Second round of tests at courthouse on tap

Staff report

A second round of air testing should take place either today or Thursday to determine if mold levels inside the Roosevelt County Courthouse are elevated enough to require remediation, according to County Manager Charlene Webb.

Webb said Tuesday an air testing consultant was en route to Portales to conduct the tests. A private lab recently discovered eight different types of mold, including a strain of toxic black mold.

The discovery prompted cancellation of a grand jury session Friday and relocation of 9th Judicial District Court Clerk personnel by District Court Chief Judge Drew Tatum.

Webb emphasized mold levels were only “slightly elevated” and confined to a small area of the third floor and basement. The second round of testing is needed, Webb said, to determine if the mold levels remain elevated and present a health risk.

Webb said mold occurs naturally and the next round of tests are needed to determine if an anomaly, such as recent high winds, may have contributed to the levels found in initial air samples.

If the second round of tests finds mold at levels presenting a health risk, the county will take whatever action necessary to remove the source of contamination, according to Webb.