Friday, May 9
BENNINGTON — The Vermont Department of Health is investigating a complaint that state employees became ill after coming in contact with files from the now-closed "sick office building."

"Every time somebody has touched the files somebody has gotten sick. This last time the girl got pneumonia," a corrections employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said Thursday.

A health complaint was filed with the state Department of Buildings and General Services Wednesday on behalf of several corrections employees working out of modular office on the grounds of the emptied state office complex.

Complex closed in 2007

The state complex on Veterans Memorial Drive was closed last year after the state learned in June 2006 that at least six past and present employees there developed the rare disease sarcoidosis. Many other employees had complained of asthma and other respiratory ailments. Workers are now in modular offices on the grounds of the state complex while state officials determine what to do with the building.

The complaint claims that employees who have worked with files that came from the old building have come down with sinus infections, bronchitis and

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pneumonia. Some workers became sick within "a matter of days" and others about a week later, according to the complaint.

Acting Health Commissioner Sharon Moffat said Thursday the Department of Health is aware of the complaint and has begun investigating the matter. But the Health Department is aware of just one person becoming ill, she said.

"We have one individual complaint. We don't have several people that we are aware of yet," Moffat said. "When we first called we heard that there was one individual that they were focused on so that's what we are concerned about."

Health Department officials have notified two state doctors, Dr. Cort Lohff, an epidemiologist, and Dr. Austin Sumners, who will lead the investigation, according to Moffat. "He and his staff, their next step will be talking with the individual and finding out where they spend their time," Moffat said. "Based on the history they take from that individual, they will be going back ... if there are further aspects of the environment that need to be investigated."

Moffat said several questions about the environment the employee works in must be answered. "Is it a room full of files? Is it a ventilated room? Is there copying being done there. All of those questions need to be asked," she said.

All files, furnishings and equipment transferred from the old building into the modular units "was supposed to be cleaned down," Moffat said Thursday. Files out in the open were copied or destroyed, but ones that were stored in file cabinets in the old building were cleared to be moved, she said.

Moffat said it was too early to say the files are the cause of sickness. "I think we can't jump to any conclusions here," she said.

Vermont State Employee Association Director Annie Noonan said the news of new illnesses has affected employees. "News of these new illnesses, regardless of whether it's one or 50 employees being made sick, is disturbing to the workforce," Noonan said.

She said all material taken from the old building should be cleaned if it hasn't been. "It was VSEA's understanding, from all the remediation meetings we attended, that BGS committed to thoroughly clean everything coming out of the sick office building. If that was not the intention, VSEA would like the Health Department and BGS to now commit to cleaning everything to prevent more employees from becoming ill. That would seem to be the only sensible course of action," she said.

Moffat said the amount of time required for the health investigation "depends on the complexities of the situation." She said the department will focus on making sure sick employees have access to health care.

The complaint was immediately elevated to a Level III complaint by BGS because it involves sick individuals, Moffat said. She said a Level III status under the new electronic filing system for building and health complaints means people are sick.

"A Level III means that there are ill people, rather than a Level I, which might be that the temperature of the building is inconsistent," she said.

The Health Department is notified of all complaints but typical does not get involved until Level III. The system was developed after the cases of sarcoidosis were made public.