This Old House Is Killing the Neighbor Kids

My boss' neighbor recently began a home improvement project that puts the entire neighborhood at risk. For those of you who are not familiar with my story, I am a nanny to three boys, so my boss' neighborhood is very much my business. I spend more time there than I spend in my own neighborhood. The next door neighbor recently began painting the exterior of his house. This should be great news for the other homeowners on the block, as the paint was old and cracked, and everyone is worried about property values these days. The problem is, his painting project could potentially leave the neighbor kids brain damaged. The paint is full of lead.

Neighbor knows this. First of all, his wife works in environmental law. She is well aware of the lead abatement requirements in Minnesota. Second, he had the paint tested for lead. When Neighbor found out how much it would cost to have a certified lead hazard reduction team come out, he decided to do it himself. He told all the neighbors, too. He had no shame about it.

So Neighbor set up scaffolding and began scraping. He dry scraped. He did not cordon off the area with plastic. He did not use HEPA filters. He did not wash all surfaces and suck up the wash water with a wet/dry vac. He did not have it inspected. All of these things are required by Minnesota lead abatement laws. He might have known this if he had attended a lead abatement safety class and obtained certification, which is also required by Minnesota law if you plan to do it yourself.

As a result of his money-saving scheme, three yards in the neighborhood are covered in fine, white dust. They live on Minnehaha Creek, so when it rains, the leaded paint dust runs down the hill into the creek. We can't have the windows open at my work because on a dry day, it blows into the house. They are dying to let spring in, but they can't, because spring could kill them this year.
Okay, "kill them" might be an exaggeration. The EPA lists the following effects of lead on its website:

Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the United States.

• People can get lead in their body if they:
  • Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths.
  • Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
  • Breathe in lead dust, especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces.




• Lead is more dangerous to children because:
  • Babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These
    objects can have lead dust on them.
  • Children's growing bodies absorb more lead.
  • Children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.




• If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from:
  • Damage to the brain and nervous system
  • Behavior and learning problems, such as hyperactivity
  • Slowed growth
  • Hearing problems
  • Headaches




• Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from:
  • Reproductive problems (in both men and women)
  • High blood pressure and hypertension
  • Nerve disorders
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Muscle and joint pain

Lead can be a hazard when undisturbed, as well. It was a hot topic this summer, when toys from China were found to have lead paint. Lead is used by cosmetics manufacturers to give lipstick staying power. Homeowners should assume that houses built before 1978 contain lead paint. It was standard practice to put lead in household paint until that year. This is a huge problem for those who buy homes in the city, as most of those homes are between 50 and 100 years old. Landlords in the city have a huge responsibility to remove lead from their properties, as the majority of renters in these old city homes are low-income families, many of whom have small children. Just as it is dangerous for children to put Chinese-made toys in their mouths, windowsills, stair railings, and other things kids chew on are equally dangerous. And yes...kids chew on windowsills. They're like puppies.

Neighbor has not let his own daughter outside in three weeks. She's only three, though. My charges are older, so I am letting them play outside on the other side of the house for limited amounts of time, and they have to change their clothes and shower when they come in. My boss' organic flower garden is covered in paint chips. The boys
won't be allowed to help plant on Mother's Day this year, as they have
every year since birth. The kids down the street are no longer allowed to play in our yard, because they have a baby sister who is just crawling, and they don't want it tracked in their house. The part that makes me most sad, though, is that the two-year-old across the street toddles around my charges' house daily with his grandpa (who is from Russia and speaks little English), and no one can convince grandpa that it's a bad idea. The little guy puts everything in his mouth.

It is not my role to yell at my boss' neighbor, but every time I see him, I want to shake him and say, "You cheap bastard! You know exactly how bad this is! Why are you putting a block full of children at risk?" The relationship between Neighbor and everyone else on the block has cooled considerably, but he persists in his painting project. This is a case of shared responsibility. It is good citizenship at its most basic level. Part of being a good citizen is not doing things that put your neighbors at risk. So he's not a big environmental activist...does that mean he can't be at least a little considerate?

Before removing paint in any older home, please familiarize yourself with the appropriate procedures accroding to your state regulations. The brain development of your children and your neighbors' children depends on your responsible actions. A google search for "Lead Abatement" and your state's name should give you plenty of information.