Lead-based paint is a ‘niche’ yet prevalent environmental health concern — including in McLean County
Lead-based paint is a leading cause of lead poisoning, and despite being outlawed in the United States around 1978, around 3 million homes in Illinois still have or are suspected to have lead-based paint in them. The state also falls among the top in the country for lead exposure rates, which in severe cases can cause brain damage and developmental disabilities.
Public health officials are increasing efforts to raise awareness about the risks lead-based paint poses to people — particularly children — as it can cause illness and, in severe cases, stunt brain development. However, Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] Lead Program Manager Kurt McAfee said it remains “sort of a niche environmental hazard issue,” falling into the category of PFAS, microplastics, or radon.
“It’s the most prevalent issue that we see with lead,” said McAfee. “And I think really just the issue is that it’s such a forgotten thing.”
Nearly every ZIP code in McLean County is considered high risk for lead exposure, which IDPH has previously said is due to lead paint. Last year, the McLean County Health Department said there were about 30 cases of lead poisoning in youth.
“It’s not an issue of the past,” McAfee said.
Bloomington abatement program is unpopular
At the same time, City of Bloomington Grants Manager William Bessler said there is no reason to panic. He explained that being considered high risk does not mean every home in the area has lead-based paint.
“That’s not accurate,” he said, adding that even when lead is in the home, it’s only when the lead is in a state of deterioration that it becomes a hazard because it can ingested or inhaled. The Environmental Protection Agency outlines that lead-based paint that is “peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, damaged, or damp” is concerning.
“It’s a risk that people you know need to be aware of,” Bessler said.
Bessler contends that knowledge is power surrounding lead paint, especially since the city has a program to help remove lead-based paint.
Through the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program [LBPHRP], residents in the 61701 ZIP code who meet income and other qualifications can have the city pay for lead paint abatement. The city got $2 million for the cause from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2020, Bessler said — but only around half has been spent.
“And to be honest, I’m not 100% certain why this program isn’t necessarily as popular as some of the other housing rehabilitation programs with the city,” he said.
The city has put a fair amount of effort into promoting the program, Bessler said, and IDPH does social media and ad campaigns seasonally, which McAfee said are increasing to monthly soon.
“It’s toxic and particularly damaging to children, but for community members who are maybe facing their foundation caving in, or roof issues, or their electrical system is in desperate need of upgrade, maybe it’s just not top of mind,” Bessler said.
City officials, including Bessler, are pushing for a grant extension so they can continue efforts to remove lead-based paint from Bloomington homes with that chunk of change beyond the summer. But he said there are other ways the city can fund abatement, including the Community Development Block Grant, if that push fails.
Further struggles in smaller communities
Other smaller municipalities in McLean County seemingly have even less community awareness of the issue. Heyworth Village Engineer David Shafer said he has not gotten any calls about lead paint.
LeRoy Water Superintendent Perry Mayer said community members only seem to call about lead in water.
“That it is probably the minor portion of where you’re getting the lead from,” Mayer said he will tell people who call in.
LeRoy has lead in some of its water and is actively working to replace all lead pipes — as is Bloomington. However, Mayer said he’s been educating himself about lead poisoning and hazards and has realized what many don’t: lead-based paint or even soil is likely causing more harm than water.
He said he knows a family personally who has a child with lead poisoning caused by lead-based paint in their home,
Yet neither LeRoy nor Heyworth have programs to remove lead-based paint.
“We’ve looked at other programs in the past as it relates to energy efficiency for residential structures, but it usually comes down to, do we have the manpower to do our side of that, that grant and at the time we haven’t had that,” Shafer said of Heyworth. He added that anyone looking to renovate an old home should reach out or test for lead paint before getting to work.
Without funding to pay for abatement, homeowners have to make costly decisions. McAfee said IDPH is still trying to popularize a removal program to help with costs called Clear-Win but most counties, including McLean, are not a part of it yet.
Assistance from the county
The McLean County Health Department can also help families with lead issues — from testing to health treatment. Family Case Management Supervisor Sophie Rebert with the McLean County Health Department said her team helps every family whose children test positive for abnormal lead levels, and they call in environmental investigators to help find the source for better treatment.
“They will test every surface that that child could possibly touch in the home and determine if there is lead paint there,” she said. “And they can see through layers and layers and layers.”
For treatment, Rebert said the best thing for families to do is simple: eat healthy and wash your hands. She said they also make household cleaning suggestions, such as dry cleaning, to avoid further deteriorating paint. In most cases, Rebert said the health department can improve the child’s outcomes.
“As long as we have collaboration with the parents, we’ve got a great relationship with the pediatricians, we can really work with the family to get that [lead level] down,” she said.
She added that getting parents on board tends to be the easy part.
“Because we all want their kids to be healthy,” she said, adding that she encourages people with questions or concerns to contact her office because the health department, municipalities and the IDPH all say addressing lead in homes starts with education.
