Nation's Busiest FAA Facility Plagued by Mold And Other Problems

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October 12, 2007 10:23 AM

Scores of air traffic controllers at the nation's busiest air traffic facility suspect a fungus infestation at their control center has caused their prolonged health issues.

Controllers at the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center say the mold is just the latest in a series of maintenance issues at the aging facility.

Last month, mold was discovered underneath the floor of the control room at the center, which is the busiest in the world handling more than three million flights a year. The union for the air traffic controllers says they've been complaining for years about the maintenance of the aging building and that now the problem has reached crisis proportions.

Photos: Control Center: Tracking Planes...and Mold

"The rampant growth of this problem has finally been uncovered, and we are deeply troubled to learn that we are basically surrounded by this highly toxic fungus," said Calvin Phillips of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). "For several years, we have been complaining of health issues and have long suspected that our sick building was to blame."

The Federal Aviation Administration says that while the mold issue is a "high priority," the working situation at the control center is not unhealthy.

"It's a concern no doubt about it," said Kathleen Bergen, a spokesperson for the FAA, "but we are addressing it."

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Bergen said the FAA is in the process of finalizing a plan to remove the mold within weeks and that in the meantime the air flow and humidity in the control room have been decreased to inhibit further growth of the mold.

But controllers say that previous quick fixes by the FAA are just what has caused the mold problem in the first place.

"The roof leaked for years, and they wouldn't fix it correctly. They built channels in the ceiling to re-route water away from the control floor but didn't fix the roof," said Victor Santore of NATCA. "Years of dampness has caused the mold to flourish beneath the raised floor."

The FAA has been doing air tests in the control room for more than five years, according to Bergen, and all but the recent test had negative results for mold. Bergen said last month's positive result for a mold called Scopulariopsis came after some floor tiles were removed. Those tiles have since been replaced.

Rick Baugh, an air traffic controller at the Atlanta facility, said controllers there have been well-aware of the mold for some time and even avoided sitting near the problem areas.

"People argue over who has to go to these positions," said Baugh. "It is usually determined by who has been in the building the shortest amount of time as they are usually less affected by long-term exposure."

Baugh says that within months of working there he began having headaches and severe sinus infections.

Bergen said that while she is aware of the controllers' health concerns, there is no evidence they are linked to the mold at the control center.

"Not to minimize the employees' concerns, but mold is everywhere especially down here in the south," said Bergen.

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