D.C.'s tougher lead poisoning bill hailed

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THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The District's new legislation to protect children and pregnant women from lead-paint poisoning is among the toughest in the country, consumer advocates said Wednesday.

"Most states react after children become poisoned," said David Jacobs, a director at the National Center for Healthy Housing.

The bill was proposed by council member Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat, and requires landlords to remove lead paint from properties that will be rented to families with pregnant women and children younger than 6.

"We've been using children as lead detectors," said Mr. Graham, whose first bill as a freshman council member in 1999 was to fight lead-paint hazards. "We only find out when children become sick. This stops that. ... The passage of this bill is a milestone for the protection of our city´s kids who are most at risk."

Mr. Graham said the strength of the bill is a requirement that the mayor's office inspect apartments upon learning about potential lead-paint hazards and that landlords tell potential at-risk tenants about previous lead-paint findings.

He said the mayor could mandate relocation of at-risk renters if tests show high levels of lead in their systems.

Children can get lead poisoning by ingesting or inhaling dust or chips from lead paint. Lead poisoning has been associated with brain damage and learning and developmental disabilities. The District has identified 83 cases of lead poisoning so far this year.

"At age 1, children begin to crawl and put everything in their mouths," Mr. Graham said. "The use of lead-based paint, particularly in older homes and buildings, potentially puts many of our children at risk."

He said the bill can help women who become pregnant after signing a lease and provides financial assistance to property owners through the city's Lead Paint Fund.

"After years of the inability to enforce preventive measures in D.C., you have laid a significant foundation for the future," said Ruth Ann Norton, executive director of the Baltimore-based Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.

Mr. Jacobs, a former Housing and Urban Development official, praised a provision in the bill that requires a check for lead dust before apartments are rented and said that Maryland, Massachusetts and the city of Rochester, N.Y., also have strict laws on lead-paint hazards.

Much of the D.C. homes found with lead paint are in those built prior to 1978.