All classes in Miller Hall have been moved out of the building for the remainder of the semester according to Auburn University Executive Director of Public Affairs and Executive Communication, Jennifer Adams.
Areas of Miller Hall are now open after the building was previously closed on Jan. 12 due to findings of mold in the building, however, classes scheduled to meet in Miller will be moved to alternate classrooms and will meet in those classrooms for the remainder of the spring semester.
After initial remediation efforts by the university, Risk Management and Safety (RMS) will continue to test the air in the building for eight weeks and then periodically following that date.
In addition to the air samples, the 72-year-old building is also being evaluated for possible repairs.
According to Adams, "Facilities continues to perform investigations on the exterior of the building (roof, gutters, downspouts, masonry, windows, subgrade waterproofing, etc.) in an effort to identify, isolate and eliminate sources of water intrusion into Miller Hall."
Adams maintained that the water leaks found in the elevator shaft were not the cause of mold growth in the basement.
According to an email sent to affected faculty by Chris O'Gwynn, executive director of RMS, the first week of air tests conducted by RMS were "mostly favorable" concerning the first and second floors of the building. However, low levels of stachybotrys were found in select areas of the second floor.
Stachybotrys is a type of mold that can be found in wet, cellulose-containing material such as sheetrock. According to the CDC, growth of this mold occurs when there is moisture from water damage, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration or flooding. The CDC also states on their website that constant moisture is required for its growth, but there are currently no tests that prove a specific connection with certain health problems to stachybotrys.
The area on the second floor still containing this mold was sealed off and contained on Friday, Feb. 9. Over the following weekend, Facilities had ServPro return to do additional cleaning of the first and second floors and assist them in finding the source of the mold in the classroom.
According to the email sent by O'Gwynn, "All measures are intended to ease potential concerns among building occupants and students." And, due to the additional findings, anyone affected by the contained classroom "will need to coordinate any relocation, work from home, or changes to classroom models directly with departmental and college level leadership."
An open forum was also held by the Facilities and RMS staff on Feb. 12 in order to clarify details surrounding the events.
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Kristen is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in business. She has been with The Plainsman since her freshman year serving as a sports writer, podcast editor and host, and most recently, operations managing editor. Carr is currently the editor in chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
Twitter: @kristencarrau
