Infant deaths could be linked to carbon monoxide in Durham housing complex

Two infants have died recently at McDougald Terrace in Durham, and authorities said Thursday that the deaths might be linked to high levels of carbon monoxide found at the public housing complex.

Medical examiners are conducting autopsies on the babies to determine the cause of death, said Lee Van Vleet, assistant chief of Durham County EMS.

"So, there is a possibility, there’s a possibility that those children’s deaths could be tied up with what has happened? Is that possible?" community activist Victoria Peterson asked at a Monday afternoon community meeting.

"Yes, ma’am," Van Vleet replied.

Eleven McDougald Terrace residents have been sent to area hospitals with elevated levels of carbon monoxide in recent weeks.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Breathing too much of the odorless gas can be fatal.

Last Friday, Durham Housing Authority officials conducted emergency inspections at more than 320 units and tested residents.

Authorities installed or replaced 228 carbon monoxide detectors and 417 smoke detectors.

Six apartments had elevated levels of carbon monoxide, and the source of the gas was repaired, authorities said. Another 13 units reported gas leaks, and those also were repaired.

Residents marched Monday from the complex to Burton Elementary School to meet with Durham Housing Authority officials about the problem.

"This is unacceptable," said Ashley Canady, president of the McDougald Terrace Resident Council. "We’re not only going to hold DHA accountable, but you have county officials and city officials."

Rachel Cordero, whose relatives live in McDougald Terrace, compared the carbon monoxide problem with the lead in water crisis in Flint, Mich.

"We believe that people are being exposed to dangerous chemicals in their own homes," Cordero said. "I think it’s just a humanitarian issue. We can’t let our people live like this."

A similar situation 30 years ago at the Walnut Terrace housing complex in Raleigh caused more than 200 people to report health problems from low-level exposure to carbon monoxide between 1987 and 1992, and a woman and her son died there in 1992. Raleigh settled with 122 residents for $400,000 in 2005.

DHA officials have said some residents might be contributing to the problem in McDougald Terrace by using ovens to heat their apartments.

But Canady said DHA is in no position to deflect blame.

"If a resident is using a stove to heat up their home, that’s a problem. That still falls on DHA, because why is a resident using a stove to heat up their home?" she said.

DHA Chief Executive Anthony Scott responded to residents' frustrations by pledging that his agency would perform all needed repairs and look into hiring contractors to get work done more quickly.

Still, many McDougald Terrace residents said they feel it's too little, too late.

"It shouldn’t have took all of this for y'all to help us. We live in the projects, but we’re humans, too," one resident said.