Lead in New England

Lead in New England

Lead is a toxic metal that may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly. In the 1980's, the use of lead was phased out of gasoline and paint. But since New England has a lot of housing which is more than 25 years old, many of our houses may still contain lead paint. Exposure to lead usually occurs due to the presence of deteriorating lead-based paint, lead contaminated dust (particularly from renovations), and lead-contaminated residential soil.

This site provides information about lead, lead hazards in buildings and in soil, lead paint assistance and enforcement efforts, and provides some simple steps to protect your family.

EPA New England Lead Agenda (PDF) (6 pp., 63 KB, about PDF) outlines EPA New England's strategy for reaching our goal: "Eliminate medically confirmed blood lead levels greater than 10 ug/dL among children under age 6 in New England by 2010".

NEW EPA RULE MAKES DISPOSAL OF RESIDENTIAL LEAD-BASED PAINT DEBRIS MORE AFFORDABLE Since lead-based paint (LBP) debris is considered a hazardous waste, the cost of disposing of LBP debris as a hazardous waste is often an obstacle for families who are deciding on whether or not to have lead abatement work performed in their homes. To help accelerate the pace of LBP removal from residences, and thereby reduce the exposure to children and adults from health risks associated with lead, EPA has changed its regulations to allow the disposal of residential LBP debris in construction and demolition (C&D) landfills, effective June 18, 2003. Disposal of LBP debris in a C&D landfill is generally less costly than disposal in a hazardous waste landfill. Read More »