Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 19, 1993 TAG: 9308190251
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ED SHAMY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When the Roanoke treasurer's office opened for business on the second floor of the Municipal Building on Wednesday, there was a small bat hanging from a fluorescent light fixture.
That's a fact.
And workers last weekend removed about 1,300 square feet of 25-year-old asbestos-backed floor tile on the Municipal Building's third floor. They sealed the floor, as required, and the sealant left behind an odor.
That, too, is a fact.
How, or whether, the two are linked is purely speculative.
In our brains, we all know that bats are harmless, even beneficial, critters. In our hearts we know that they are calculating bloodsuckers. The bat's presence shook some folks up a bit, and the animal-control SWAT team was called in to evict the bat.
Meanwhile, engineers were ordering a third day of full-throttle air circulation. Some city workers have been complaining since Monday of the strong odors from the floor sealant.
"It is nontoxic," said Bane Coburn, a city engineer, "but in sensitive people it may cause a runny nose, watering eyes and a headache."
The sealant was applied to the floors on Friday and Saturday, but the building's air circulators were turned off during the weekend.
Only Monday morning was fresh air sucked into the building to dissipate the odor.
Rumors by then were swirling that the city was simultaneously exterminating bugs and trimming the payroll.
Did many people approach Coburn?
"A lot," he said, "I assure you. I even called the manufacturer of the sealant. It's not harmful unless you ingest it or get it in your eyes."
Could the treasurer's bat have been fleeing the engineer's sealant?
"If he was, he was in trouble," said David Anderson, the chief deputy treasurer. "It was strong down here this morning. Gave me a headache.
"I don't know if he was here for a decal or what," said Anderson. The city does not tax bats, "but if you owned more than one . . ." pondered Anderson.
He also reassured taxpayers that the treasurer hasn't dug that deeply into the coffers.
"We haven't gotten quite down to the bats yet," said Anderson.
Coburn said another patch of third-floor tiles would be ripped up, and sealed a couple of weeks from now.
"I will personally flip the switch on Saturday to bring in the fresh air," he said.
by CNB