This State’s Largest City Creates Mold Ordinance for Visible Mold in Hotels

Late last year, the Anchorage Assembly passed AO No. 2017-119 with a unanimous vote of 11-0. The ordinance, in Alaska’s largest city, went into effect the following month and made the presence of “significant visible mold” in hotels and other visitor accommodations a public nuisance under Anchorage Municipal Code Chapter 15.20.

For purposes of the new ordinance, the Municipality of Anchorage describes “significant” as meaning, “…mold that is present on surfaces such as walls, wall cavities, wallpaper, carpeting, ceilings, piping, ventilation systems, or other interior building structures where moisture is not intended to accumulate or where mold is not customarily found, but does not include minor mold or mildew found on surfaces that can accumulate moisture as part of their proper and intended use when maintained in proper repair.”

This new ordinance could have far-reaching effects as it doesn’t take much for mold to begin to grow indoors in a hotel or any type of building. A water leak, broken plumbing, flooding or humidity issues could all result in the growth of mold in less than 48 hours in many circumstances. Once this happens, it can quickly lead to indoor air quality (IAQ) issues in many instances.

“Exposure to elevated concentrations of mold can be a respiratory concern for hotel guests, workers or any building occupants,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Allergic reactions, which could be immediate or delayed, are quite common. For many who suffer from asthma, exposure to mold can trigger an attack. Even for those that do not have asthma or allergies to mold, exposure can act as an irritant that can cause issues with the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs.”

Preventing mold issues through proactive building maintenance and responding immediately to water, moisture and humidity issues can often prevent these problems from occurring. For those faced with mold or other IAQ issues, EMSL Analytical, Inc. operates a network of laboratories throughout the United States and Canada that offer indoor environmental testing services for mold and other contaminants; sampling supplies; air monitoring instruments; building inspection tools; and easy-to-use test kits. EMSL has even sponsored an educational video about hotels, motels and common indoor environmental quality issues that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/_k5emiYbayY

For more information about this or other IAQ and environmental, health and safety issues, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com . Indoor environmental quality test kits can be accessed at www.EMSLTestKits.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 45 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail