Video Shows Mold In New Hotel, Convention Center

July 21, 2009

LANCASTER, Pa. -- News 8 has exclusive video taken before the grand opening of the Lancaster Hotel and Convention Center, which shows mold and water leaks inside the $174 million building.

News 8 obtained video showing mold at the Lancaster Hotel and Convention Center.

News 8's Carrie Fairchild has been looking into the matter. An expert, Ted Gallagher a certified mold remediator of EHC Associates Inc., has confirmed that what is shown in the video is mold -- "extensive mold" in his words. EHC Associates handles mold removal in schools and commercial buildings. The company did not remove mold at the hotel and convention center.

"I was pretty shocked," Gallagher said. "It is pretty severe. It is growing on both sides of the drywall."

Now the questions -- who knew what and when, and has the problem been fixed? Originally convention center officials told Fairchild there was no mold, but the video tells a different story.

The video, which according to a source was taken just days before the convention center's big opening, shows black spots on pieces of drywall. The source did not want to go on camera or be identified. But the person said, "We got several layers of mold… everywhere."

The video shows that mold spread to firewall insulation.

"You can see the different blacks and yellows. It tells me multiple types of mold are on that drywall," Gallagher said.

News 8 also obtained video of a leaking pipe, which may have been the culprit behind the mold.

The culprit behind the mold could be a leaking pipe. News 8 obtained video of the pipe leaking water. The video was taken from the roof. News 8 was told a pipe like the one in the video leading to the convention center's air conditioning unit flooded the roof in April. Water leaked into the chases -- a part of the building that carries plumbing pipes to each floor. That leak and other minor leaks caused mold in several rooms on multiple floors.

Because the building is backed by county and city taxpayers, News 8 went right to the convention center's top officials. Without revealing the pictures, News 8 asked them about any potential mold. News 8 was told there was no mold in the building. Tuesday, when told that News 8 had pictures and video, Tom Smithgall, with High Associates said, "Yes we had water leaks. Yes we had mold. We're trying to be as open and as transparent as we can."

Smithgall went on to say the problem was attacked aggressively. News 8 was told a remediation company closed down rooms, sealing them off, doing the work after the hotel opened. News 8 was also told air quality tests passed and the building is fixed and is safe. News 8 asked to go inside to see firsthand and to see any paperwork that shows the mold is now gone.

Mold is a health hazard especially to children, the elderly or people with health problems. News 8 was told that initial air quality tests showed high counts of two species of mold. Late Tuesday afternoon, Fairchild, spoke with the company that did those air tests. The last tests were taken July 7, and according to the company, those tests passed indoor air quality standards. The official paperwork on that though isn't expected until the end of the month.

News 8 also talked with the head of the Lancaster City's code compliance and inspections, Gary Horning, and told him about the pictures. Horning said he didn't know of any mold and said he was only told there were moisture issues.

Horning told Fairchild he planned on getting a list of the rooms affected so they could be inspected to see if they're now cleaned up. News 8 was also told by High Associates that we could go inside the hotel to see those rooms.

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