ODESSA, TX (KWES) - A long lasting problem at the Ector County Courthouse that has affected several county clerk's employees has finally been solved causing the employees to completely relocate until it has been fixed.
Symptoms range from fatigue, allergies, rashes and even headaches that have been occurring with employees from bad odor.
The odor has been a problem for a year and predominantly a huge issue the last six to eight months.
After an in-door air quality assessment, the problem was triggered.
Pigeons that are roosting in the courthouse's honeycombs caused the smell coming from their inches of droppings, and because of that, lots of fecal matter, mites and molds causing one employee to be out an entire week.
"It's a huge inconvenience for the public, its a huge inconvenience for us, but we're doing the best we can to insure the health of not only my employees, but the people that conduct business in here," said Ector County Clerk, Linda Haney.
A good 12 out of 18 employees have shown symptoms, she said, but maintenance officials says the air doesn't pose any serious harm.
"This is a very old building. It's had its ups and downs," a Corral Environmental Consulting worker said. "Its had a lot of remodels done to it, a lot of additions to it in the past. So in our opinion as far as maintenance goes, it is time for the public to hear the commissioners out and help us build a new building."
The maintenance crew is removing tiles from the ceiling and is working to get the matter fixed as soon as they can.
There is no set date on when employees will be back in their original office, but Haney says hopefully it can be fixed by Labor Day.
The courthouse is asking for cooperation and patience from the public in this state of emergency.
