NBC New 17
Governor's Mansion Mold Cleanup Should Have Cost Much Less
March 2, 2006

                                           Video: Governor's Mansion Mold Cleanup

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The multimillion-dollar project to rid North Carolina's governor's mansion of mold has wrapped up, but an NBC-17 investigation found the state was slow to fix the problem and knew about it years ago.

Next to the Biltmore Estate, the governor's mansion is probably North Carolina's second most famous home. But, the treasure was pretty much trashed just a few months ago.

Former Gov. Jim Hunt still feels the effects of 16 years in the mansion. Hunt and his wife complained about the mold for most of the time they lived there.

"My wife and I could tell there were problems," Hunt said. "We had real health problems."

In 2000, Mrs. Hunt gave the people who maintain the state buildings a tour of the mansion and pointed out its ventilation problems.

An August 2000 memo obtained by NBc-17 states: "Mrs. Hunt pointed out sooty contaminants (and) that she and the governor are constantly sick with respiratory illness."

"There were recurring colds and head sinus problems ... the state had a real problem," Gov. Hunt told NBC-17.

In May 2000, a health department inspector found mold on the walls and ceiling of the second-floor living quarters. In December of that year, a contractor warned the state it needed to replace the entire ventilation system for $500,000 and added that cleaning would not help the problem.

But, the state opted to just clean the mansion for $26,000 and the mold came back. It wasn't fixed until just a few months ago.

The complete project cost more than $3 million. The governor's office would not provide NBC-17 with the exact figures.

"We've got the greatest governor's mansion in America," Hunt said. "Gov. Easley and Mrs. Easley deserve to live in it in a healthy way."

NBC-17 tried to ask the State Construction Office and the individual contractors why the problems were discovered in 2000, but weren't fixed until this year. Both said they could not comment on anything and directed NBC-17 to the governor's office.

Despite repeated requests, the governor's press office would not make Easley available for an interview.

Former Agricultural Commissioner Britt Cobb helped oversee the project that forced the governor out of his home this past August.

Cobb led NBC-17 on a tour of the mansion, pointing out where the mold was discovered.

Workers basically gutted the entire mansion, fixed the leaky roof, put in new insulation, walls and storm windows. They also waterproofed the basement and installed a new ventilation system, which had been recommended five years ago.

"Every room has it's individual thermostat (that is) on a computer system and constantly monitored," Cobb said.

Nowhere in the paperwork NBC-17 requested from the governor's office was a project budget shown or bids taken for the contract, which the office admits went over budget.

"The initial emergency declaration was $3.5 million," Cobb told NBC-17. "We know it's going to be more than that, but we don't have numbers yet."

Cobb admits the state dropped the ball maintaining the mansion. That dropped ball is something taxpayers are paying for now.

"Yes, had (the recent cleanup) been done 20 years ago, it could have been done for a lot less," Cobb said.

Homeowners can learn a lesson from the mansion mess. Once mold shows up in a home or building, do everything to get rid of it or it will be back. For the state, it's a costly lesson and one that Hunt said he has to live with for the rest of his life.

"We had a real problem. I'm delighted it's been cleared up ... it took a lot of money to fix it," Hunt said. "I think it's opened a lot of our eyes. We're going to start doing a better job of maintenance."

Public tours of the governor's mansion have resumed. They are by appointment only and cover the first floor only.