Search for Sawyer building illness to go inside walls

The state Risk Management Division will soon begin punching holes in walls at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in an effort to track down the source of a mysterious illness.

Employees from 14 state agencies based in the $26 million office complex, at 555 E. Washington Ave., have been complaining of being ill for the past 10 months. They've reportedly experienced various skin and eye allergic reactions and general feelings of fatigue.

Dr. James Craner, an occupational and environmental medicine physician, told employees at two meetings Thursday afternoon that he's fairly sure their illnesses are being caused by molds. He believes the fungi are growing somewhere in the building, resulting from some outside water source leaking inside.

"It's taking a long time," Craner said. "People are frustrated. We are truly working as hard as we can. We are trying to figure out the problem."

Besides looking between the walls, inspectors will be taking out windows throughout the building. It's suspected that there are spaces between the caulking, which is allowing water to seep in when it rains.

Several employees told Craner and Dr. Linda Stetzenbach, a microbiologist from UNLV, that doctors are baffled by the employees' illnesses.

Neither Craner nor Stetzenbach could advise them what to do, except possibly make arrangements not to work in the building if their illnesses become too severe.

Craner said employees' illnesses weren't infectious, and would probably clear up if they stayed away from the office building for long periods of time.

Craner said he has been studying the mysterious illnesses at the Sawyer building since 1996. At one time inspectors had found mold growing on ceiling tiles and water leaking from hot water valves. The tiles were replaced and valves sealed, but the symptoms returned after a period of time.

"We don't have time to diddle around," Craner said of the urgency of finding a solution. "We are going to have to take some definitive action soon. We are probably looking at an engineering solution, or fixing building defects."

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