(Published Thursday, June 28, 2007 11:22:44 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Stacy Vogel Gazette Staff
EDGERTON
Keeping seven children out of the house in the sweltering heat can't be easy.
But Anna Kennedy has cheerfully been doing just that for almost three weeks. If that's what it takes to keep her children safe, it seems like a good deal to her.
As the children play across the street, workers rid the house at 504 Blaine St., Edgerton, of the threat of lead poisoning.
"Everything's kind of chaotic at the moment, but at least it's being taken care of," Anna said. "That's the important thing."
The Kennedy family is one of seven so far to receive a lead hazard control grant from the Rock County Planning and Development Department. The department, with the cities of Janesville and Beloit, received $1.1 million from the federal government to remove lead hazards in 85 homes over the next three years.
Lead poisoning is a major threat here, said Tim Banwell, environmental health director at the Rock County Health Department. One-third of county homes were built before 1950, when lead paint was common.
About eight children a year are diagnosed in Rock County with severe lead poisoning, which can hinder intellectual development in children under 6, Banwell said. Even more are diagnosed with a milder form.
"It's something that we're going to have to live with and deal with for a long time," he said.
The Kennedys weren't even thinking about lead when they bought their home a year and a half ago. They were thinking about making a good investment and fitting their six children-now seven-into three bedrooms.
Last fall, they applied for a rehabilitation loan from the county to replace the roof and add another bedroom. A lead assessment was part of the application process.
The assessors told Anna the home had one of the highest lead levels they'd ever seen.
"I freaked out at first," she said.
None of the children tested positive for lead poisoning, but Anna had to keep them away from windows and the front porch, where chunks of lead paint were flaking off the ceiling.
The grant will cover two-thirds of the lead removal-about $8,000-and the rehabilitation loan will cover the rest.
Removing the hazard is more difficult than it seems, said Robert Feuillerat, owner of Robert's Home Improvement in Beloit.
Scraping the paint off would send dust into the air, making the problem worse.
Instead, Feuillerat and his employees covered the Kennedys' porch ceiling with wood paneling and are sealing the windows frames under aluminum. They'll cover some areas with lead-encapsulating paint and remove the carpeting upstairs, which probably holds decades' worth of lead dust.
Workers have to cover everything within 5 feet of the work area and wash or vacuum all surfaces when they finish each night. No one else is allowed on the property while they work, although Anna admits to running into the house occasionally to grab items she needs.
The house will never be completely free of danger.
Even after the workers are done, the health department will continue to make random inspections for lead dust.
"It's an old house; there's definitely going to be lead," Feuillerat said. "We wanted to make sure at least the doors and windows (are safe)."
DEALING WITH LEAD
Lead is commonly found in homes built before 1978. Paint from before 1950 contains even more lead. Here are some tips to minimize the danger from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services:
-- Only cook with and drink water from the cold water tap. Run water for a couple of minutes before using.
-- Keep children out of bare soil unless it has been tested.
-- Keep children away from peeling paint. Place furniture to block the area or cover it with contact paper, duct tape or cardboard.
-- Wash children's hands after play and before eating, napping and bedtime.
-- Foods high in calcium and iron can help keep lead out of a child's body.
-- Foods high in fat can cause lead to stay in the body longer.
-- Do not dry scrape, power sand or burn lead paint because it will release lead dust in the air. Spray water on the surface as you scrape flaking paint.
-- If someone in your home works with lead, have him or her shower and change into clean clothes before entering the car or home.
For more information about lead or the lead hazard control grant, call the Rock County Health Department at (608) 757-5440.
