BIDDEFORD, Maine — Editors note: the attached video was originally posted on Oct. 20.
It is officially "Lead Poisoning Prevention Week," and the City of Biddeford is taking strides to rid older homes of paint that contains hazardous material.
Biddeford's housing stock is made up of older homes established before 1950 when lead-based paint was commonly used.
Lead-based paint was outlawed in 1978, but Maine still has many properties built and painted before that date.
The Maine Centers for Disease Control says Biddeford is one of five high-risk areas for lead poisoning, especially to children, according to a city news release.
Dust from lead-based paint, often found in older homes is a major source of childhood lead poisoning in Maine. Standard home renovations or maintenance activities can generate toxic lead dust.
When inhaled by children, especially those under the age of six, the toxic materials can have serious and permanent effects on a child's growth and development, including learning disabilities, behavior problems, and even language and speech delays, according to the release.
What the city is doing
In 2019, Biddeford established the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program, after they received a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Lead Poisoning Prevention.
Through the program the city assessed 80 housing units for lead hazards, making 60 of them lead-safe, by 2022. Last year the city received another $3.5 million grant to continue the program’s success, including the ability to provide funding for training and certification in lead hazard control, according to the release.
“During the next program period of our grant, we aim to make 95 additional housing units in Biddeford lead safe,” Gail Wilkerson, lead program director, said in a news release. “Training and certifying reliable contractors in our area is a key piece of the puzzle to help us reach this goal and prevent future childhood lead poisoning.”
Aiding local contractors
Biddeford’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program is offering a free Renovate, Repair & Paint (RRP) certification course on Nov. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Clarify Property Services, LLC. The course will be held in Lewiston at 140 Lisbon St. at zero cost for contractors based in Southern Maine, according to the release.
RRP certification is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is required by federal law for any renovator, repair person, or painter making repairs on properties dating before 1978.
“RRP Certification is a great opportunity for contractors to take advantage of the funding the City has to offer,” Mike Koerner, risk assessor/rehab coordinator for the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program, said in a news release. “Even if you are not local to the City of Biddeford, we will still pay for you to get licensed so that you can work with lead safely, which only benefits our local community throughout the state.”
For more information, call 207-571-0637.