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Mound House contracts hygienist after mold found in underground exhibit; grant ineligibility noted
Summary
Staff reported an industrial hygienist identified three types of harmful mold in the Mound House underground exhibit and that the exhibit was ineligible for a small historic-resources matching grant because it is cataloged as an exhibit rather than a historic resource. Remediation planning and HVAC mitigation were described as forthcoming.
Mound House staff told the Cultural and Environmental Learning Center advisory board on May 22 that an industrial hygienist found mold in the site's underground exhibit and that remediation is planned.
Adam Knight, a Mound House staff member, said the contractor “did find 3 types of harmful mold inside the underground exhibit,” and the museum is working with companies to develop “a mitigation protocol as well as a remediation plan to sanitize the air in the HVAC system of the underground exhibit.” Knight said the laboratory and mitigation scheduling should be in place by the June meeting and that staff will include details in a comprehensive report.
Context: Knight also told the board that a previously discussed small state matching grant reserved for historic resources does not apply to the shell-mound exhibit because “the Shell Mound exhibit is an exhibit and not a historic resource” and therefore is ineligible for that specific grant. Knight said staff will continue to pursue other state and federal funding avenues and that he has “an ulterior path” to formalize and present at the next meeting.
Why it matters: The discovery of mold in an exhibit space poses both public-health and collection-preservation concerns; the board requested a written remediation timeline and the cost/funding path when staff return in June.
Board follow-up: Knight said he will present a detailed mitigation schedule and costs at the next meeting. No formal board action was taken on the remediation or funding path during the May 22 meeting.
Ending: The advisory board deferred further decisions until staff deliver the comprehensive report on remediation and the broader preservation plan for the shell mound.
