WESTFIELD – A series of tests conducted by a certified hygienist has confirmed the presence of different types of mold spread widely throughout the Westfield Police Headquarters on Washington Street.

The report by a hygienist from One Atlas showed what had already been strongly suspected by police officials: that poor building construction and maintenance had led to a severe outbreak of mold throughout the building. In an email from Atlas’ Michael Matilainen to police officials, Matilainen said that mold was found in ventilation ducts, rooftop mechanical systems, and different rooms throughout the station during an October inspection.

He also said that mold was present in and around the prisoner lockup cells in the station’s basement. Citing recent flooding that ended up in the basement, he said that at least one detective’s desk and workspace had a confirmed mold infestation, as well.

Police Chief Lawrence Valliere said that some remediation for the mold problem had already begun. After it was found that there was certainly mold underneath the desks of the detectives, the desks were removed and replaced, though much more work may need to be done.

Much of the blame lies with poor ventilation and persistent water damage within the walls and ceiling of the building.

“Water damaged ceiling tiles were observed throughout the facility. All sources of water intrusion and elevated humidity in the ceiling should be eliminated and damaged ceiling tiles replaced,” said Matilainen in his brief, later adding, “An odor of sewage was detected in the basement sewage pump room. The sewage pump unit should be evaluated, sealed, and vented immediately to prevent the escape of toxic sewer gases.”

The report also confirmed at least one instance of stachybotrys mold, or black mold, in room 10, which houses the department’s traffic bureau. Black mold is considered one of the more toxic forms of mold, and can possibly cause health problems with frequent exposure. Though police officials had expected to see more confirmed black mold samples, just the one fungal structure was confirmed as black mold in room 10.

The good news from the report is that airborne mold levels were within the acceptable range, as were the levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, relative humidity and temperature of the building.
Valliere said that it will be important to eliminate the mold from the station for the health of the officers and the public, but noted that the kind of work that needs to be done would make it difficult, if not impossible, for the police to operate in the building while it is ongoing.

Before the investigation into the mold outbreak, Valliere and the Police Department had been exploring the idea of seeking a new building to act as their headquarters. The Washington Street station was built in the 1970s with a maximum expected lifespan of about 50 years – about how long it has been operating now.

They had also explored the idea of completely renovating the existing building, though the level of mold contamination may make that less likely.

City Treasurer Matt Barnes told the City Council in November that he is using $24 million as an estimated cost for a new police building, based on the department’s square footage requirements and an average cost of $800 per square foot in recent police stations built in Massachusetts.

Several councilors agreed that the police station was one of the city’s top capital priorities, right behind the $61 million proposed elementary school on Franklin Street, which would replace Franklin Avenue and Abner Gibbs elementary schools, and ahead of a proposed renovation or replacement of Westfield High School.

Valliere said that they will need to get cost estimates for remediation of different parts of the building. Once they have those estimates, then they can determine whether it is cost effective, or logistically feasible, to remediate the building or to find a new headquarters altogether.