Northampton County Council has been involved in lead paint remediation since 2018. Frank Brooks, who administers Northampton County's program, advised County Council last week on the need for this program. The federal government banned the use of lead paint in 1978, but many homes were built before that time. Lead is particularly attractive to young children because it tastes sweet. But it damages their kidneys, lungs, heart and brain development. They also absorb lead at a rate 400x faster than an adult. Executive Lamont McClure proposed spending $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to remediate homes with lead point and remove lead in water lines. County Council approved the expenditure by a 8-0 vote. Council member John Brown was absent.
This program is available for homes that are owner-occupied. Any homeowner whose income is less than 80% of the median household income of 66,214 is qualified. This program is unavailable to investor-owned homes, but the state will step in on request and assist a landlord remediate lead paint.
Chuck Weiss, who is employed by Community Action Lehigh Valley, serves as a project manager on home remediations. He told Council he currently has 14 homes on a waiting list with no funding. He said it costs about $25,000-35,000 to remediate lead paint at a home.
How do people find out about this program? There are flyers at food banks and schools, and Community Action Lehigh Valley does its own outreach. Weiss added that building inspectors also notice problems and call.
The program is available on a first come, first served basis unless the home has a child who already is experiencing lead poisoning. High risk cases like that go to the front of the line.
Brooks advised County Council that 12 contractors in this area are certified for lead remediation.
He also informed Council that there's been a recent discovery of lead in supply lines at 81 homes in East Bangor. The funding approved by County Council will help fix that problem.
6 comments:
Did the guy say what the issue was specifically in East Bangor? Is it the service line in the roads or the lines going into the houses? Or both? Thx.
I will contact Mr. Brooks and post his answer here.
I know a family who lives there and they have two very ill children..I would hate to think that lead poisoning was part of their medical issues.
"GET THE LEAD OUT".......hmmmmmmm??????? How much are they giving to the Administration and County Council for them to get the lead out and get a wage study done to make our employee's wages fair and equitable?
9:07..your concerns are so noted but this is not about your wages. You should be deleted and you probably will be. Try to stay on topic.
Lead poisoning is a serious issue with children and pregnant (Am I allowed to say, ladies?) Evan on indoor shooting ranges, it’s not the projectile, but the primers that produced contamination in the air inside. It’s so critical that the air needs to engineered to draw off in a negative depleted air pressure,rather that be forced in from behind the shooters bench line. The lead effects anybody with repetitive exposure in many ways . Lead exposure will dumb down people especially children and effect learning abilities . Adults will get lethargic and forgetful, among often coinciding lack of libido and apparently appetite. Just changing out windows in older home can contaminate the whole house and you can’t see it. I can imagine an EPA nightmare.
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