Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee

Keypoints
Findings and Recommendations
December 14, 1999

Residential Lead Abatement
Keypoints

• The major focus of Connecticut’s lead law is on identifying children who are already lead-poisoned, inspecting their residences, and if lead hazards are found, requiring property owners to abate any lead considered harmful to the child.
• This focus has not been particularly successful in Connecticut, especially when the high number of lead abatement orders issued to property owners are compared to the low number of actual abatements occurring.
• The cornerstone of the childhood lead program should be the prevention of lead poisoning.
• Strong and clear regulatory action is necessary, however, when prevention efforts are unsuccessful and a child has a high blood lead level.
• There is no system for the Department of Public Health to routinely collect, aggregate, and compare the results of epidemiological investigations performed by local health departments.
• A successful regulatory program must be supported by a comprehensive database. The department’s information systems are fragmented and contain too many discrepancies to support adequate program management.
• Connecticut is the only New England state besides Maine without a comprehensive web site devoted to the topic of lead poisoning.
• There is a significant amount of confusion surrounding the concept of "lead poisoned." Connecticut law does not provide a clear explanation of the term.
• The state needs to identify high-risk geographic areas or populations and develop a targeted lead screening program.
• A tax credit program for property owners who implement essential maintenance practices for risk reduction of lead-based paint hazards is a relatively inexpensive way to encourage rental property owners to manage or remove lead in their rental units.
• Massachusetts and Rhode Island both offer tax credits as an incentive to manage or abate lead in residential housing.
• Receiving Medicaid reimbursement for case management activities and environmental investigation or submitting a Medicaid waiver for window replacement are complicated areas that need further exploration. However, the possibility of obtaining additional Medicaid revenues should be pursued.

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