Today, Gov. Ned Lamont announced the Department of Public Health’s (CTDPH) launch of Lead Free CT, a campaign that will mobilize $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to offer free lead removal for Connecticut residents, among other lead-focused initiatives.
“Harmful lead exposure should not happen to any child,” said Manisha Juthani, Connecticut Public Health Commissioner. “It is 100% preventable. The Department of Public Health is investing in our communities so that every child can grow up safe from lead. Children under age six, and especially those aged one to three, are most vulnerable to lead exposure. In Connecticut, children of color and children from neighborhoods with high poverty rates are disproportionately impacted by these risks.”
The lead abatement program will be offered to homeowners, landlords, renters, and childcare homes alike in which young children (ages 1-6) or pregnant women reside. CTDPH is partnering with Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program in administering the abatement efforts, and applications for the lead abatement can be found on Connecticut Children’s website.
According to CTDPH, any property built before 1978 in which pregnant people or children under 6 years old reside or regularly visit will be eligible for free abatement. There are no income requirements, and applications will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. $500 in relocation stipends will be provided to those who opt to stay with family or friends during the abatement process, and hotel room fees and a “limited living stipend” will be provided to those without such an option. Lost income from business owners will not be reimbursed. The abatement process takes an average of 12-14 days to complete, and CTDPH said that work should be done anywhere from 4-6 months after an application is submitted.
“Every year, more than 1,000 Connecticut children are impacted by lead,” said Gov. Lamont. “Based on the data of children tested in Connecticut, where blood lead levels trigger the requirement for environmental testing of the home, lead-based paint and lead dust in pre-1978 homes are the largest contributors to childhood lead exposure in homes.”
The pre-1978 stipulation arises from the fact that usage of lead paint was federally banned that year, and lead paint represents the largest lead exposure risk. While lead-based paint was used until 1978, even higher concentrations of lead were found in paint used before 1950. According to CTDPH’s Healthy Homes Data Book, published in 2012, 30% of Connecticut’s housing stock was built prior to 1950, ranking Connecticut as one of ten states with the highest levels of at-risk housing. In 2010, the state found 743 Connecticut children under six to have elevated levels of lead in their blood and found Black and Latino children in urban areas to be the population at the highest risk of exposure.
In addition to the lead abatement program, Lead Free CT also plans to create a database of all known lead water lines in the state, replace lead pipes that service homes, childcare centers and schools, provide additional funding to Connecticut municipalities for the purpose of lead abatement, have all Connecticut children tested for lead exposure, and educate parents, communities, contractors, and landlords on lead laws and safety standards. CTDPH plans to include community engagement for lead service line replacement and water testing in future phases of Lead Free CT.
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