By Isabella Darcy
Managing Editor
This story was produced in collaboration with CivicStory (www.civicstory.org) as part of the NJ Ecology-Civics Reporting project (www.srhub.org).
Developmental delays, learning difficulties and seizures. High blood pressure, mood disorders and memory difficulties. These are the effects lead poisoning can have on children and adults, respectively, according to the Mayo Clinic.
After learning how harmful lead is, United States federal agencies banned the use of lead-based paint and lead pipes in homes in the 1970s and 80s. Despite this, lead contamination in homes remains an issue — especially in lower-income neighborhoods — for those who live in older residences.
To combat lead contamination and poisoning in New Jersey, numerous organizations throughout the state, including Lead-Free NJ and Isles, Inc, are working to eliminate lead hazards, educate residents about the substance and advocate for lead-related policy changes.
“Lead-based paint is a huge issue,” said Peter Rose, Isles’ managing director of community enterprises. “It didn't start overnight. It took a lot of years to do that and it takes a lot more years to get all that lead paint taken out or made safe at least.”
In Mercer County, where the College is located, nearly 66% of homes were built before 1980, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. It is therefore possible that some students who live in off-campus housing could have lead in their home.
Also in Mercer County, Trenton is a hot-spot for lead-contaminated homes. Much of the state capital consists of lower-income housing built before 1980. For people living in that housing, addressing lead hazards doesn’t always take priority when there are more immediate concerns like feeding a family, accessing healthcare or getting children to school.
Even if those residents wanted to address lead in their homes, they may not be able to take time off work or afford to miss a paycheck to deal with repairs or inspections, according to Rose.
If a New Jersey home is contaminated with lead, community efforts provide residents with options — some of which can be of no cost.
Isles focuses on lead-based paint remediation. Starting with the initial testing to confirm if there is lead-based paint affecting a home, Isles can perform a healthy homes assessment. Isles provides education no matter if lead is found in a home or not, but if deteriorated lead-based paint is found, the organization will help residents access grants to help them pay for remediation. For qualifying residents, Isles will remove lead-based paint for free.
With similar goals, Isles is a part of Lead-Free NJ’s network. Lead-Free NJ is a statewide collaborative with a mission of removing lead from New Jersey's environment. This means small nonprofits, churches, community groups and larger organizations work together so people most affected by lead exposure are involved in creating solutions.
Lead-Free NJ supports community-based groups that act as trusted “hubs” in highly-affected neighborhoods, like Trenton.
The East Trenton Collaborative is one of these hubs. ETC members help residents navigate each step of addressing lead hazards, from initial testing to full home remediation. It also provides education to residents about the dangers of lead as well as best practices if they have no choice but to live with lead.
Many students who attend the College, and live in off-campus housing, told The Signal that they were unsure when the house they are renting was built, if it had been tested for lead or both.
Ryan Rosenthal, a senior mechanical engineering major, rents an off-campus house in Ewing that was built in 1960. Rosenthal told The Signal he has no idea if his landlord has had the home inspected for lead, and that he never thought to ask.
“I am aware of the health dangers of lead exposure,” Rosenthal said. “I’d like to live in a lead-free home.”
Claire Okamoto, a junior communication studies major, also rents an off-campus house. Okamoto believes the house she is renting was built in 2012. Because it is a newer property, it is much less likely that it contains lead-based paint or lead pipes.
Living in a lead-free home is a priority for Okamoto, who understands lead to be a silent killer and has read horror stories about the health dangers of lead.
“It definitely matters to me if the house I am living in is certified as being lead-free because college houses, I would say, tend to get by on a lot of missed inspections and questionable up-keep,” Okamoto said. “Since we're not in direct contact with the homeowner as frequently as one might be in a family home, it's especially important to me that my roommates and I are kept informed, whether things are going well or not.”
Prior to moving into a rental home built before 1978, “students should look for a Lead-Safe Certificate,” Rose said. “If they don't have one, the owner needs to get one.”
Lead-Free NJ and its network also advocate for stronger state policies surrounding lead, including improved housing safety laws and mandatory lead testing during home sales.
Currently, the New Jersey Lead-Safe Certification Law requires landlords to test rental units for lead and confirm they are lead-safe before a tenant moves in and at every rental turnover.
Organizations are seeking to strengthen the law, largely because “it's been quite challenging for municipalities to one, have the resources to really implement the law, and to just kind of figure out how that structure would work in their own town logistically,” said Cassie Bolinger, program coordinator for Lead-Free NJ.
Anyone who wants to help Lead-Free NJ can get involved in lead-related policy advocacy and community efforts by participating in policy committees and local hubs. The first steps to getting involved can be writing to legislators to voice concerns and attending events put on by community groups.
It is important that community members affected by lead are involved in the solution finding, according to Heather Sorge, program manager for Lead-Free NJ.
“All of the people from the community can work together with the largest state departments to make sure that the people most affected by the problem are part of the solution,” Sorge said.
