Fungus, Asbestos May Doom Deutsche Bank Bldg Near WTC Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - Jonathan Bennett [For an archive of more than 250 documents and articles concerning occupational and environmental health effects of the World Trade Center catastrophe, please visit http://www.nycosh.org/#anchor162347] Daily News - May 8, 2002 http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-05-08/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-150188.asp Mold May Topple Bldg: Dangerous Fungus Infesting Ground Zero Skyscraper By Ralph R. Ortega and Greg Gittrich A 40-story skyscraper at the edge of Ground Zero withstood the terrorist attacks =97 but could be demolished because of a gross infestation of foul mold. The steel and glass face of the Deutsche Bank tower on Liberty St. was ripped open by a violent wave of debris from the collapsing World Trade Center. While the rubble damaged a major structural column in the building, engineers have deemed the tower stable. The real problem is what's inside the walls. Officials at Ground Zero say an aggressive fungus =97 described as looking like black splotches =97 has spread rapidly in the walls and ventilation ducts of the building, which was valued at $178 million before Sept. 11. Cleanup crews and bank employees who have been in the tower said the mold is everywhere. "It's hard to believe the building will stay up," said a city official at the disaster site, who asked not to be named. "But ultimately it's up to the owners." Deutsche Bank has not released details about the mold. But city officials said they believe the fungus grew rapidly because of dark and damp conditions in the abandoned building. They said it does not appear related to any toxic contaminants from the collapsing towers. Water Damage Serious Sprinklers inside the bank building at 130 Liberty St. apparently were triggered by intensely hot fires at Ground Zero and soaked many of the floors. The water eventually stopped, but weeks went by before workers were able to seal a 24-story gash in the building's facade. "They got a big problem," said Terry Gordon, an associate professor at the New York University School of Medicine who researches workplace air quality. "When someone has mold in the house, they rip the walls out," Gordon said. "Some people think that's extreme. But you have to deal with it and be careful. You don't want to open it up and have it spread around." Gordon said removing the mold from the tower would be a monumental task. The bank is concerned enough about the mold and asbestos contamination in nearby buildings that it has allowed few employees to retrieve items from the offices, sources said. Those who have gone into the tower say they have had to undergo safety training and don a protective suit and respirator. "You need permission from a senior level," said a bank official. "You have to go through all the safety steps because they believe it's not safe." Deutsche Bank officials have been tight-lipped about the tower's fate. But the bank has quietly discussed razing or partially demolishing the building if the mold can't be scrubbed away, sources said. Deutsche Bank spokesman Mark Lingnau said no decision has been made. "Deutsche Bank is in the process of conducting a full evaluation of the structural and environmental conditions," he said. "The firm intends to make a decision on the feasibility of the building only after having completed its analysis." The city is not pressuring the bank to make a move. "It's their choice and their prerogative as to what they will do with this building," said Ilyse Fink, a city Buildings Department spokeswoman. "There are no regulations forcing them to a timetable."Those who have gone into the tower say they have had to undergo safety training and don a protective suit and respirator. --------- Jonathan Bennett, Public Affairs Director New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health 275 7th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10001 jbennett@nycosh.org Tel: 212-627-3900 ext. 14 Fax: 212-627-9812 Please visit our website: http://www.nycosh.org. Subscribe to our free biweekly Update on Safety and Health by sending an e-mail message to nycosh@nycosh.org NYCOSH is a non-profit provider of occupational safety and health training, advocacy and information (including technical assistance and industrial hygiene consultation) to workers and unions throughout the New York metropolitan area. 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