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Barry Univ. Dorms Cleaned After Mold Found In A/C Units

MIAMI SHORES (CBS4) - Crews are working overtime at two Barry University dorms after air conditioning units were found to have mold.

Officials say the spores popped up after heavy November rains left some standing water in the Benin Casa Hall and the Kolasa dorms.

Every room has to be inspected.  In all, there are 180 of them.  University officials first learned of trouble a few weeks ago.  After testing, they found out some rooms tested positive for mold.

"There were some areas that had a higher level of mold than there should have been.  There are other rooms that did not have any issues whatsoever with mold," said Michael Laderman from Barry University.  When asked if the mold was every dangerous he said, "No.  It was not a dangerous level."

By the time the university decided how to treat the problem , students had already left for vacation.  That's when the school began sending out blast e-mails, letting students know work crews would be packing up and cleansing their rooms. Anything in the room was sanitized and sealed, any clothes were taken out and professionally cleaned.

"The timing, realistically, is good because the students are gone for 2 weeks on their Christmas break," said Laderman.  "So we have two weeks, realistically, to get this done and it will get done before they come back."

Work in the dormitories is going on 24 hours a day. It should be complete by January 6th .

Students will begin to return on January 8th.

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