a Killing
in the California Mold Rush."
Of course, he noted that if mold were found to have very serious health
effects, it could drive insurance claims higher, boost premiums and make
it even more difficult for both businesses and consumers to obtain
insurance coverage, particularly on properties where a water damage claim
has been filed in the past.
Conversely, if mold were found to be completely benign, Moraga said
insurance premiums could decline. That could also spur more condo
development, which declined in recent years as mold claims surged.
Others, like Berding, expect little change as the health effects of
mold may remain a mystery, similar to the questions surrounding how people
develop allergies.
"I think there are people who are really susceptible to it, and there
are those who are not," he said. "It may be more a matter of the victim
and their chemical makeup."
In addition to recommending more health research, Tuesday's report
advised the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop
construction and maintenance guidelines for mold prevention.
Guy Bjerke, chief operating officer of the Home Builders Association of
Northern California, said standards on mold may necessitate undercutting
energy efficiency. Experts on both sides of the debate say the 20-year
push to seal houses tighter has created a mold-friendly environment in
many new homes.
"There may have to be trade-offs," Bjerke said. "We've gotten homes so
airtight that what in an older home would typically breathe and dry out,
that doesn't happen in newer construction."
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