Dangerous Conditions Persist!!

From he Disability Law Center Report: 

"Conclusion
Many sources of mold growth identified during the 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 inspections of the Bridgewater State Hospital buildings and HVAC systems were confirmed to still be present  (visually and with laboratory data) during the 2024 inspection. This indicates that the necessary mold remediation, cleaning, and maintenance actions have not been fully performed (or kept up  with as regularly as they need to be). HVAC systems observed during the inspection continued to be 
in deplorable condition, some with air handlers in wet and flooded basements with mold growth and some remaining asbestos. The black dust/debris inside HVAC system air handlers and supply  diffusers remained, seemingly untouched, along with unacceptable levels of mold growth; the air  coming through these systems is what persons served and building staff members must breathe on 
a daily basis. Even sections of HVAC systems that had been professionally cleaned were confirmed to be filthy and riddled with active mold growth after the cleaning. 

Significant and long-term basement water problems have been and were still occurring at the time  of this inspection. The leaks have gone, for the most part, unnoticed and/or were ignored based on  the amount of rust, water damage, corroded pipes, and widespread mold growth). HVAC system air handlers in wet basements and systems with major problems (unfiltered and unconditioned outdoor 
air coming directly into the systems, open filter compartments, absence of regular maintenance and  specialized cleaning, etc.) have resulted in significant mold growth within the systems that provide  air to people living and working in the buildings. There has been long-term neglect of critical  building systems. Mold remediation performed by an unqualified company who did not follow  currently accepted industry standards and procedures was proven to be inadequate, unsuccessful, and deficient. There also are remaining questions regarding the completeness of the asbestos 
abatement; there appeared to be potentially asbestos-containing materials in the basements that should be investigated by an independent asbestos inspector. 
Overall, this inspection suggests that inappropriate and harmful actions pertaining to the control and remediation of mold growth in the buildings of Bridgewater State Hospital continue and many of the 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 recommendations were largely ignored as of this 2024 
inspection.

These inactions have caused the mold problems to become worse in certain areas 
observed and potentially more harmful to those who work and live in the facility. Based on 5 years  of Bridgewater State Hospital inspections by GML, 28 years of professional mold/indoor air quality inspection history and experience, industrial hygiene experience, and industry accepted guidelines  for indoor spaces contaminated with mold, GML is concluding that the facility should not be  occupied until these problems have been fully resolved and the buildings retested to verify that  moisture and mold sources have been resolved and removed, respectively. "

Please contact our office if you have any questions.

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Deborah J. Gordon
Microbiologist, Owner
Gordon Mycology Laboratory, Inc. 
Disclaimer/Limitations:
The conclusions presented in this report are based only on the services described in this report and not on scientific procedures 
beyond the scope, time, and budgetary constraints imposed by the client. The information presented in this report is based in part on 
the observation of conditions in the field and communications with those persons involved in the project. GML makes no conclusions 
regarding those areas of the site that may have been inaccessible or unavailable during the investigation