Southwest Fair Housing

New information from the EPA...

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a BRAND NEW PAMPHLET that gives comprehensive information about how to protect yourself and your family from lead poisoning. It details ways you can reduce hazards in your home environment and tips on how to properly renovate so as not to create dangerous conditions.

   You can download this pamphlet for free at the EPA website, which also has a variety of other information sources and pdf versions of everything in Spanish!

The Renovate Right brouchure discusses a new law coming into effect in April, 2010 which requires all contractors to have EPA certified staff who are well trained in "Lead Safe Work Practices." Plus, all homeowners must provide tenants with the new Renovate Right pamphlet to prospective tenants. Even child care fascilities, preschools and kindergarten classrooms must distribute the pamphlet to clients.

Download your copy today!

An alternative to disturbing paint!

Many of you reading about lead hazards and the dangers of disturbing old paint in your home are probably wondering, "What can I do with that room in my house that has chipping paint? I want to rennovate it, but I don't know how to do it safely!" Well, it's time to get creative.

Scraping paint can create lead dust and harm you, your family and even family pets. By following safe work practices, you can reduce the amounts of lead released into the home. That means using a spray bottle of water to wet the area you're working in so that dust doesn't go everywhere. It also means putting plastic all around the work area so that the mess is contained. Later, the clean-up proceedures are extensive, including duct taping garbage bags and disposing of them immediately.

Sound like a lot of work? It is.

There is an alternative now! Check out these awesome wall decorations from designers in France that make a room unique and beautiful without requiring paint or clean-up! They are vinyl stickers and are as durable as the paint underneath. It is a clever way to spruce up a room without disturbing hazardous, old paint.

Help from your City! by Scott Wilson

   The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Tucson are working together to help eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the U.S. by 2010. In order to achieve this goal, HUD gave a 3 million-dollar grant to the City of Tucson to offer complimentary lead paint inspections, housing rehabilitation and blood lead level medical screening for children. Check below to see if you are eligible for one of these complimentary services!

If you are a homeowner or tenant living with Tucson city limits in housing built pre-1978, have at least one child under the age of 6 living in or regularly visiting that housing, and meet the income restrictions below, call 520-798-1568 now!

If you are a landlord in the City of Tucson with tenants that meet these income restrictions and your units are pre-1978, call 520-798-15678 now!

# in Family				Income
1				25,000-30,800
2				31,000-35,200
3				36,000-39,600
4				40,000-44,000
5				45,000-47,500
6				48,000-51,050
7				52,000-54,550
8				55,000-58,100

For information on the actual processes of assessment and rehabilitation, you may also wish to contact Karla Timmons at 520-837-5330 or Scott Wilson at 520-837-5318 for more details. You may also visit the website at:

http://www.tucsonaz.gov/csd/Housing_Programs/Rental/LHCP%20022608.pdf

Safe Remodeling Practices

Remodeling the home should be done according to safety guidelines in order to avoid creating a lead contaminated environment.

There are so many programs on television that teach simple ways to accomplish satisfying home improvement projects. There are also classes held at hardware and home improvement stores to help the homeowner learn essential "DIY" (do-it-yourself) techniques. Unfortunately, these informative programs rarely express the absolute necessity of containing lead hazards during these projects. Remodeling projects undertaken without proper precaution, containment and clean-up procedures can result in a toxic home environment. Below is a list of "DOs" and "DON'Ts" for such remodeling or home improvement operations...

1) Assume that housing built prior to 1978 has lead. Make sure that before beginning any project on your home, you understand that lead paint was used in on the interior and exterior of housing until 1978 and that by disturbing intact paint, you could be creating lead dust and/or fumes.

2) Check to see what local programs may be able to help you by providing either educational programs or rehabilitation programs. Currently, the City of Tucson has a lead rehabilitation/abatement program. This program allows qualified households to receive assessment and rehabilitation/abatement measures, free of charge. If you have just done some remodeling or plan to, make sure you check in with the City to see if you are eligible for a lead risk assessment! Call Taiko Maria Haessler at the Southwest Fair Housing Council at 520-798-1568.

3) Avoid creating or spreading dust. Invest in plastic covering to seal off the area of the house you will be working on. Use a spray bottle full of water to mist any dust before attempting to clean it up. By lightly wetting the dust, you ensure that the dust will not simply be moved around or become airborne, rather, it will stick to the surface and then to that rag used to clean it up. Dispose of rags, plastic covering, and dust masks in a sealed plastic garbage bag that is thrown away immediately. Make sure not to eat, drink, or smoke in the area where work is being done.

4) Protect children by having them stay in another location during the time of remodeling until after the time of clean-up. It is important that children are not present during the time of remodeling because they may inhale airborne dust particles that contain lead. Protect yourself, too, by wearing a face mask and washing your clothes separately from everyone else's.

5) Clean-up is an important step! Try to clean as you go, making sure that all dust is as contained as possible. Do not leave behind any paint chips or pieces of wall, even in garbage bags. Dispose of these things immediately, removing them from the home environment as quickly and carefully as possible. When you are finished, do a lead swab on any dust you find to make sure it does not contain lead.

Fatal attraction!

Jewelry marketed to young consumers has been found to contain hazardous amounts of lead in them, such as this charm bracelet by Juicy Couture. If one of these pieces were accidentally ingested, it could result in death, as in the example of the child from Minnesota. There have been extensive recalls by a variety of different companies for high levels of lead appearing in children's jewelry. A list of the jewelry item that have been recalled can be found on several websites, like this one and this one. It is very important to remember that jewelry that is made out of metal or pewter is extremely dangerous and is likely to contain high levels of lead. Low-quality children's jewelry, especially the variety found in vending machines, is the most common source of jewelry lead exposure. Check the recall lists and remove any and all jewelry that is made from metal. The levels of lead in this jewelry are so high that even swallowing one small piece can have serious detrimental effects.

Be on the look-out for these and other fatal attractions!

The smoking gun...

Remember the classic line from action movies; "I'll pump you full of lead!" This remark refers to the threat of getting shot. However, nowadays, the threat takes on new meaning as we learn more about lead hazards in both outdoor and indoor shooting ranges.

Ammunition is made of lead traditionally, but it is recommended in the present day that ammunition, pellets, shot, etc. are made of steel. However, even when a gun range switches to steel ammunition, the lead dust in the barrel of the gun coats the bullets and is concentrated by the heat and shot out into the air, thus contaminating the shot, the air, and the walls (if it is an indoor range).

A very detailed article about the high incidence of lead poisoning associated with gun ranges can be found here.

Lead in Children's Toys

  Lead paint on children's toys. It is scary to think that the toys our children play with could be tainted with lead. Although many toys are perfectly safe, no parent wants to risk giving their child a toy that could cause serious health problems. Recently, there has been widespread controversy surrounding some of our biggest toy companies, Mattel and Fischer-Price, for example. During the Christmas season of 2007, Mattel had to recall thousands of toys like Dora the Adventurer, Barbies, and Hot Wheels. Hazardous amounts of lead paint were found on these toys. The toys had been manufactured in China, where several testing and saftey steps had been bypassed.

What are the safety regulations for lead in children's toys? Toys in this country are regulated by the Consumer Saftey Protection Commission (CPSC), and if toys may come into contact with food (like a tea set), they are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The CPSC is not a part of the federal government.

According to the CPSC, the only permissable amount of lead in a toy is less than 0.06%. If you are re-painting a toy, crib, or other product for a child, make sure that you read the label on the paint you use, even if it claims to be "nontoxic" (look for a lead content of less than 0.06%). Crayons, chalk and other toys sometimes say "nontoxic," but you should check the list of recalled toys to make sure that these toys are safe.

What toys have been recalled for lead hazards? For a complete and regularly updated list of recalled toys and products for children, click here. This list is created by the New York Health Department and this list is the most current for the year 2008.

According to the book Lead is a Silent Hazard (1994), Richard M. Stapelton explains that, "Toys don't have to be old to be dangerous (p. 162)." The lead paint ban of 1978 includes lead paint being used on toys, but instances of its continued use are usually linked with toys manufactured overseas. The Hazardous Substances Act attempts to support the lead ban by specifying the illegality of lead in crayons, chalk, and all other products for children that are not necessarily painted.

If you have a quetion about a product, call the CPSC hotline at (800) 369-CPSC.

If you want to find out where to get your children tested for elevated blood lead levels in Tucson, AZ, contact the Southwest Fair Housing Council at (520) 798-1568.

Lead in Water

How does lead get into my tap water? Lead gets into drinking water if there are old plumbing systems and/or water distribution systems that have been made with lead soldering. As seen in the picture, the small parts that connect pipes were made with lead. Water can absorb the toxic lead by passing through these parts. Hot water erodes even more of the lead than cold water. Although lead soldering was made illegal in this country in 1986, older homes will still have these parts on their pipes.

How dangerous is lead in my tap water? Drinking water is not considered a primary cause of lead poisoning, but it is certainly a source of exposure that can contribute to high blood lead levels, especially among young children. According to the book Getting the Lead Out (1997) by Irene Kessel and John T. O'Conner, "Drinking water contributes to about 20% of lead exposure for an average 2-year-old, and from 5 to 50% for children generally (p. 157)." This may seem like a small contribution to the lead hazard problem, but it can be extremely dangerous if used for baby formula, as the book goes on to say. "The most alarming occurrence of drinking water causing severe lead poisoning is that of infant fed formula made with lead-contaminated tap water, in which case the water can account for 85% of lead exposure, and can result in severe lead poisoning (p. 157)."

What are some sources of water contamination? There are many different factors taken into account when determining if a water source is contaminated with dangerous amounts of lead. Here is a list of some of those factors:

1) The "aggressiveness," or "corrosiveness" of water. This refers to how "soft or hard" the water is, or in other words, how acidic the water is. If the water has a high acidity, it is more likely to eat away at the pipes and therefore be contaminated with a higher amount of lead than less acidic water. "Soft" water actually dissolves more lead whereas hard water can line the pipes and prevent as much lead from leaching into the water.

2) Pipes. Lead pipes are most dangerous in homes that were built before 1920. However, in any pipes where water sits for a while it is a potential hazard because lead can leach slowly into the water.

3) Fixtures. Brass faucets or other fixtures used around your source of water could be leaching lead into the water.

4) School drinking fountains. The drinking fountains in elementary schools across the country have been tested and some have been found to contain high levels of lead. Kessel and O'Conner report in their book that "In 1988 the EPA found that the water from some drinking fountains had lead levels up to 20,000 ppb, 400 times the then-existing maximum level considered safe [...] Federal law mandates the states to correct the situation [...] If you have children in school, check to see if your town has tested for lead in drinking fountains (p. 160)."

5) Antique kettles. Some antique kettles may have been made with lead solder and will contaminate tea or water boiled in them because heat concentrates the effects lead.

How can I tell if my water is contaminated? Have your water tested!! That is the ONLY WAY TO KNOW FOR SURE! When someone comes to do the water test, there should be three water samples taken, the first ("first-draw" sample) in the morning during the first time the water is turned on, a second (a "flush sample") after the water has been running for about 5 minutes, the third test will be a repeat of the second test, but will double-check its accuracy. For more information about getting your water tested, call the Southwest Fair Housing Council at (520) 798-1568. If you do not live in Tucson, Arizona, call 1-888-LEADLIST or go online to www.leadlist.org

Lead in the Soil

How does lead get into our soil? The most common source of lead that contaminates soil is lead paint from the exterior of buildings and houses. Also, the toxic fumes emitted from cars and trucks during the decades when leaded gasoline was used have seeped into the ground.

Old playground equipment can also be a source of contaminated soil, as lead paint chips off the weathered jungle-gyms. This is a place where parents should be especially mindful of lead hazards, as children not only come into contact with the contaminated soil, but they are also playing directly with the source of the lead (the playground equipment).

There are several other ways that lead can get into soil. Old farm equipment or old cars that have been left outside for years at a time unattended and unused may be leeching lead into the dirt. Sometimes rain gutters have been painted with lead paint that then leeches lead into the water that is then poured into the ground surrounding the house.

How can I avoid letting lead in soil come into my home? One of the best ways of avoiding getting poisoned by lead soil is keeping it out of your home. Get a welcome mat and place it on the outside entrance of your home or apartment so that people can wipe their shoes off before entering the house.

Fair Housing and Lead-based Paint

Does a housing provider have the right to deny housing to a family with young children if the housing unit has potential lead hazards? NO! This would be a violation of the Fair Housing Act! Even though lead-based paint can be extremely hazardous to families with young children, it is still ILLEGAL for a landlord to decide whether or not housing is suitable for you and your family. It is required that a landlord provide information about lead-based paint to anyone occupying a unit built before 1978 that has not undergone lead hazard control treatments, but they cannot tell you that you and your family should not live there.