MassDPH Reports Indoor Air Quality Test Results for Brayton

03:45PM / Tuesday, September 10, 2024Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) program was asked by Superintendent Barbara Malkas to examine Brayton Elementary School to assess the presence of water damage and mold growth resulting from high relative humidity conditions that occurred during August 2024.

Pertinent results of the inspection included:

Air temperature was within the MDPH recommended range.
Relative humidity was within the MDPH recommended range. Relative humidity measurements inside were all below outdoor measurements at the time of the test.
Dew point was within a range of 53°F to 57°F in areas tested during the assessment.
Floor and wall surface temperatures were within within a range of 65°F to 75°F. All floors and walls were above the dew point and were not wet by condensation.

Once water damage remediation efforts have been completed, MDPH recommends the district take following actions:

Continue to use vacuum cleaners equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which will remove residues of mold and mold spores from the environment.
Continue to use air cleaners (purifiers) equipped with HEPA filters in classrooms below grade space (ground level).
Ensure that all sink traps are wetted regularly to prevent water vapor backup into classrooms.
Continue to examine equipment and supplies for either visible mold growth or odors. If
found, discard and replace these materials. If relative humidity exceeds 70 percent, for extended periods of time, mold growth may occur due to wetting of building materials even in the absence of liquid water (ASHRAE, 2019).

The school was inspected on Aug. 30, 2024.

Last month, parents were notified that "due to intense heat and humidity this past summer, we've seen an increase in mildew, especially in one classroom that lacks windows" and that an "aggressive" remediation plan was in place.

The School Committee on Monday heard a report from the consultant hired to evaluate air quality at Brayton Elementary School after the mold was found in a classroom.

During the August inspection, IAQ staff conducted a visual inspection of ground floor areas. Air temperature and relative humidity were measured in each room. Surface temperatures of floors and walls were measured to determine if building components were at or below the dew point (the temperature where condensation will gather on a cold surface).

The summer of 2024 had significant stretches of hot, humid weather, and the report noted that Massachusetts has experienced extreme weather conditions over the past several summers.

According to the report, these conditions are challenging for buildings, particularly those without central air conditioning. The report indicates that the source of the water vapor causing damage in the school was a combination of high relative humidity during the preceding summer months and water vapor migration from dry drain traps in classroom sink drains. The report noted that heavy rain entering the North Adams storm and sewer system would "likely force water vapor and air back up [through] the sink drain system, which then caused condensation on stored materials and building components."

At the time of the MDPH/IAQ visit, the district was in the process of undertaking remediation efforts, and these efforts were identified by MDPH/IAQ as being conducted in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings guidelines. The IAQ staff inspected all classrooms and examined all of the equipment being treated, including the OT/PT equipment that had originally prompted concern, and did not identify any visible mold, except in two guitar cases that were in storage. All affected items were disposed of immediately. These guitars had not been used by students this year. Based on the observations made during the visit, IAQ noted that it appeared that "most water-damaged materials were thoroughly dried and/or removed."

Malkas has requested that Michael Feeney, Director of the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) program, present the report findings and recommendations to the School Committee. Mr. Feeney will address the School Committee at their regularly-scheduled meeting on Oct.1, 2024, at 6:00 PM at the Brayton Elementary School library. In addition, Malkas has requested a general indoor air quality assessment from MDPH/IAQ following the completion of the

remediation efforts, as recommended in the report.

The MPDH/IAQ report package can be found at: Cover Letter Full MDPH/IAQ Report

Tags: Brayton, mold,

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Why the Massachusetts Art Community Is Worth Continued Investment

By James BirgeGuest Column
10:41AM / Tuesday, April 21, 2026

How do we quantify the value of art on society and culture? Even eye-popping figures, like the $100 million estimate for the jewels stolen from the Louvre, or the record auction last fall that saw a piece by Gustav Klimt sell for more than $236 million can't fully account for the value of the history, stories, and emotions behind the creations themselves. But beyond that, there is a measurable financial, cultural and social benefit of the arts that is often taken for granted.

Closer to home, arts and cultural production in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts totals nearly $30 billion annually, representing more than 4 percent of the state's economic output, according to the Mass Cultural Council. All told, more than 130,000 jobs are spread across the commonwealth creating a vibrant and thriving artistic community for us all to enjoy.

Despite the obvious impact, these figures are under threat. A recent survey by MassCreative compiled recent federal cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services and identified 63 grants canceled and $4.2 million in grant funding rescinded across New England so far this year.

The dollars, of course, are important. But they also only scratch the surface on what they bring to the community. Today, we risk losing part of the culture and identity many now take for granted.

While others choose to look past these less tangible, but just as vital benefits, we're doing the opposite. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is all in to ensure the next generation retains their access to works of art, while also being empowered to create themselves.

Last fall, MCLA officially broke ground on the new Campagna Kleefeld Center for Creativity in the Arts, which will serve as a new hub for the campus and the local community for arts programming. When complete in fall of 2027, our students will benefit, but so will all of Berkshire County and artists in the surrounding area.

This exciting new facility is just one of the many forthcomings our region can enjoy in the coming years. Just a few miles away, anticipation builds for the Fall 2027 anticipated opening for the Williams College Museum of Art. Years in the making, the museum likewise grows from an enduring commitment to the arts, both in curriculum and in practice. Exciting times are also underway for the Clark Art Institute with the construction of a new facility to house a collection of 331 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and other works. Their wing is scheduled for completion in 2028. And listeners will no doubt enjoy the sounds and melodies from Mass MoCA Records, the latest endeavor to foster creativity and artistic pursuits through music launched in October as well. Of course, many are also awaiting the reopening of the Berkshire Museum anticipated this summer, after a tremendous renovation process to rejuvenate the experience for visitors.

So much time, energy, and yes, dollars, have already been invested in taking these facilities from ideas and sketches and making them reality. But they represent much more than new buildings. They represent new opportunities to cultivate and accelerate the thriving arts community in Massachusetts and the northern Berkshires.

Art, regardless of the medium, is a reflection of who we are, where we've been, and what we aspire to be. It can be inspired by hopes or fears and chronicle collective triumphs as well as tribulations. The goal of art is not only to document history, but to inspire those positioned to change it and to feel something new or even to provoke us to revisit our own assumptions or misconceptions.

As unfathomable of a number as $30 billion can seem, boiling down the impact to any number inherently discounts the unknowable downstream effects our graduates will bring to the community and the broader world after they leave our institutions. Likewise, rescinding $4.2 million now removes a huge chunk of that growth potential.

Justification for making these investments today when simply boiled down to dollars and cents still places us on solid ground strictly from a financial perspective that forgoes all of the intangible, but no less valuable, benefits as well.

The arts are still worth our support. And our community will be richer for it.

James Birge, PhD, is president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams.

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