The Lead Poisoning Prevention Program - also known as the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) - was organized in 1971 to prevent childhood lead poisoning in the City of Boston. Lead poisoning is a serious but preventable disease that affects the development of a child, and can cause speech, hearing, learning, and behavior problems. If left untreated, lead poisoning can permanently damage a child's brain, kidneys, blood, and nervous system. Most of the time, a lead-poisoned child has no symptoms; a blood test is the only way to determine the level of lead in the body.
The Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is divided into two units:
- The Community Assessment Unit
- Environmental Follow-Up Unit
The Community Assessment Unit
The Community Assessment Unit provides comprehensive case management services to families with children who are less than six years of age and who have been screened for lead poisoning in accordance with the Massachusetts Lead Law. Public Health Advocates provide home assessments, educational home visits, nutritional assessments, follow-up visits, lead hazard reductions to temporary stabilize lead paint hazards in the home, social work services, and healthy homes referrals to internal and external agencies for assistance.
The unit also provides case management medical follow-up, surveillance, intervention, and chelation treatment for families with children that have been lead poisoned at the Pediatric Lead Clinic in Boston Medical Center.
Health Education outreach and presentations are provided and targeted to high-risk neighborhoods in the City of Boston where the prevalence rate of children with elevated blood levels are high, to community health centers, neighborhood advocacy groups, women and infant organizations, healthy head start organizations, daycare centers, child care organizations, hospitals, and schools.
Environmental Follow-Up Unit
The Environmental Follow-Up Unit provides environmental investigations for families witth children who have elevated blood lead levels or who are lead poisoned. The unit also investigations for parents and property owners who requests lead paint inspection. Please download and complete Parent Request Form. Order to Correct Violations are written and served to the property by our licensed constable when lead paint violations are found. If there are no violations found a Letter of Compliance is issued. Property owners who fail to correct violations found in a timely fashion are referred to prosecution in the Boston Municipal Housing Court, and the case followed by our legal counsel’s office. The case is adjudicated in Boston Municipal Court, Housing Division until lead compliance is met. The environmental follow-up unit also provides free moderate risk deleading training for property owners or their agents to significantly reduce the overall costs of lead abatement in their residences Moderate Risk Deleading Training Schedule and Application.
About the Massachusetts Lead Law
The Massachusetts Lead Law requires that any home built before 1978 where a child under the age of six lives must be made lead safe by removing or covering any lead paint hazards. Lead paint hazards include loose lead paint and lead paint on windows and other surfaces accessible to children. Homeowners are responsible for complying with the law. If a child is poisoned by lead hazards in their primary residence, the homeowner will be held responsible. Homeowners cannot evict or refuse to rent to anyone because of lead paint in their dwelling unit. Organizations such as the Boston Fair Housing Commission and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination can assist you if you believe you have been discriminated against. For more information on the Massachusetts deleading law and childhood lead poisoning prevention, contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 1-800-532-9571.
About the 2010 EPA Regulation
New federal regulations, effective April 22, 2010, require “lead safe” work practices for remodeling, renovation, and painting activities. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will require that at least one contractor (per job) working on a pre-1978 residential building or child-care facility take an eight-hour certification class on “lead-safe” work practices. The certification must be renewed every five years by completing a four-hour refresher course. Businesses that renovate, remodel, and paint must also be certified by the USEPA or after July 9, 2010 by the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards.
Additional Links:
Landlord Rights and Responsibilities
Tenants Rights and Responsibilities
Lead Law
Financial Assistance
For more information contact: The Environmental Health Office: 617-534-5966