National mold awareness month hoax

[Mike Lamb]

There are numerous news stories expounding that September is National Mold Awareness Month which is supposedly sponsored by the EPA. September is Asthma Awareness Month on the EPA but I can't find anything about mold awareness. If someone can straighten me out please do so.

http://articles.philly.com/2014-08-31/r ... h-landlord

To help raise awareness, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dedicates the month of September as National Indoor Mold Awareness Month.

http://energywisepa.org/node/1251

Otherwise, this sounds like another big snow job and all of the media is biting.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/08/ ... RN20090831

And on and on ...

[hoosier inspector]

Ironic, in my browser there is a home advisor ad for mold remediation on the bottom of this thread.

[Mike Lamb]

What's up with this?

http://www.certainteed.com/pressroom/pr ... spx?id=366

September is Mold Awareness Month

According to a recent study done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an estimated 50 percent of our nation?s schools have problems linked to poor indoor air quality, and it is estimated that 500,000 deaths occur yearly in the U.S. are associated with exposure to indoor toxic mold. Mold problems can be a serious issue, which is why the EPA dedicates each September to ?National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month? to educate homeowners, families and schools about the financial and health related effects of indoor molds and toxins ? and help them to determine how to best prevent mold problems.

What EPA study says 1/2 million people a year die from indoor toxic mold?

[kurt]

You got me looking. It's all over online news media, but nowhere on the EPA site. Very strange.

[kurt]

I've traced it to Here.

It seems to be a construct of the mold is gold crowd.

I especially like the short "mold controversy" paragraph at the right of the page. They say they do "scientific" research, with quotes on the word scientific. Those quotes aren't mine.

The "National Indoor Mold Society" is putting a full court press; they came up a few times.

Someone named Letitia Peters popped up repeatedly if I kept digging. She also has a show, "Mold Community Prayer Service".

[hoosier inspector]

500,000 deaths per year? You'd think that would get a little more press.

[Jim Baird]

haha.

Notice, Mike, that the excerpt does not say that any study shows x deaths from y. It only says "it is estimated" without attribution.

It reminds me of GW Bush's famous quote about the phantom WMD's in Iraq way back when. His quote was something like "...x found evidence of weapons of mass destruction program related activities..." So that a metal filing cabinet, for instance, could be pegged as evidence of any number of kinds of programs and their related activities.

[Marc]

The guy who wrote that article is in the business of selling mold remediation supplies, etc. That explains a lot.

Like Kurt opined, it's a product of the 'mold is gold' business.

Marc

[Les]

all these pieces are four and five years old. just more crap responsible inspectors have to waste time explaining. it will not go away until national and regional organizations take a clear stance.

[kurt]

Agreed.

So, until the ASHI "School" gets it's head out of it's ass, which is highly unlikely, we get to waste more time.

[Les]

Not just ASHI. All of the organizations promote it for non-dues revenue. I am aggravated because ASHI has 25yrs plus of my support and I am really ashamed to be associated with the ASHI school. It is a joke.

[Mike Lamb]

I think it would be helpful if those in ASHI, NAHI, NACHI, etc. would post on their forums that the EPA does not have a National Mold Awareness Month and never has, that this is all a hoax. The media and public are accepting this as fact because they read it from a source that seems credible such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Chicago Tribune, and on-line. The word, "hoax," should be attached so it can come up in search engines to help get the point across.

Feel free to cut and paste any of the following on your websites, Facebook pages, professional HI organization forums, etc.

This in regards to a Alan J. Heavens article, (Philadelphia Inquirer Real Estate Writer, 8/31/14), which was reprinted in the Chicago Tribune, 9/12/14, and has been erroneously printed all over the internet.

Specifically, Mr. Heavens writes, "It's rare that I catch one of these "specialty" months until after the fact, but today I'm right on top of September as Mold Awareness Month.

The observance is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, which states that molds create "toxins that cause asthma, respiratory infections and chronic sinus problems.

The agency attributes a threefold increase in asthma cases nationally in the last 20 years to mold."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have a mold awareness month nor has it ever had a mold awareness month. The EPA has also never stated that, "molds create toxins that cause asthma...," nor has it ever, "attributed a threefold increase in asthma cases over the last 20 years to mold."

These inaccuracies are ridiculous. Mr. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Chicago Tribune should check their sources. The EPA was not one of them I assure you.

Scaring the public with made-up "facts," concerning mold is just plain wrong.

[Marc]

Right. Don't look to the associations to be the first to break culture and see mold for what it really is. When there was but one association, it was about leading the profession, but now, with several associations competing for the same membership, its about what the majority wants to hear. Its about the money, the money to survive as an association.

Look to education, to a school one day that will provide the HI culture with a solid foundation, one supported by the science. Then, the HI profession will serve to help bring out the truth and to bury the myths.

Marc

[Inspectorjoe]

It seems that ASHI is ramping up the 'Mold is Gold" philosophy. Unfortunately, the unwitting ASHI School attendees are the pot o' gold. From the September ASHI First Thing newsletter, details about a new affiliate membership add-on:

This coming year (Oct. 1, 2014 - Sept. 30, 2015) will be offering an add-on to your membership level. For an additional $500, you can add the TAS+ Program to your membership. TAS+ refers to The ASHI School. If you decide to add on this new program, you'll be able to take advantage of advertising your products and/or services to the students of The ASHI School. The extra $500 will grant you access to The ASHI School like never before with:

• Listing and link on www.theashischool.com

• Inclusion of marketing materials in PDF format in student email package

Inclusion of one-page insert in the Certificate of Completion mailing

Access to The ASHI School Alumni Reunion at InspectionWorld

Lunch 'n Learn with 15-30 minute video to be shown at The ASHI School classes across the U.S.

[hoosier inspector]

This is a direct quote from their advertisement;

Course Description: This mold inspection course is a comprehensive study of mold and moisture damage, and the effects thereof on structures. It is conveyed in a "bump-up" learning environment. Learning begins in an abstract form and then expands into a more formative development of specifics.

What is a bump-up learning environment?

[Inspectorjoe]

That question was asked two years ago, Robert. https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... C_ID=15961

I googled it, and got four results, all going back to the ASHI School ad. I think it's safe to assume that it's just a made-up term. Makes you wonder what else the ASHI School just makes up.

[Tom Raymond]

There is a two day CE seminar sponsored by a local inspector cum inspection school/report system company and the local ASHI chapter coming up in October. I have been to two of them and the content has been consistently bad.

Still, I think I'm gonna go for the entertainment value. This year there are presentations by Joe Ferry esq and P Nathan Thornberry. It sounds like a hoot.

[hausdok]

Yeah, hoot.

You'd think they could have found a subject matter expert that doesn't make his/her living selling crap to home inspectors. A guy from James Hardie to explain all of the intricate installation details required with Hardiplank for instance. A guy from the MVMA to explain all of the details necessary for a good masonry veneer installation. Someone from Watts to explain radiant heating basics and what to look for in those installs. A guy from Rheem to explain all the ins and outs of their heat pump and tankless water heaters etc..

Sounds like an education committee with their heads up their collective backside.

Someone should have gone to the EPA and said, "Hey, what's this B.S. about and why haven't you guys debunked it in the press yet?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Tom Raymond]

The EPA doesn't have time for that, they are too busy inventing science for their next decade long development of overreaching regulation and burdensome pointless protocols.

[Jim Morrison]

Back in the day, there were a rafter of home inspectors proudly calling themselves DDMGs (Don't Do Mold Guys). How many of them converted and are cashing in on worthless mold tests today? I've seen a few of them go over to the dark side.

[Chad Fabry]

I'm still a DDMG. That said, wouldn't it be a raft of home inspectors?

[Les]

Holy Cow! my little fingers are just a'twitching. Jim is gonna get Chad and I'm waiting. Bunch of turkeys, those mold guys.

[Jim Morrison]

"Rafter" is a old term sometimes still used to define a group of turkeys, so I thought it appropos. I'm also happy to go with "raft", if you prefer.

I never called myself a DDMG, but also never did any mold testing.

However, there were at least a few vocal HI's that came out strong against any kind of mold testing, who eventually grew quiet, receded to the back of the room, and quietly started cashing in.

You never hear from those cats (dudes, guys, folk, or fellas).

[Mike Lamb]

Someone should have gone to the EPA and said, "Hey, what's this B.S. about and why haven't you guys debunked it in the press yet?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

And I did. It took a month but I received a reply that the remarks and statements in the news article did not come from the EPA. The EPA has never had a Mold Awareness Month, has not stated that mold causes asthma, has not stated that asthma has tripled because of mold.

Info was provided by Lou Witt and Laureen Burton, EPA Program Analyst, Indoor Environments Division 202-343-9051 Witt.Lou@epa.gov

No word on whether there will be a press release.

[Bill Kibbel]

Mike L,

Could you write up a quick piece about all this to go on the front page here at TIJ.

If you would, please start a new topic under "The Latest News For Home Inspectors" forum. Use lots of key words about mold. TIJ articles show quite well in Google.