United States Office of Research and Office of Environmental EPA/625/R-00/012
Environmental Protection Development Information January 2001
Agency Washington, DC 20460 Washington, DC 20460 http://www.epa.gov/empact
Lead-Safe Yards
Developing and Implementing a
Monitoring, Assessment, and
Outreach Program for Your
Community
•
J&ead (Safe 9/W cProjecl
E M P A C T
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
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DISCLAIMER
This document haas been reviewed by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and approved for publication.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation of their use.
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EPA/625/R-00/012
January 2001
Lead-Safe Yards
Developing and Implementing a
Monitoring, Assessment, and Outreach
Program for Your Community
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Risk Management Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
Cincinnati, OH 45268
100% Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with vegetable-based ink
on paper that contains a minimum
of 50% post-consumer fiber.
-------
This technology transfer handbook is intended to serve as: a) a case study of the
EMPACT Community-Based Lead Assessment and Educational Pilot Project in Boston (also
known as the Lead-Safe Yard Project or LSYP) that highlights the successes and lessons learned from
the project, and b) a "hands on" reference for community members, especially community
organizations, to use in identifying and reducing risks from residential soil that may be
contaminated with lead. The emphasis is on contamination from non-industrial sources, such as
the historic use of exterior house paint or gasoline that contained lead. The handbook provides
step-by-step guidance for measuring lead levels in soil, interpreting results in terms of potential risks
from these levels, and planning and implementing simple and cost-effective landscaping techniques
to reduce these risks. While the focus is on community organizations with access to professional
assistance, some recommendations may be suitable for the individual homeowner, landlord, or ten-
ant to consider.
Based on the case study from the Pilot Project in Boston, the handbook was written to be
complementary to, and used in conjunction with, EPA and HUD regulations and associated guid-
ance. In particular, EPA has proposed a regulation entitled "TSCA Title IV, Section 403 Lead;
Identification of Dangerous Levels of Lead." At the time of the handbook's publication, this rule,
which establishes standards for lead-based paint hazards in most pre-1978 housing and child-occu-
pied facilities, was not yet finalized. Nothing in the handbook should be construed as official
Agency guidance or regulation contradictory to the Final Section 403 Rule.
These simple, low-cost landscape treatment measures are presented as additional options beyond
the permanent measures that may be required by state, local, or federal regulations. For cases
in which permanent solutions such as soil removal would be preferable and/or required, but
are not immediately possible due to cost or other practical considerations, the handbook offers
interim controls that may provide an immediate risk reduction, especially when combined with
continuing maintenance practices. Users of the handbook should consult applicable state,
local, and federal regulations before deciding on any course of action.
PREFACE
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Page
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 About the EMPACT Program 2
1.2 About the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project 3
1.3 About This Handbook 5
1.4 Acknowledgments 6
1.5 For More Information 6
CHAPTER 2 HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK 9
CHAPTER 3 LEAD IN SOIL: WHY IS IT A PROBLEM? 11
3.1 Lead and Lead Poisoning 11
3.2 Sources and Levels of Lead in Soil 14
3-3 Soil as an Exposure Pathway for Lead 16
3.4 Standards and Guidelines for Lead Poisoning Prevention 17
3-5 For More Information 25
CHAPTER 4 BEGINNING THE PROGRAM 29
4.1 Program Structure: Overview of a Lead-Safe Yard Program 29
4.2 Selecting Program Partners 30
4.3 Identifying Potentially Impacted Communities 32
4.4 Getting to Know the Community 33
CHAPTER 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL
AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 35
5.1 Approaching Homeowners and Residents 35
5.2 Educating People About Lead and Lead in Soil 36
5.3 Next Steps: Enlisting the Homeowner in the Program 37
5.4 For More Information 39
CHAPTER 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING
DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL 67
6.1 Collecting and Managing Data: An Overview 67
6.2 Getting Started 70
6.3 Testing Step by Step 70
6.4 Health and Safety Precautions 74
6.5 Maintaining Equipment 75
6.6 Alternative Approaches 77
6.7 For More Information 77
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Page
CHAPTER 7 LEAD IN SOIL: WHY IS IT A PROBLEM? 83
7-1 Matching Treatments to Hazards 83
7-2 Treatment Options and Detailed Specifications 87
7-3 Developing a Budget for Each Yard Treatment 92
7-4 Homeowner Design Session 93
7-5 Contracting With a Landscaper 94
7-6 Health and Safety for Landscapers 95
7-7 Approval and Signoft on Work Complete 97
7.8 Handing Over the Case File 97
7.9 For More Information 98
CHAPTER 8 YARD MAINTENANCE 111
8.1 The Importance of Yard Maintenance Ill
8.2 Maintenance Requirements for EMPACT Treatment Measures Ill
8.3 Developing a Property-Specific Maintenance Manual Ill
8.4 Educating Homeowners About Yard Maintenance 112
8.5 Strategies for Encouraging Ongoing Maintenance 112
CHAPTER 9 EVALUATING YOUR LEAD-SAFE
YARD PROGRAM 123
9-1 Focusing Your Evaluation 123
9-2 Documenting Evaluation Points 123
CHAPTER 10 NON-RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF
LEAD-SAFE YARD MITIGATION STRATEGIES 127
APPENDIX A SAFER SOIL PILOT PROGRAM
OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 129
APPENDIX B SOME PROPOSED MODELS FOR LESS-
RESOURCE-INTENSIVE APPROACHES
TO IMPLEMENTING LEAD-SAFE YARD
PROGRAMS 133
APPENDIX C FUTURE OPTIONS—USING PLANTS
TO TREAT LEAD-CONTAMINATED SOILS 135
APPENDIX D QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN FORA
COMMUNITY BASED ENVIRONMENTAL LEAD
ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION PROGRAM 139
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1
INTRODUCTION
onmental
Over the past few decades, blood lead levels in children have
declined dramatically. However, lead poisoning remains a seri-
ous environmental health threat for children today. The legacy
of lead-based paint and leaded gasoline will be with us for
many years to come. Without further action, large numbers of
young children, particularly in older, urban neighborhoods,
will continue to be exposed to lead in amounts that could
impair their ability to learn and to reach their full potential.
Recent efforts at the state and federal levels to reduce childhood
lead poisoning have focused primarily on controlling hazards
from lead-based paint. This focus is likely to continue. In
February 2000, the Presidents Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to
Children released a federal, interagency strategy for eliminating childhood lead poisoning. The
strategy calls for the control of lead paint hazards in 2.3 million homes where children under age 6
live (you can access the strategy at http://www.epa.gov/children/whatwe/leadhaz.pdf). To support
the Task Force's recommendations, the federal budget for 2001 includes a 50-percent increase in
lead paint hazard control grants issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD).
While considerable attention has been given to lead-paint hazards in homes, less attention has been
paid to lead-contaminated soil that surrounds these homes. Generally, this has been because of the
more significant contribution to lead poisoning in children made by deteriorated lead paint and
leaded dust on the interiors of homes. However, evidence exists that soil can be a source of expo-
sure. As lead poisoning rates decline and average childhood blood lead levels decline, lead exposure
from soil may be a more significant portion of the exposure for children. Therefore, it warrants
attention.
This EMPACT technology transfer handbook is designed with two main goals in mind. The first
goal is to present a case study showing how one community-based program—the EMPACT Lead-
Safe Yard Project (LSYP) in Boston, Massachusetts—is using a variety of low-cost techniques to
reduce children's exposure to elevated levels of lead in residential soil. The second—and perhaps
more important—goal is to provide you with step-by-step guidance for developing a similar pro-
gram to address the problem of lead in soil in your own community. The guidance in the handbook
is based on the experience of the EMPACT LSYP, as well as that of several other programs. These
other programs are highlighted at points throughout the handbook.
The handbook is written primarily for community organizers, non-profit groups, local government
officials, tribal officials, and other decision-makers who will implement, or are considering imple-
menting, lead-safe yard programs. At the same time, much of the information will be useful to
individual homeowners interested in finding low-cost ways to reduce children's exposure to lead in
soil. Before attempting to implement the techniques described in this handbook, however, home-
owners need to be aware of the hazards associated with working with lead-contaminated soil. All
homeowners should carefully read those passages of the handbook that describe soil-lead hazards,
1 li
NTRDDUCTON
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safety guidelines for working with lead-contaminated soil, and federal and state regulations gov-
erning acceptable work practices (in particular, see Sections 3-1, 3-3, 6.2, 6.4, and 7-6).
1,1 ABOUT EMPACT PROBRAM
This handbook was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) EMPACT
Program (http://www.epa.gov/cmpact). EPA created EMPACT (Environmental Monitoring for
Public Access and Community Tracking) in 1997, at President Clinton's direction. It is now one of
the programs within EPA's Office of Environmental Information. EMPACT is a new approach to
providing timely environmental information to communities across the nation, helping people
make informed, day-to-day decisions. By the year 2001, residents in 86 of the largest metropolitan
areas in the United States will have an easy way to answer questions such as:
• What is the ozone level in my city this morning?
• What is the water quality at my beach today?
• How high is the ultraviolet radiation in my city today?
• What is the level of contamination at the hazardous waste site in my community?
• What are the levels of lead in the soil in yards in my neighborhood?
To help make EMPACT more effective, EPA is partnering with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Interior, and the
National Partnership for Reinventing Government. EPA will work closely with these federal enti-
ties to help achieve nationwide consistency in measuring environmental data, managing
information, and delivering that information to the public.
To date, environmental information projects have been initiated in 84 of the 86 EMPACT-desig-
nated metropolitan areas. These projects cover a wide range of environmental issues, such as
groundwater contamination, ocean pollution, smog, ultraviolet radiation, and ecosystem quality.
Some of these projects have been initiated directly by EPA. Others have been launched by the
EMPACT communities themselves. Local governments from any of the 86 EMPACT metropoli-
tan areas are eligible to apply for EPA-funded Metro Grants to develop their own EMPACT
projects.
Communities selected for Metro grants are responsible for building their own time-relevant envi-
ronmental monitoring and information delivery systems. To find out how to apply for a Metro
grant, visit the EMPACT Web site at http://www.cpa.gov/empact/apply.htm.
1.2, THE EMPACT YARD PROJECT
During the winter of 1998, EPA's EMPACT program funded "A Community-Based Lead
Assessment and Educational Pilot Project," also known as the Lead-Safe Yard Project
(http://www.epa.gov/region01/lcadsafc). The project is a joint effort between EMPACT, EPA's New
England Regional Laboratory, and several community partners. The three primary objectives of the
project are:
1) To generate real-time data of lead concentrations in residential yard soils using innovative
field-portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology, and to communicate these data to resi-
dents for the purpose of informing them of the health risks of lead in soil.
1 INTRODUCTION
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DmOltf Sin*!
Tkrprt Community
City of Boston
Lead Poisoned Children
Venous > 15ug/dL
FY1985-1993
2) To plan and implement low-cost and sustainable landscape measures in residents' yards
that would reduce children's risk of exposure to contaminated soil and that residents
would be taught to maintain.
3) To develop a template that other communities and public agencies can use to address the
issue of lead in residential soil.
The initial target community selected for the pilot project was a several-block area in the Bowdoin
Street neighborhood, consisting of approximately 150 mostly older, wood-framed houses in the
North Dorchester section of Boston. This is an inner-city community, with a large minority and
immigrant population. Bowdoin Street is situated in the "lead belt" of Boston, where the majority
of children in the city with elevated blood levels reside.
During the pilot phases, the project's community partners in the Boston area were Boston
University School of Public Health, the Bowdoin Street Community Health Center, and a non-
profit landscaping company called Dorchester Gardenlands Preserve. The project team identified
five tasks to be carried out by the partners:
• Outreach and education, led by the Health Center.
• Safety training, conducted by staff from the Health Center.
• Sampling and analysis, led by the EPA Regional Laboratory with assistance
from a certified industrial hygienist from the Health Center.
INTRODUCTION
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• Soil mitigation, performed by the landscaping company.
• Creation of a template for community action, led by Boston University School
of Public Health with assistance from all partners.
The pilot project was funded in two phases, which took place in the summers of 1998 and 1999-
During these two years, the project addressed 42 residences in the target area, at no cost to the
homeowners; conducted a number of seminars on lead-safe yard work; and developed a ''Tool Kit"
for use by other communities (the materials in the Tool Kit have been incorporated into this handbook).
The third phase of the project, launched in June 2000, is targeting a different community: the
Dudley Street neighborhood, which is also located in the "lead belt" of Boston. The partners in this
phase include Boston University School of Public Health, the Dudley Street Neighborhood
Initiative (a local planning and organizing agency), and several commercial landscapers. The objec-
tive of this phase is to use refined landscape measures and an improved educational approach in
treating yards of homes that meet requirements for structural lead abatement of interior and exte-
rior paint, or that have already been lead abated and are lead safe. As of September 2000, 18
homeowners had enrolled to have their yards tested for elevated soil-lead levels, and testing had
been completed at most of the properties. The project's goal is to complete soil testing and imple-
ment landscape treatments at 20 or more properties by the end of the year.
I.Z.I RELATED LEAD-SAFE YARD
A key objective of the EMPACT LSYP is to disseminate a template of materials and methods to
public agencies whose mission is to prevent childhood lead poisoning. The ultimate goal is to insti-
tutionalize soil remediation as part of a comprehensive lead poisoning prevention program in
high-risk neighborhoods.
Based on the success of the pilot phase of the EMPACT LSYP, the City of Boston has already ini-
tiated two "spinoff" soil-lead programs, using the EMPACT project's template:
• Lead Safe Boston, an office within the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development
that assists homeowners financially and technically in home de-leading, is spearheading a
HUD-funded lead-safe yard project that will target as many as 25 residential properties by
the end of 2000. This demonstration project is meant to show how local government agen-
cies can integrate soil-lead mitigation into ongoing home de-leading work. As of September
2000, Lead Safe Boston had enrolled 20 properties for soil-lead testing and yard treatments,
and had completed treatments at nearly half of the properties. Lead Safe Boston has also
done extensive work to revise materials in the EMPACT LSYP's template (such as permis-
sion forms and contractor agreements) to meet the more rigorous legal standards required
of a city agency. Many of the materials developed by Lead Safe Boston appear as samples in
this handbook.
• The Office of Environmental Health, part of the Boston Public Health Commission
(BPHC), initiated another spinoff lead-safe yard project in the year 2000 to address nine
residential properties in an area of North Dorchester. These nine residences have previously
undergone structural abatement of lead paint and are slated for yard intervention utilizing
the EMPACT LSYP's template. BPHC is leading the outreach effort and funding the land-
scaping work. EPA's New England Regional Laboratory is providing testing support, and
Lead Safe Boston is assisting with contract services.
1 INTRODUCTION
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EMPACT LEAD-SAFE YARD
PROJECT RECOGNIZED FOR
EXCELLENCE
Because of the EMPACT LSYP's
innovative approaches and far-reaching
impacts, project partners have received
several prestigious awards for their work.
These include:
• 1999 Regional Science Award. The
EPA Region 1 Science Council selected
for this award Rob Maxfield and Paul
Carroll, both from EPA's Office of
Environmental Measurement and
Evaluation, for their work on the
EMPACT LSYP. The award noted that
these scientists "demonstrated
environmental leadership and utilized
innovative yet simple solutions
to this age old problem while gaining
acceptance at the local, municipal, and
national levels." The two also received
EPA Bronze Medals for this work.
• 1999 Harvard Award for Excellence in
Children's Health. LSYP project
partner Bowdoin Street Health Center
received this award for its work with
the EMPACT LSYP. This annual
award, cosponsored by the Harvard
Center for Children's Health at the
School of Public Health, the City of
Boston, and Children's Hospital,
recognizes a Boston organization for
extraordinary work in the area of child
and adolescent health.
• 2000 Boston University School of
Public Health Award for Excellence in
Public Health Practice. Patricia Hynes,
Professor of Public Health, was
recognized during National Public
Health Week 2000 for her work with
the EMPACT LSYP. Boston University
School of Public Health selected this
as one of three examples of excellence
in public health research and
intervention work being done by the
school's faculty.
1 .2.2 LEAD-SAFE YARD
RESEARCH STUDY
EPA New England and the National Center for Lead
Safe Housing (http://www.leadsafehousing.org) are lead-
ing a HUD-funded research study to document the
effectiveness of the low-cost interim soil control measures
used by the EMPACT LSYR Other partners in the study
include the Boston Department of Neighborhood
Development and Boston University. This research study
will include a retrospective evaluation of the soil inter-
vention work conducted during the first two phases of
the EMPACT LSYP (1998 and 1999). It also will exam-
ine data collected during the summer of 2000 by all three
Boston-based lead-safe yard projects: the EMPACT proj-
ect, the Lead Safe Boston demonstration project, and the
BPHC project (data will be collected before, during, and
after each yard intervention). The principal objective of
the study is the preparation of a technical paper that will
document the effectiveness of low-cost interim soil con-
trol measures in reducing risk to residents and to make
this data available to HUD tor policy development. The
research study will also seek to answer several technical
questions about the suitability of field-portable XRF
technology tor soil-lead testing.
1 .3 ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK
A number of cities have expressed interest in beginning
lead-safe yard programs, but they are limited by available
resources. The Technology Transfer and Support
Division of the EPA Office ot Research and
Development's (ORD's) National Risk Management
Laboratory initiated the development of this handbook
to help interested communities learn more about the
EMPACT LSYP and to provide them with the technical
information they need to develop their own programs.
ORD, working with the LSYP from Region 1, produced
the handbook to leverage EMPACT's investment in the
project and minimize the resources needed to implement
it in new cities.
Both print and CD-ROM versions of the handbook
are available for direct online ordering from
ORD's Technology Transfer Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/ttbnrmrl. A PDF version of the
handbook can also be downloaded from the EMPACT
LSYP Web site at http://www.epa.gov/region01/
leadsafe. This Web site is in turn hyperlinked to
the main EMPACT Program Web site
INTRODUCTION
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(http://wAvw.epa.gov/cmpact) and the ORD Technology Transfer Web site. In addition, you can
obtain a copy of the handbook by contacting the EMPACT Program office at:
EMPACT Program
Office of Environmental Information
U.S. EPA (2831R)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 564-5179
We hope that you find the handbook worthwhile, informative, and easy to use. We welcome
your comments; you can send them by e-mail from EMPACT's Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/empiict/comment.htrn.
1 .4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EPA and the EMPACT LSYP would like to recognize the following people and organizations for
their substantial contributions to the contents of this handbook:
• Sandra Duran, a construction specialist with the Boston Department of Neighborhood
Development in the City of Boston's Public Facilities Department, for creating many of
the forms used during the third phase of the EMPACT LSYP and creating the specifica-
tions for construction contracting.
• The EPA New England Lead Program in the Office of Ecosystem Protection, for assistance
in reviewing early drafts of the handbook.
• The New England Lead Coordinating Committee (NELCC), funded by EPA New
England and the State Lead Programs, and the participants of the Lead in Soils Design
Charrette, whose early work developing landscape treatments for lead-contaminated soil
provided a foundation for the EMPACT LSYP's low-cost mitigation approach.
• The EPA New England Urban Initiative, whose outreach and capacity-building efforts
established many of the community and city partnerships that made this project possible.
1.5 INFORMATION
Try the following resources for more on the issues and programs this handbook discusses:
The EMPACT Program
littp://www.epa.cov/emp act
I I O I
The EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project
http://www. epa.gov/region01/leadsafe
Robert Maxfield
Chief, Environmental Investigation and Analysis
EPA Region 1 Laboratory
60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02173
(781) 860-4640
1 INTRODUCTION
-------
H. Patricia Hynes
Professor of Environmental Health
Director, Urban Environmental Health Initiative
Boston University School of Public Health
715 Albany Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 638-7720
The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
http://www.dsni.org
The National Center for Lead Safe Housing
http://www.leadsafehousing.org
INTRODUCTION
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2
How To
This handbook provides information your community can use to create and implement a lead-safe
yard program. It presents detailed guidance, based on the experience of the EMPACT Lead-Safe
Yard Project, on how to:
Identify target
communities and
select program
partners
^>
Provide lead-safety
education and
outreach to
homeowners
and residents
Use field-portable
x-ray fluorescence
technology to collect
real-time soil
lead data
=>
Design and implement
property-specific
treatment plans
and develop
yard-maintenence
plans
Evaluate the
effectiveness
of your program
The handbook provides simple "how to" instructions on each facet of planning and implementing
a lead-safe yard program, along with important background information on lead poisoning and the
hazards of lead-contaminated soil:
• Chapter 3 discusses why lead in general, and lead-contaminated soil in particular, is a
health hazard; what data are available on lead in soil; and what standards and regulations
may apply to your program.
• Chapter 4 describes the steps in beginning a program: identifying potential target
communities, getting to know the community, and selecting partners for the program.
• Chapter 5 provides guidance on education and outreach to homeowners and residents
about the problem of lead in soil and the benefits of participating in a lead-safe yard
program.
• Chapter 6 provides detailed information about data collection and management, focusing
on the use of the field-portable x-ray fluorescence instrument to collect real-time data.
• Chapter 7 describes soil mitigation strategies and techniques, including sample
specifications, costs, and legal issues.
• Chapter 8 discusses how to develop and implement a maintenance plan for lead-safe yards,
including homeowner education and strategies for ensuring ongoing maintenance.
• Chapter 9 provides guidance for evaluating the program, stressing the importance of
documentation.
• Chapter 10 outlines the application of lead-safe yard monitoring and mitigation techniques
to non-residential settings, such as tot lots, community gardens, and abandoned
commercial buildings.
Interspersed throughout the handbook are success stories and lessons learned in the course of the
EMPACT LSYP The handbook also refers you to supplementary sources of information, such as
Web sites, guidance documents, and other written materials. In addition, the handbook includes
three appendices that present alternatives to the approaches used by the EMPACT LSYP:
2 How TO USE THIS HANDBOOK
-------
• Appendix A describes the Safer Soil Pilot Program of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which
has used landscaping and other remedial measures to treat residential yards since 1997-
• Appendix B proposes four models for less-resource-intensive approaches to implementing
lead-safe yard programs.
• Appendix C discusses a new option, phytoremediation, being explored to address lead in
soil in a cost-effective manner.
Finally, Appendix D presents the EMPACT LSYP Quality Assurance Project Plan.
The handbook is designed for managers and decision-makers who may be considering whether to
implement a lead-safe yard program in their communities, as well as for organizers who are actu-
ally implementing lead intervention programs. Decision-makers likely will find Chapters 3, 4, 9,
and 10 most helpful. The other chapters are written primarily for people who will carry out the
program and provide detailed "how to" information. Individual homeowners interested in finding
low-cost ways to prevent children's exposure to lead in soil will find Chapters 7 and 8 most useful.
ID 2 Haw TO USE THIS HANDBOOK
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3
IN
is IT A PROBLEM?
This chapter provides an overview of the problems posed by lead in soil. Section 3-1 discusses lead
poisoning, its health effects and prevalence, and the pathways through which children and others are
exposed to lead. Section 3-2 describes the most common sources of lead in residential soil and sum-
marizes soil-lead levels found in the United States. Section 3-3 reviews evidence indicating that soil
is one important pathway for childhood lead exposure. Finally, Section 3.4 describes the national
strategy for reducing hazardous exposures to lead and identifies standards and regulations that may
affect a lead-safe yard program.
The information in this chapter should be useful to any person interested in soil-lead hazards and
mitigation, whether that person be a community organizer responsible for implementing a lead-safe
yard program or a homeowner concerned about elevated soil-lead levels in his or her own yard.
3.1 LEAD AND LEAD POISONING
Lead is a heavy, soft, malleable metal. Due to its physical and chemical properties, people have found
countless uses for lead in their daily lives. While certain uses of lead are banned, lead is still found in
a myriad of products. Important sources of lead in the environment today include:
• Lead paint, and resulting lead dust, found in and around homes built before 1978
(when lead-based paint was banned). Lead dust from deteriorated lead-based paint
is the most significant contributor to childhood lead poisoning.
• Lead from automobile emissions (before leaded gasoline was finally banned in 1986)
that has been deposited on land and surface water.
• Lead in occupational settings (often brought home on clothes or skin).
• Lead from industrial emissions, such as lead smelters, lead mining, hazardous
waste sites, and battery-recycling plants.
• Lead in drinking water caused by lead-containing plumbing.
• Lead-containing tableware, such as leaded-crystal glassware and lead-glazed pottery.
• Certain hobbies and activities that use lead (e.g., car radiator repair, target shooting, stained-
glass making, glass or metal soldering).
• Certain folk remedies that contain lead (e.g., azarcon, greta).
3.1.1 WHAT Is LEAD POISONING?
Lead poisoning is entirely preventable. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 million children living in the United States in the early 1990s had lead
in their blood at levels high enough to be associated with irreversible damage to their health.
CDC defines elevated blood lead in children as blood lead levels of 10 micrograms of lead per
deciliter of blood (ug/dL) or higher. Until the early 1970s, CDC's blood lead levels of concern were
60 ug/dL for children and 80 ug/dL for adults. As the adverse effects of lead became better known,
3 LEAD IN SOIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 1 1
-------
Blood lead levels considered elevated by the Centers
for Disease Control and the Public Health Service.
50-1—
40 —
30
20- —
10- —
1970
1975
1980
Year
1985
1990
Source: Centers tor Disease Control, 1991,
Preitenting Lead Poisoning in Young Children
CDC lowered the level at which it recommends medical atten-
tion, also known as the ''blood lead intervention level," on three
separate occasions. After research showed that cognitive and
developmental damage occurs at blood lead levels as low as 10
ug/dL, CDC lowered the blood lead level of concern to the cur-
rent 10 ug/dL value in 1991 • There is no known safe level of lead
in blood.
3.1,2 HEALTH EFFECTS
OF PQISONINB
Lead poisoning affects nearly every system in the body, and often
occurs with no noticeable symptoms. Although lead can affect
adults, children under the age of six are especially vulnerable to
the adverse effects of lead. The incomplete development of the
blood-brain barrier in fetuses and very young children (up to 36
months of age) increases the risk of lead's entry into the nervous
system. Low but chronic exposure can affect the developing
nervous system in subtle but persistent ways. In children, blood
lead levels as low as 10 to 15 ug/dL can stunt growth rates, affect
attention span, cause learning disabilities, lower IQ scores, impair hearing acuity, and cause behav-
ioral problems. In addition, fetuses exposed to elevated levels of lead can suffer from low birth
weight, impaired hearing, and altered gestational age, which can lead to further complications.
In addition to damaging the nervous system, elevated blood lead levels can also affect the kidneys
and reproductive system and cause high blood pressure. Very high levels (greater than 80 pg/dL)
can cause convulsions, coma, or death. Levels greater than 150 (Jg/dL are fatal if not treated quickly.
Fortunately, exposures resulting in such high levels of lead are rare.
The literature on the health effects of lead is extensive. For more information, see CDC's
Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children (http://aepo-xdv-vvvvw-epo.cdc.gov/wciiider/
prevguid/p()()()()()29/pO()()()()29.htm) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry's Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Lead Toxicity
(hrtp://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HEC/casclead.html). Additional resources and links listed at the end of
this chapter provide a wealth of information on this and other lead-related topics.
3.1,3 How LEAD ENTER THE BDDT,
AND WHAT HAPPENS TO LEAD IN THE BODY?
Lead enters the body through either ingestion or inhalation. Young children tend to ingest more
lead than adults do in a given environment, mainly because of their normal hand-to-mouth behav-
ior. The most common way for a child to ingest lead is by putting objects in the mouth (e.g., toys
or hands) that have lead-contaminated dust or dirt on them. Children may also mouth surfaces
having lead-based paint (such as window sills) or ingest lead-paint chips or soil (especially children
who exhibit pica, a pattern of eating dirt or other non-food substances). Children may also ingest
lead if their drinking water contains lead. (Lead in drinking water usually comes from lead-con-
taining pipes, faucets, and solder in the plumbing of older buildings.) Children can also inhale lead
via dust from deteriorating paint, dust on clothing brought home by parents exposed to occupa-
tional lead sources, or fumes from hobbies or industries that use lead.
1 2
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL; WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
-------
Young children tend to ingest more lead than adults do in a given environment, partly because of
normal hand-to-mouth behavior. They also take in more food and water per body weight.
The rate at which the body absorbs lead, once it has been ingested, depends on the chemical and
physical form of the lead and on the physiological characteristics of the exposed person. Nutritional
status and age are the factors having the greatest influence on absorption rates. Adults typically
absorb 10 to 15 percent of ingested lead through the gastrointestinal tract, while children and
pregnant women can absorb as much as 50 percent. Children are also at higher risk when their
nutritional needs are not being adequately met. Calcium, iron, zinc, and protein deficiencies, in
particular, increase lead absorption rates. Fasting conditions in adults have a similar impact on the
absorption of lead. Lead dust inhaled and deposited into the lower respiratory tract is completely
absorbed by both adults and children.
Since lead is an inorganic metal, it is not metabolized and is distributed throughout the body by
the bloodstream. Over time, a portion of the lead may be eliminated from the body. The majority,
however, remains in the bloodstream, or is absorbed by soft tissue (kidneys, bone marrow, liver, and
brain), or mineralizing tissue (bones and teeth). In adults, 95 percent of the lead present in the body
is found in teeth and bones, where it remains inert. When the body experiences physiological
changes, however—such as pregnancy, lactation, or chronic disease—this inert lead can leach into
the bloodstream and raise blood lead levels to dangerous levels. During pregnancy, this mobilized
lead can also be transferred to the fetus, which has no defense mechanism against it. This can result
in developmental and neurological damage.
In addition to absorbing a greater proportion of the lead to which they are exposed, children also
tend to retain a greater percentage of lead in their blood than do adults. This is partly because
a child's body is not as efficient as an adult's at absorbing lead into mineralizing tissue.
Consequently, a greater fraction of the lead absorbed remains in the bloodstream and has a toxic
effect on internal organs.
3.1.4 HOW Is
POISONING IN CHILDREN?
The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES II), released in 1980, showed that as
recently as 1976, the average blood lead level of the typi-
cal American child was 12.8 ug/dL. The survey also
revealed that at that time 88.2 percent of American chil-
dren ages one through five were suffering from some
degree of lead poisoning (i.e., over CDC's current level of
concern of 10 pg/dL).
In the 1970s, the federal government banned the use of
lead-based paint in residential buildings and houses, and
phased out the use of lead as an additive in gasoline. These
two actions had an immense impact on the blood lead lev-
els of children nationwide. NHANES III reported that by
1988, the national average blood lead level in children had
dropped to 2.8 pg/dL and the percentage of children suf-
fering from lead poisoning had dropped to 8.9 percent. By
the early 1990s, the average blood lead level of children ages
Change in blood lead levels in relation to a
decline in use of leaded gasoline, 1976-1980.
110-1—
S
100--
90
80--
70
60--
50 • —
1976 1977 1978
Year
Source: Centers for Disease Control, 1991,
Preventing Lead. Poisoning in Young Children
1979
1980
3 LEAD IN SOIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 1 3
-------
one through five was 2.3 ug/dL.1 A fourth
NHANES report has recently been completed;
though the report has not yet been made public,
the survey data apparently suggest that average
blood lead levels continue to decrease among
children in this age range.
While childhood lead exposure has diminished
over the past 25 years, the problem is far from
solved. In particular, minority, low-income,
inner-city populations continue to lag behind in
improvement, relative to national averages:
• 8 percent of impoverished children suffer
from lead poisoning compared to only
1 percent of children from high-income
families.2
• 11.2 percent of all African-American children are lead poisoned compared to 2.3 percent of
all white children.3
• 50 to 70 percent of the children living in the inner cities of New Orleans and Philadelphia
have blood lead levels above 10 ug/dL.4
Poor nutrition, deteriorating housing, lack of access to medical care, and language barriers all con-
tribute to placing poor and minority children at risk for lead poisoning. It is important to note,
however, that no economic or ethnic/racial group is free from the risk of lead poisoning. A sizable
number of affluent families renovating older homes, for example, have placed their children at risk
through unsafe lead paint removal techniques.
3.2 SOURCES AND LEVELS OF LEAD IN SOIL
When lead is deposited in soil from anthropogenic sources, it does not biodegrade or decay and is
not rapidly absorbed by plants, so it remains in the soil at elevated levels. Lead is estimated to have
a half-time of residence in soil of 1,000 years.5 In soils with a pH of greater than or equal to 5 and
with at least 5 percent organic matter (which immobilizes the lead), atmospheric lead is retained in
the upper 2 to 5 centimeters of undisturbed soil.6 Urban soils or other soils that have been turned
under or otherwise disturbed may be contaminated to much greater depths.
EPA estimates that 23 percent, or 18 million, of the privately owned homes in the United States
built before 1980 have soil-lead levels above 400 parts per million (ppm); that 3 percent, or 2.5
million, have levels exceeding 2,000 ppm; and that 3 percent, or 2.5 million, exceed 5,000 ppm.7
Natural Resources Defense Couricil> Our Children at Risk: The 5 Worst Environmental Threats to Their Health,
Chapter 3: Lead, Washington, DC, 1997. Available at http://nrdc.org/heakh/kids/ocar/acarinx.asp
2Ibid.
3 Ibid.
^Mielke, H.W., "Lead in the Inner Cities," American Scientist, vol. 87, no. l,Jan/Feb 1999.
-'Benninger et al., The Use of Natural Pb-10 as a Heavy Metal Tracer in the River-Estuarine System, ACS Symposium Series #18,
Marine Chemistry and the Coastal Environment, 1975.
^U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality Criteria for Lead, Research Triangle Park, NC, EPA600-8-83-018F, 1986.
'U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Distribution ofSoilLeadin the Nation's Housing Stock, 1996.
14 3 LEAD IN THE SDIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
-------
Lead in residential soil comes from several different sources, including lead-based exterior paint and
automobile tailpipe emissions from vehicles burning leaded gasoline. Industrial emissions are also
a source of residential soil contamination in some areas. These sources of contamination are dis-
cussed in more detail below.
3.2.1 LEAD-BASED PAINT
EPA has found building age to be the strongest statistical predictor of soil lead, with soil around
private homes built before 1940 having significantly higher levels of lead in soil than homes built
between I960 and 1979-8 While the use of lead paint in residential buildings was federally banned
in the United States in 1978, many homes built prior to 1978 still contain lead-based paint. Paint
used in homes built between 1950 and 1978 contained between 0.5 and 50 percent lead, and the
paint used prior to 1950 contained higher concentrations. One estimate is that more than 3 mil-
lion tons of lead-based paint remain in the 57 million homes built prior to 1980.9
Since a large portion of this lead-based paint covers building exteriors, it continues to be a signifi-
cant source of soil contamination. Lead-based paint contaminates soil as the paint film weathers
and reaches the soil in the form of chips and dust. Renovating, remodeling, and performing rou-
tine home maintenance will also mobilize this lead if proper precautions are not taken. As the paint
on a building's exterior deteriorates, lead paint chips and dust concentrate in the surrounding soil.
Dry scraping, sanding, and blasting of lead-based paint can mobilize large amounts of lead in a
short time and significantly increase lead concentrations in soil. Lead concentrations in soil are typ-
ically highest in the drip zone, or dripline, the area surrounding and extending out about 3 feet
from the perimeter of a building.
a.2.2 LEADED GASOLINE
The use of lead as a gasoline additive was phased out during the 1970s and banned in the United
States in 1986. It has been estimated that 4 to 5 million metric tons of lead, emitted from auto-
mobile tailpipes as fine dust particles,
remain in the environment in dust and
soil.10 This represents approximately 75
percent of the total amount of lead added
to gasoline. The remaining 25 percent was
deposited on internal engine surfaces or
ended up in the oil. The lead dust that
became airborne would migrate until hit-
ting a barrier such as the side of a house or
some other structure, to which it would
adhere. Subsequent rains washed this lead
dust down into the surrounding soil, where
it accumulated over time.
Scientists estimate that 4 to 5 million metric tons of lead emitted from
automobile tailpipes prior to 1986 remain in the environment in dust
and soil.
Soil-lead levels within 25 meters of road-
ways are typically 30 to 2,000 ppm higher
than natural levels, and can sometimes be as
8Ibid.
'Centers for Disease Control, Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children, 1991.
10
Ibid.
3 LEAD IN BOIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 1 5
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high as 10,000 ppm.11 Some researchers have found that soil-lead concentrations typically are high-
est in older, inner-city neighborhoods, especially those near high-traffic routes, and that soil-lead
concentrations diminish with distance from the city center. Another study found that soil-lead con-
centrations are 10 to 100 times higher in old communities in large cities than in comparable
neighborhoods in smaller cities, perhaps because traffic volume is higher and vehicles remain inside
the city longer.12
3.2.3 INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS
Communities near industrial and mining activities
that release lead (or released lead in the past) may also
have elevated levels of lead in residential soils.
Examples of such industries and activities are lead
smelting or refining plants, lead mining, auto repair,
battery recycling or manufacturing, bridge and water
tank repainting and reconstruction, plastic manufac-
turing, shipbuilding, glass manufacturing, printing,
and hazardous waste sites. EPA has found lead levels in
soils next to smelters as high as 60,000 ppm.13
3.3 SOIL AS AN
EXPOSURE
PATHWAY FOR LEAD
While deteriorated lead-containing paint in
housing is generally accepted as the leading
source of lead exposure to children, outdoor
activities where individuals come into contact
with lead-contaminated soil also represent an
exposure pathway that can be significant. When
children play outdoors, lead-contaminated dirt
and dust can get on hands, clothes, toys, and
food. Putting these items in the mouth can lead
to ingestion of lead.
A back yard in Dorchester, Massachusetts, with areas of bare, contami-
nated soil. When children play outdoors, lead-contaminated dirt and
dust can get on hands, clothes, toys, and food.
Children can also breathe lead dust or lead-con-
taminated dirt stirred up by the wind or by
outdoor play activities. During dry periods, dust from bare patches of contaminated soil can read-
ily become airborne, increasing the chance that it will be inhaled. Also, airborne lead dust and
lead-contaminated dirt can settle on play clothes and shoes and can be tracked into homes, further
increasing exposure. Pets, as well, can track lead-contaminated soil into homes on their coats and
paws.
The relative contribution of lead-contaminated soil versus lead-based paint and house dust is the
subject of research and debate. Although there are differing opinions among researchers and experts
as to the degree of significance of exposure to lead-contaminated soil, evidence does exist that soil
is one important pathway for lead exposure among children. Some researchers have shown an asso-
11 Ibid.
12Mielke, H.W, "Lead in the Inner Cities," American Scientist, vol. 87, 110. 1,Jan/Feb 1999.
.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality Criteria-for Lead.
16 3 LEAD IN THE SDIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
-------
elation between increases in blood lead and increases in
soil or dust concentrations. Factors that influence this
relationship include access to soil, behavior patterns, pres- As tne various pathways for lead exposure in young
ence of ground cover, seasonal variation of exposure children become better understood, the importance
conditions, and the particle size and chemical form of the of addressing all of the sources of lead in and around
lead. Others have found an association between time the home has also become clearer. For example, even
spent outdoors and children putting soil or dirt in their if the interior of a home is certified as deleaded,
mouths, which, in turn, is associated with elevated blood a lead-contaminated yard can remain a dangerous
lead levels. ^ source of lead exposure for children living there.
Conversely, soil mitigation work will be ineffective
In 1996, EPA published the Integrated Report of the if nothing is done about heavily leaded exterior paint
Urban Soil Lead Abatement Demonstration Project. This on a home, because recontamination of the yard is
report assessed the scientific data from studies in three likely to occur.
cities (Boston, Baltimore, and Cincinnati) to determine Because lead m yafd ^ ^ omy Qne aspect of a
whether abatement of lead in soil could reduce blood lead multi-kyered problem, the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard
levels of inner-city children. The report concludes that Project decided in Phase 3 to address yards only for
when soil is a significant source of lead in the child's envi- residences where structural lead abatement had been
ronment, the abatement of that soil will result in a completed. Even in such homes, however, some lead
reduction in exposure that will, under certain conditions, probably remains, and precautions must be taken
cause a reduction in childhood blood lead concentrations. (e.g., using lead-safe renovation techniques) to
Important factors in reducing blood lead levels were prevent recontamination of the yard.
thought to be (1) the past history of exposure of the child
to lead, as reflected in pre-abatement blood lead levels; (2)
the magnitude of the reduction in soil-lead concentrations;
(3) the magnitude of other sources of lead exposure; and (4) a direct exposure pathway between soil
and the child.15
Howard Mielke, a leading researcher on lead poisoning and prevention, reviewed other evidence for
soil lead as an important exposure pathway in a 1999 article.16 Mielke demonstrated a strong cor-
relation between soil lead and blood lead in several studies.
3.4 STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
FDR LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
This section provides an overview of federal guidelines and standards that may affect a lead-safe
yard program. When determining the requirements that apply to your program, it is important to
check with the state or tribal agency that addresses lead poisoning prevention. For example, many
states have requirements tor training and certification of contractors performing lead hazard evalu-
ation and abatement work. For a list of state/tribal lead poisoning prevention agencies, see
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/ESNR/pbdir.htm.
3.4.1 THE FEDERAL REGULATORY INFRASTRUCTURE
Title X of the 1992 Housing and Community Development Act (available online at
http://www.epa.gov/lead/titleten.html) otherwise known as the Residential Lead-Based Paint
Hazard Reduction Act (Public Law 102-550), mandated the creation of an infrastructure that
Lanphear and Klaus Roghmann, "Pathways of Lead Exposure in Urban Children,"
Environmental Research, vol. 74, 63—73, 1997.
15 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Integi-a ted Report of the Urban Soil Lead Abatement Demonstration Project,
EPASOO-P-93-OOlaF, Office of Research and Development.
^Mielke, H.W., "Lead in the Inner Cities," American Scientist, vol. 87, no. 1, Jan/Feb 1999.
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL : WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 1 7
-------
would correct lead paint hazards in housing. Title X also redefined "lead paint hazards" and how
they can be controlled, and created Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), under
which EPA sets lead hazard standards, work practice standards, and training requirements for lead
abatement workers. Based on scientific research in the 1980s, Congress defined "hazard" to include
deteriorated lead paint and the lead-contaminated dust and soil it generates. The infrastructure has
been developed and includes the following:
• Grant programs to make homes lead safe, now active in over 200 cities.
• Training of thousands of workers doing housing rehabilitation, remodeling renovation,
repainting, and maintenance to help them do their work in a lead-safe way.
• Licensing of inspectors and abatement contractors.
• Compliance with and enforcement of lead safety laws and regulations.
• Disclosure of lead paint problems before sale or lease.
• National and local education and outreach programs.
• Promulgation of federal standards of care.
• Worker protection regulations.
The box below lists federal agencies and their programs related to lead poisoning prevention. For a
more detailed overview of these federal programs, see "Current and Ongoing Federal Programs and
Activities" in Eliminating Childhood Lead Poisoning: A Federal Strategy Targeting Lead Paint Hazards
(http://www.epa.gov/children/whatwe/leadhaz.pdf).
FEDERAL AGENCY ROLES IN LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
AGENCY PROGRAMS AND DUTIES
Department of Housing
and Urban Development
http://www.hud.gov/lea/leahome.html
Department of Health and Human Services:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm
Health Care Financing Administration
http ://www.hcfa.gov
Lead Hazard Control Grant Program, enforcement
of Disclosure Rule (with EPA and DoJ) and
federally assisted housing lead paint regulations,
National Survey of Lead Paint in Housing, Lead
Hotline (with EPA), Internet listing of lead paint
professionals, public education and training of
housing professionals and providers and others,
technical assistance, research.
Blood Lead Screening Grant Program, public
education to medical and public health
professionals and others, National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey, quality control for
laboratories analyzing blood lead specimens,
research.
Covers and reimburses for lead screening an
diagnosis, lead poisoning treatment, and follow-up
services for Medicaid-eligible children.
i a
3 LEAD IN THE SDIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
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FEDERAL AGENCY IN LEAD POISONING
ABENCY PROGRAMS AND DUTIES
National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development
http://www.nichd.nih.gov
Health Resources and Services Administration
http://www.hrsa.gov
Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
Conducts and supports laboratory, clinical, and
epidemiological research on the reproductive,
neurobiologic, developmental, and behavioral
processes, including lead poisoning related
research.
Directs national health programs to assure quality
health care to under-served, vulnerable, and special
need populations including children with lead
poisoning.
Studies blood lead in populations near Superfund
sites and funds state health agencies to undertake
this type of work.
Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov
National Institutes of Health
http://www.nih.gov
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/index.html
Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj .gov
Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov
Enforces standards for lead in ceramic dinnerware;
monitors lead in food.
Conducts basic research on lead toxicity.
Licenses lead paint professionals (or delegates this
responsibility to states); environmental laboratory
accreditation; enforcement of Disclosure Rule
(with HUD and DoJ) and Pre-Renovation
Notification Rule; hazardous waste regulation;
public education to parents, environmental
professionals, and others; training curriculum
design; Lead Hotline (with HUD); research;
addresses lead contamination at industrial waste
sites, including drinking water and industrial air
emissions.
Enforces Federal Lead Paint Disclosure Rule (with
HUD and EPA); defends federal lead paint
regulations; enforces pollution statutes, including
hazardous waste laws.
Enforces ban of lead paint; investigates and
prevents the use of lead paint in consumer
products; initiates recalls of lead-containing
products that present a hazard; conducts dockside
surveillance and intercepts imported products that
present a risk of lead poisoning; recommends
elimination of lead from consumer products
through Guidance Policy on lead.
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL : WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
1 9
-------
FEDERAL AGENCY ROLES IN LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
AGENCY PROGRAMS AND DUTIES
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Enforces worker protection regulations.
http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/lead/index.html
Department of the Treasury Evaluates financial incentives (such as tax credits)
http://www.ustreas.gov for lead hazard control.
Department of Energy Conducts weatherization activities in a lead-safe
http://www.energy.gov manner.
Department of Defense Administers lead-based paint/lead hazard
http://www.defenselink.mil management programs in 250,000 family housing
and child-occupied facilities worldwide,
administers childhood lead poisoning prevention
programs on installations worldwide, administers
research and development programs to develop
new cost-effective technologies for lead paint
management and abatement, partners with other
federal agencies to develop policies and guidance
for lead hazard management on a national level.
3.4.2 THE FEDERAL STRATEGY
To ELIMINATE LEAD POISONING
The interagency President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to
Children has proposed a coordinated federal strategy to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, focusing
on lead paint hazards (Eliminating Childhood Lead Poisoning: A Federal Strategy Targeting Lead Paint
Hazards, available at http://www.epa.gov/children/whatwe/leadhaz.pdf). The goals of the Strategy are:
• By 2010, to eliminate lead paint hazards in housing where children under six live.
• By 2010, to eliminate elevated blood lead levels in children.
To accomplish these goals, the Task Force makes the following recommendations:
Act before children are poisoned:
• Increase the availability of lead-safe dwellings by increasing federal grants for
low-income housing and leveraging private and other non-federal funding.
• Promote education for universal lead-safe painting, renovation,
and maintenance work practices.
• Ensure compliance with existing lead paint laws.
Identify and care for lead-poisoned children:
Improve early intervention by expanding blood lead screening and follow-up
services for at-risk children, especially Medicaid-eligible children.
2O 3 LEAD IN THE SDIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
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Conduct research:
Improve prevention strategies, promote innovative ways to drive down lead
hazard control costs, and quantify the ways in which children are exposed to lead.
Measure progress and refine lead poisoning prevention strategies:
Implement monitoring and surveillance programs.
The Strategy notes that research is needed to help develop, evaluate, and market new products, such
as x-ray fluorescence technologies. It also notes that research is needed to test the effectiveness of
specific actions to reduce exposure to lead in soil and dust. These are areas in which the EMPACT
Lead-Safe Yard Project and other similar programs can make significant contributions through their
data and experience.
3.4.3 FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES
AFFECTINB LEAD-SAFE YARD PROBRAMS
EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have issued regulations governing
lead contamination in residential buildings and soil. EPA regulates lead contamination in homes
and yards from lead-based paint under Title IV of TSCA. EPA's Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations also regulate lead-contaminated soil in certain situations. HUD's
regulations parallel the TSCA regulations and apply to residential buildings that are either federally
owned or receive federal assistance under HUD programs.
3.4.3.1 RULE UNDER TSCA
C4O PART 745)
EPA is currently preparing a final rule under TSCA Section 403, "Lead; Identification of
Dangerous Levels of Lead," which will establish standards for lead-based paint hazards, including a
hazard level and level of concern for lead-contaminated residential soils. The pending rule is being
designed to contribute to the lead hazard identification and abatement mandates specified under
Title X, "The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992."
The Section 403 rule is expected to directly affect HUD and other federal agencies that own resi-
dential property by requiring soil abatement (such as soil removal or paving) before property sale if
soil-lead hazards are identified. It will also indirectly affect property owners who receive federal
housing assistance by potentially requiring hazard abatement or reduction. However, this pending
rule will not by itself require residential soil abatement, but will instead provide standards for use
in other regulations currently being implemented under Title X.
3.4.3.1,1 THE TREATMENTS IN THIS HANDBOOK:
CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS?
The EMPACT LSYP was designed before the Section 403 rule was drafted; however, it can be con-
sidered to be complementary to the pending Section 403 rule. The project complements the "focus
on prevention" objective of TSCA Title IV and the pending Section 403 rule by providing residents
(particularly low-income urban minority residents) with practical low-cost yard improvements and
landscaping measures that will reduce exposure to lead-contaminated soils. These low-cost meas-
ures may be used, in the case of federally owned or assisted properties, as interim shorter-term
solutions until permanent, higher-cost solutions are employed. In addition, these low-cost measures
may also provide longer-term, but not permanent, protection at non-federally and if needed, federally
owned/assisted properties so long as homeowners and/or residents carefully and conscientiously fol-
low specific maintenance procedures developed by the LSYP.
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL : WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 2 1
-------
The tables below show the actions recommended for different soil levels by the EMPACT LSYP
and the pending Section 403 rule. Following the tables is a discussion of the context for the two
sets of recommended actions, as well as a comparison of the sampling plans used in each approach.
EMPACT LEAD-SAFE YARD PROJECT
SOIL-LEAD LEVEL
(PARTS PER MILLION)*
> 5,000 (very high)
2,000-5,000 (high)
400-2,000 (moderately high)
400 (urban background)
RECOMMENDED
INTERIM ACTION
If soil removal or permanent barriers
are not possible:
• Install semi-permanent barrier, such as
a wood-framed dripbox filled with gravel
or mulch.
• Relocate gardens—unsafe for all types
of gardening.
• Relocate gardens—unsafe for all types
of gardening.
• Relocate children's play area, pet
area, and picnic area, if possible. If
not, install wood platform or wood-
framed raised play and picnic area
filled with woodchips.
• Install path of walking stones for
high-traffic areas.
• Seed and fertilize grassy areas, or
cover with mulch or woodchips if
not suitable for grass.
• Install raised-bed garden and supplement
with clean topsoil.
• Install wood-framed raised play and
picnic area filled with woodchips.
• Install path of walking stones for
high-traffic areas.
• Seed and fertilize grassy areas, or cover
with mulch or woodchips if not suitable
for grass.
• No treatment necessary.
* Based on in situ XRF analysis of surface soils (typically 15 to 25 samples per yard) and lead concentration mapping of
the entire yard to include areas of special concern (play areas, gardens, outside eating areas, pet runs, etc.).
22
3 LEAD IN THE SDIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
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PROPOSED SECTION 403
BARE SOIL-LEAD HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
SOIL LEAD LEVEL RECOMMENDED
(PARTS PER MILLION)** INTERIM ACTION
Eliminate hazard:
> 1,200 (hazard standard) • Remove contaminated soil install
permanent covering.
Implement interim controls:
• Cover bare soil
400-1,200 (level of concern) . Use doormats in entryways.
• Wash hands, toys,, etc., more frequently.
< 400 * No action
** For the yard, concentration is derived from an arithmetic mean of two composite samples, one from the drip line and
one from mid-yard. For identified play areas, a single composite sample is used.
The EMPACT LSYP's mitigation strategy currently focuses on application of interim controls,
though some permanent measures (blacktop) have been used for car park areas. Clearly, permanent
controls are desirable where the resources are available to implement them. The EMPACT LSYP
targeted its mitigation measures toward low-cost/no-cost options to address neighborhoods and
homes where hazards exist and resources for mitigating these hazards are limited.
It must be noted that the EMPACT LSYP approach to soil measurement is different from the pro-
posed standard in several respects:
1) The EMPACT LSYP maps the entire yard with 15 to 25 field screening XRF analyses;
this results in clear identification of hazard areas and the detailed information needed to
apply controls in a cost-effective manner.
2) Surface soils are analyzed in situ to provide data on the soil material most likely to come
into contact with the residents. Standard protocols would use field collection and offsite
analysis of composite grab samples.
3) The proposed 403 rule only applies to bare soil, while the EMPACT LSYP measures all
yard surfaces.
4) The proposed 403 rule relies on average measurements (composites) that will most often
result in lower lead concentrations than the discrete in situ measurements used to map
yards in the EMPACT LSYP.
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL : WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 23
-------
For these reasons, the proposed 403 standards and the action levels used for the EMPACT LSYP
may not be directly comparable. Nonetheless, before applying the EMPACT project's model to
your situation, you will need to consult local regulatory authorities to determine the requirements
you must meet. State/tribal and local government regulations may be more restrictive than existing
federal guidance.
3.4-.3.2 RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND
RECOVERT ACT C4O CFR PARTS 24D—2991
RCRA regulates the disposal of solid and hazardous waste. EPA's interpretations of RCRA regula-
tions state that soils contaminated with lead-based paint as a result of routine residential
maintenance and/or natural weathering or chalking of lead-based paint fall under the household
waste exclusion and are not regulated as hazardous waste. This means that material may be disposed
of off site in accordance with the regulations governing solid (non-hazardous) waste, known as
RCPvA Subtitle D, as well as applicable state and local regulations. Lead-contaminated soil that falls
under the household waste exclusion need not be tested to determine if it is hazardous waste; if it
is tested and found to be hazardous waste, it is still exempt from the RCRA hazardous waste regu-
lations. You should check with state and local authorities, however, to see what testing they require.
a.4-.3,3 LEAD-BASED PAINT PQISQNINB
PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL
STRUCTURES C4O DFR. PART 351
This HUD rule establishes procedures to eliminate, as far as practicable, lead-based paint hazards
in residential properties that are federally owned or receive federal assistance under HUD programs.
The rule requires lead inspection and screening to be performed at all federally owned or assisted
target housing, or any time a child under six years of age is found to exhibit an environmental inter-
vention blood lead level (> 20 ug/dL for a single test or 15 to 19 ug/dL in two tests taken at least
three months apart). Target housing is defined as any residence built prior to 1978, excluding hous-
ing for the elderly or those with disabilities (unless children under the age of six are expected to
reside there) or zero bedroom dwellings. Where a soil-lead hazard is found to exist, action is
required to reduce the hazard.
The rule establishes six levels of protection: abatement of the lead-contaminated soil, abatement of
the lead soil hazards, interim controls, paint stabilization, ongoing lead-based paint maintenance,
and safe work practices during rehabilitation.
• When abatement (the permanent elimination of lead) is required for soil, the standards
promulgated under TSCA must be followed. Abatement can be achieved through either soil
removal and replacement with uncontaminated soil or permanent covering of the
contaminated area (e.g., with pavement or concrete).
• Interim controls are steps taken to temporarily reduce lead exposure or hazards. They
include impermanent surface coverings (e.g., sod, gravel, bark, artificial turf) and land use
controls (e.g., fencing, warning signs, landscaping).
• The remaining actions (paint stabilization, ongoing lead-based paint maintenance, and safe
work practices during rehabilitation) are not directly applicable to soil, but can help reduce
the potential for increased soil contamination.
The specific level of protection required depends on the type of housing and the type of federal
ownership or assistance. Once the required remedial action has been completed, the soil must pass
the clearance examinations outlined in the regulations or further action will be required.
Z4 3 LEAD IN THE SOIL; WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
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3.5 INFORMATION
3.5.1 ADDITIONAL
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1992. Analysis Paper: Impact of Lead-
Contaminated Soil on Public Health. Available online at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/cxlead.htnil.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Philadelphia Neighborhood Lead Study,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Report of Lead Exposure Pilot Study. Division of Health Studies. Atlanta,
GA. Available from NTIS (order # PB92-123777INZ).
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1999- Toxicological Profile for Lead (draft).
Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs. 1995- "Treatment Guidelines for Lead
Exposure in Children." Pediatrics. 96:155—160. Available online at http://www.aap.org/pol-
icy/0()868.html.
Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities. 1996. Lead's Urban
Legacy. Available online at http://www.tmc.tulane.edu/ecme/lcadhomc/soil.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1997- Screening Young Children for Lead
Poisoning: Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials. Available online at
http://www.cdc.gOv/nceh/lead/guicle/l 997/guide97.htm, or call (toll-free) 1-888-232-6789.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. 1995- Guidelines for the Evaluation
and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing. Available online at
hup://www. hud.gov/lea/ltarules.htrnl.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2000. Residential Lead Desktop Reference, 2nd
Edition. CD-ROM containing more than 140 documents, including ASTM scopes, screening
guidance, community outreach materials, lead resources, scientific studies and reports, lead statutes
and regulations, lead training materials, regulation support documents, reports to Congress, HUD
guidelines, and other resources. Available for $10 by calling HUDUSER at 1-800-245-2691.
Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction and Financing Task Force. 1995- Putting the Pieces Together:
Controlling Lead Hazards in the Nations Housing. Available online at http://www.hud.gov/lea/lcad-
wnlo.html.
Mielke, H.W. 1990. "Lead Dust-Contaminated Communities and Minority Health: A New
Paradigm," The National Minority Health Conference: Focus on Environmental Contamination.
B.L. Johnson, R.C. Williams and C.M. Harris, Eds. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton Scientific
Publishing Co., Inc.
Mielke, H.W. 1994. "Lead in New Orleans Soils: New Images of an Urban Environment."
Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 16:123—128.
Mielke, H.W. 1997. "Leaded Dust in Urban Soil Shown To Be Greater Source of Childhood Lead
Poisoning Than Leaded Paint." Lead Perspectives. 28—31 (March/April).
Mielke, H.W. 1999- "Lead in Inner Cities." American Scientist. Vol. 87, No. 1 (January-February).
Mielke, H.W, and J.L. Adams. 1989- "Environmental Lead Risk in the Twin Cities." Center for
Urban and Regional Affairs. CURA 89-4. 22 pp.
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL ; WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 25
-------
Mielke, H.W., J.C. Anderson, K.J. Berry, P.W. Mielke, R.L. Chancy, and M. Leech. 1983. "Lead
Concentrations in Inner-City Soils as a Factor in the Child Lead Problem." American Journal of
Public Health. 73:1366-1369.
Mielke, H.W., S. Barroughs, R. Wade, T. Yarrow, and P.W. Mielke. 1984/1985. "Urban Lead in
Minnesota: Soil Transect Results of Four Cities." Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science.
50:19-24.
National Research Council. 1993- Measuring Lead Exposure in Infants, Children and Other Sensitive
Populations. Washington, D.C. National Academy Press. Order online at litcp://books.nap.edu/cat-
alog/2232.htnil.
U.S. Congress. 1992. Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. Title X (42 USC
4851). Available online at http://www.epa.gov/lead/tideten.html.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1994. EPA Guidance on Residential Lead-Based Paint, Lead-
Contaminated Dust, and Lead-Contaminated Soil. EPA540-F-94-045. Order online at
http://WTvw.cpa.gov/nccpihom/ordcnng.htni.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1995- EPA Residential Sampling for Lead: Protocols for Dust
and Soil Sampling. EPA747-R-95-001.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1996. Distribution of Soil Lead in the Nations Housing
Stock. Available online at http://www.hud.gov/lea/lealead.pdt.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1997- Reducing Lead Hazards When Re modeling Your Home.
EPA747-K-97-001. Order online at http://www.epa.gov/ncepihoni/ordering.htm.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1997- Risk Analysis To Support Standards for Lead in Paint,
Dust, and Soil, Volumes 1 & 2. EPA747-R-97-006. Available online at http://www.epa.gov/ncepi-
hom/ordering.htm.
3.5.Z
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Lead Information Center
http://www.epa.gov/lead/niic.htm
A federally funded hotline and clearinghouse that provides information on lead hazard
reduction and exposure prevention. To speak with one of the Center's clearinghouse
specialists, call 1-800-424-LEAD Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT)
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/index.html
Responsible for EPA programs related to lead poisoning prevention and lead regulation.
OPPT also provides educational packets for parents, teachers, daycare providers, and
librarians, as well as technical information and publications.
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
http://www.epa.gov/iris
An electronic database containing information on human health effects that may result from
exposure to various chemicals in the environment. The information in IRIS is intended for
those without extensive training in toxicology, but with some knowledge of health sciences.
26 3 LEAD IN THE SOIL; WHY is IT A PROBLEM?
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Lead Poisoning Prevention Outreach Program
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/lcad.htm
Funded through a cooperative agreement between EPA and the Environmental Health
Center.
Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Office of Lead Hazard Control
h c t p: / / ww w. h u d - go v/1 ea/1 cah o rnc. h t rn 1
Sets standards for evaluation and management of lead in federally assisted housing,
and promotes efforts to reduce lead hazards in privately owned housing. In addition,
provides grants to communities to reduce lead hazards in housing.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
http://www.cdc.gov/ncfh/lead/lcad.htm
Promotes state and local screening efforts and develops improved treatments for lead
exposure. CDC also provides a database, 1990 Census Data on Housing and
Population—Interactive Query, that allows you to search by county or zip
code to find the percentage of houses built before 1950.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
h 11 p: / / www. atsdr. cdc.gov
An agency of the U.S. Public Health Service established by Congress in 1980 under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA), also known as Superfund. ATSDR is required by law to conduct a public health
assessment at each of the sites on the EPA National Priorities List to determine if people are
being exposed to hazardous substances, which includes lead. The public can search by region
to see which health assessments are currently available in an online database located at
http://www.atsd r.cdc.gov/ H AC/PHA.
National Conference of State Legislatures
http://www.ncsl.org/progranis/ESNR/phdir.htni
Contains NCSLnet Search—a directory of state lead poisoning prevention contacts.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov
Identifies and regulates sources of lead exposure in consumer products.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/lcad/indcx.html
Develops work practice standards and worker exposure limits to protect workers
from occupational lead exposure.
3 LEAD IN THE SOIL : WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 27
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4
THE
This chapter provides guidance on important first steps that you will need to take as you start your
lead-safe yard program. Section 4.1 presents a brief overview of the structure of a lead-safe yard pro-
gram and outlines the roles and responsibilities of program partners, based on the EMPACT
Lead-Safe Yard Project model. Section 4.2 discusses the critical process of selecting program part-
ners who can best help you meet your programs objectives within your target community. Section
4.3 presents guidance on identifying potentially impacted communities that you may want to tar-
get with your program. Finally, Section 4.4 provides tips on getting to know your target community
in terms of the cultures and languages of residents, the types and conditions of housing stock, and
other factors.
The information in this chapter is designed primarily for managers and decision-makers who may
be considering whether to implement lead-safe yard programs in their communities, as well as for
organizers who are implementing such programs.
4.1 STRUCTURE:
OVERVIEW OF A LEAD-SAFE YARD PRDBRAM
The EMPACT LSYP is a multifaceted project that engages in a variety of activities—everything
from distributing flyers to planting grass. These activities can be grouped into four main categories,
which make up the main components of the project: education and outreach, soil sampling, yard
treatment, and program evaluation.
The following paragraphs summarize these activities to provide an overview of how the EMPACT
LSYP works. These activities are described in much greater detail in Chapters 5 through 9-
Outreach During the outreach phase, the EMPACT LSYP approaches homeowners in the tar-
get community to educate them about the hazards of lead in soil and to enroll them
in the project. Outreach workers make contact with homeowners though flyers, let-
ters, phone calls, and knocking on doors. Lead hazard education is conducted using
a variety of tools (printed handouts, videos, quizzes), and then homeowners are
asked to enroll in the project by signing a permission form. Finally, outreach work-
ers interview participating homeowners about the activities that take place in their
yards; these yard uses are mapped on a plot plan, which is then given to the
EMPACT LSYP's soil sampling team and landscaping team.
Sampling During the soil sampling phase, a field sampling technician (usually a licensed,
trained lead inspector) collects data on soil-lead levels in the yards of participating
homeowners, using field-portable x-ray fluorescence technology. Relying on the
yard-use map created during the outreach phase, the technician develops a sampling
plan that focuses on high-risk and high-use yard areas, where the potential for dan-
gerous exposures to lead-contaminated soil is highest. Sampling results are
transcribed onto a color-coded map of the property's lead levels, which is then given
to the homeowner and passed on to the landscaping team.
Treatment The EMPACT LSYP provides each participating homeowner with up to $3,000
worth of free landscaping materials and labor for yard treatment. Treatment is
4 BEGINNING THE PROGRAM 29
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conducted by one or more landscaping teams, headed by a landscape coordinator.
This coordinator meets with the homeowner to go over the color-coded map of
sampling results and to develop a treatment plan. A typical treatment plan combines
various landscaping measures (e.g., wood-framed drip boxes, newly planted grass
and shrubs, stone walkways) with changes to the residents' yard use patterns (e.g.,
moving a children's play area to a safe part of the yard). Once the treatment plan has
been implemented by the landscaping team, the coordinator develops a property-
specific maintenance manual to help the homeowner maintain the treatment
measures.
Evaluation The EMPACT LSYP is currently involved in a major research study to evaluate the
effectiveness of its low-cost yard treatment measures. Evaluation is the last phase of
the project; however, an effective evaluation process depends on adequate docu-
mentation of the project's work during all phases. Key to the EMPACT LSYP's
evaluation process is a property-specific case file begun by the outreach worker for
each home, and maintained by all members of the EMPACT LSYP team.
The flow chart below summarizes the basic structure of the EMPACT LSYP. The chart identifies
the main activities of the project, the team members responsible for these activities, and the flow of
work between team members. It also indicates where in this handbook you can go for more infor-
mation about specific activities.
Program Manager
Identify target
community, select
program partners
(Chapter 4)
=>
Outreach Worker
Enroll homeowners In
program and educate
about soil-lead hazards
(Chapters)
Field Sampling
Technician
Collect and map data
on soil-lead levels at
target properties
(Chapters)
Landscape Coordinator
Design property-specific
treatment plan, manage all
landscape work, develop
yard maintenence plan
(Chapters 7 and 8)
Program Manager
Evaluate effectiveness of
yard treatments and
education strategies
(Chapter 9)
As described in Chapter 1, the EMPACT LSYP is a partnership of several public, private, and non-
profit organizations. These include a university, a federal government laboratory, a community
planning agency, and private landscape contractors.
Why are so many partners needed for what is essentially a small-scale program? The activities con-
ducted by the EMPACT LSYP demand a number of specialized skills, from communication and
language skills to soil sampling training, from landscape design experience to management skills.
Each partner plays a different role in the project, based on the specific skills and qualifications that
partner has to offer.
For example, EPAs New England Regional Laboratory, a founding partner in the EMPACT LSYP,
offers the technical skills needed for analysis of soil-lead levels. The laboratory's staff also have the
training to work safely in contaminated soil without endangering their own health. The Dudley
Street Neighborhood Initiative, the project's community partner, does not offer these kinds of tech-
nical skills, but contributes something just as important: familiarity with the Dudley Street
neighborhood and the communication skills necessary to work closely with its multilingual residents.
In starting your own lead-safe yard program, you'll need to assemble a team of individuals or organ-
izations who offer a similar range of skills and qualifications. To select partners or team members,
3D
4 BEDIMING THE PROGRAM
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LESSONS LEARNED: YOUTH
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
In its pilot phase, the EM PACT LSYP
wished to incorporate youth
employment and training into its work.
The project hired high school students,
who learned on the job while being
supervised by adults. This system turned
out to be problematic in the pilot
phase. It was logistically complex, and
costs changed because the on-the-job
training meant the work was accomplished more slowly than it would have with
trained landscapers. For this reason, it is advisable to get your program organized and
running smoothly, then determine which components of the program are a good match
for youth training and employment. At that point, you can focus on this aspect of
a program.
you should think about how each will fit into the overall program structure, and how different part-
ners can work together to create a successful program. You will also need to consider their
relationship to the target community. For example:
• An organization or agency that already has strong ties to the community can be ideal for
conducting outreach and education for your program. Neighborhood health centers or
community action programs can be a good choice.
• A nearby college or university can help with any research components of your program, or
may be able to provide assistance and equipment for the sampling activities. (See Appendix
B for a more detailed discussion of this type of approach.) Make sure to check with your
state or tribal lead poisoning prevention agency about certification requirements for lead
inspectors. See Chapter 6 for more information on finding a qualified person to conduct
the sampling and analysis components of your program.
• Landscaping companies are key partners for the design and landscaping components of
your program. A non-profit landscaping company specializing in community gardening
and small parks can be a good choice. Another approach (being implemented by the
EMPACT LSYP in Phase 3) is to develop a pool of small private landscaping companies.
Encouraging companies to bid on lead-safe yard work, as described in Section 7-5, is a
good way to obtain these services in a cost-effective manner. Landscaping companies should
be bonded and insured, and should have the skills to manage the work involved in treating
yards to meet your specifications.
As described in Chapter 1, the EMPACT program selected partners who could carry out specific
activities. The community partners (Bowdoin Street Health Center, and later the Dudley Street
Neighborhood Initiative) led the education and outreach work; the EPA Regional Laboratory led
the sampling and analysis activities, with assistance from a certified industrial hygienist from the
Health Center; a non-profit landscaping company performed the soil mitigation work; and Boston
University School of Public Health led the effort to develop a template for community action for
use by other programs.
4 BEGINNING THE PRDERAM 3 1
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4.3 IDENTIFYINB POTENTIALLY
IMPACTED COMMUNITIES
The first step in beginning your lead-safe yard program is to identify communities that may have
homes with elevated soil-lead levels. For this purpose, you can determine where the important pre-
dictors of lead in soil are present. These predictors include large numbers of children with elevated
blood lead levels; a preponderance of older wood-framed housing (generally with wooden clap-
board), which is likely to have exterior lead-based paint; and heavy traffic flows, which are likely to
have caused deposition of lead from leaded gasoline. These characteristics are discussed in Sections
4.3-1 through 4.3-3- Industrial emissions of lead can also cause elevated soil-lead levels at residences
nearby (see Section 4.3-4).
You will also want to consider other characteristics of neighborhood life that can contribute to the
success of a program, such as the presence of a community organization that can partner with you
and help you get to know the community (see Section 4.3-5).
4.3.1 CHILDREN WITH ELEVATED
For Phases 1 and 2, the EMPACT LSYP reviewed available blood lead data for children aged six
months to six years from the Massachusetts Childhood Lead Paint Poisoning Prevention Program.
The target community was within the so-called "lead belt" in Boston (see map on page 3). Your
city or state childhood lead program or health department likely has similar blood lead data, organ-
ized by census tract or zip code. You can look up state and local lead poisoning prevention contacts
in your area on the following Web sites:
The Lead Program of the National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center:
http://www. iisc.org/ehc/nlic/contacts.htm
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Directory of State Lead Poisoning
Prevention Contacts: http://www.ncsl.org/progranis/csnr/phdir.htm
SELECTION
High incidence of lead poisoning
Pre-1970 painted housing
(generally wooden clapboard)
Low-income/immigrant population
Contiguous neighborhood (for
neighborhood-wide impact)
An existing health organization
focused on the lead issue
Existing neighborhood
environmental activities the project
could build on and enhance
•4.3.2 OLDER HOUSING
WITH LEAD-BASED PAINT
Another way to identify potential target communities is to determine
which neighborhoods have older, wood-framed housing (generally with
wooden clapboard). Such houses are likely to have lead-based exterior
paint. As described in Chapter 3, some studies have found a strong link
between building age and soil-lead contamination. Therefore, neighbor-
hoods with older housing (especially homes built before 1950) are more
likely than newer communities to have a soil-lead problem. The presence
of lead-based paint is also considered an important predictor of elevated
soil-lead levels. Both EMPACT study areas, the Bowdoin Street neighbor-
hood in North Dorchester and the Dudley Street neighborhood in
Roxbury and Dorchester, consist of predominantly older, wood-framed
homes with painted exteriors (generally wooden clapboard).
The Centers for Disease Control provides a database, 1990 Census Data on
Housing and Population that allows you to search by county, zip code, or
census tract for the percentage of houses built before 1950. The database
is at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/Iead.htm.
32 4 BEBININB THE PROGRAM
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Keep in mind that some communities may contain vacant lots, greens, and parks in residential areas
that may have historical lead contamination from gasoline deposition, past industrial activity,
or former housing. See Chapter 10 for tips on applying lead-safe yard mitigation strategies to
non-residential sites, such as tot lots, playgrounds, community gardens, and vacant lots.
4.3.3 HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOWS
Some studies stress the concentration of lead-contaminated yards in congested high-traffic, inner-
city regions (see Chapter 3), pointing to the importance of lead accumulations from leaded
gasoline. Both EMPACT study areas are in heavily traveled inner-city neighborhoods.
4-.3.4 INDUSTRIAL
Communities near industries that emit lead (or have emitted lead in the past), such as lead smelters,
lead mines, battery recycling plants, and incinerators, may also have elevated levels of lead in resi-
dential soils. You can find out where such industries are locating by contacting your state
environmental agency or EPA Regional office, or by searching EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
database for facilities in your area that have reported releases of lead to the environment.
(http:\\www.epa.gov\cnviro \htrnl\toxic_rcl cases, hcml).
4-.3.5 OTHER COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS
The EMPACT LSYP took into account several additional factors in potential target communities
that would contribute to the project's success. For example, the project targeted homes that were
located on adjacent streets rather than in dispersed areas. This made the work more efficient and
made it possible that homeowners would become interested in the lead-safe yard activities going on
nearby. It also meant that the neighborhood children would be better protected, because children
often play in yards near their own.
The project also favored working in service areas of active community-based organizations—first
the Bowdoin Street Health Center and later the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
(http://www.dsni.org). Both of the selected neighborhoods had a history of environmental health
activities. The EMPACT LSYP could, therefore, build upon previous initiatives and take advantage
of neighborhood connections already made by these community organizations.
4.4 TQ KNOW THE COMMUNITT
Once you have identified your target community, your task is to learn more about it. Make sure
you have your target area clearly mapped and marked so that you can begin planning. Next, find
out the key "statistics" about the community. Some of the questions you will want to answer about
the community include:
• What are the cultures and languages of the people who live there?
• What are the residents' income and education levels?
• What is the percentage of home ownership/owner-occupied dwellings?
• What is the percentage of housing built before 1978?
• What is the condition of the older housing stock?
• What organizations and agencies are active in the community?
• What prior work has gone on in the community to prevent lead poisoning?
4 BEGINNING THE PROGRAM 33
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• What are the numbers, percentages, and location of lead-poisoned children in the community?
• Have any homes in the area been de-leaded?
• What are the names, addresses, and phone numbers of homeowners in the target area?
Information such as income and education levels and age of housing can be obtained from census
data; other questions about the community such as cultural characteristics can be provided by your
community partners. All this information will help you form a clear picture of your target com-
munity and the best ways to reach them. The EMPACT LSYP, for example, knew that many
residents in the Bowdoin Street neighborhood spoke Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole, or Haitian
Creole, so that conducting spoken and written outreach and education in these languages would be
critical to the success of the program. Sample outreach flyers in four languages are included on
pages 41 to 44 in Chapter 5-
34 4 BEBININO THE PROGRAM
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COMMUNICATING ABOUT
IN SOIL AND YOUR
YARD PROGRAM
This chapter describes how to provide education and outreach to homeowners and residents about
the problem of lead in soil and the benefits of participating in a lead-safe yard program. Section 5-1
presents strategies for approaching homeowners and residents to inform them about your program
and to develop a sense of trust and credibility within your target community. Section 5.2 discusses
methods for educating people about soil-lead hazards and the benefits of your program. Section 5-3
is devoted to establishing an application process for enlisting homeowners in your program and
obtaining their consent for the work that will be done on their property.
The information in this chapter is designed primarily for managers who are implementing lead-safe
yard programSj as well as for outreach workers who are responsible for communicating about lead
in soil and your lead-safe yard program.
5.1 APPROACHING HOMEOWNERS AND RESIDENTS
Once you have learned the basics about your target commu-
nity, you can begin your education and outreach efforts.
First, determine who will be conducting outreach and edu-
cation for your program. If possible, the outreach worker
should be a person who lives in the community and is
respected and credible. People who do not live in the com-
munity can sometimes be very effective, however (such as a
lead nurse from a community health center, or someone oth-
erwise familiar with the community and the issues people
there are facing).
A good next step is to develop an area-appropriate flyer, such
as the EMPACT LSYP's flyer on pages 41 to 44 ("Dorchester
Lead-Safe Yard Program"). You can ask area businesses to
post the flyer or allow you to do so. You can also distribute
flyers to all the homes in your target neighborhood(s), then follow up by calling all the homeown-
ers to inform them of the project and their eligibility. Sending informational letters to the targeted
neighborhood homeowners might be an effective alternative. Examples of initial and follow-up
letters used by the Lead Safe Boston program (a spinoff of the EMPACT LSYP) are included on
pages 45 and 58 to 59. Other ways of increasing awareness of your program within the community
include radio promotions and forums at other local promotional events.
The next step is to focus on meeting people face to face. This is important because people need to
get to know and trust you before they open their home to your project. Below are some tips for
effective ways to approach people in person:
• Walk around the area on a pleasant day or holiday, when people are most likely to
be out of doors. Weekend door knocking is recommended.
• Vary the times of day at which you do outreach, but always be respectful of "normal waking
hours" for people, unless you have been otherwise invited. Try not to go at family rush hours
(around 8 to 10 a.m. or 4 to 6:30 p.m.); going at these times may turn people off to the project.
Walk around your target community
on a pleasant day and talk to people face to face.
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 35
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Residents will need to get to know you
before they open their home to your project.
If the area has a high percentage of non-English speakers and
you don't speak the languages spoken in the area, try to get a
friend or co-worker who speaks the most prevalent language
to walk with you.
Be sure to take project flyers with your name and number
on them, permission slips, and information/referrals about
lead testing, treatment, and de-leading programs.
Attend events and meetings in the neighborhood to give out
flyers and get to know people. The EMPACT LSYP
outreach worker found that outdoor events such as
community picnics are good venues for outreach work.
Community garden and food projects may also yield
receptive audiences.
• Remember that news about a project like this spreads by word of mouth and visible results.
Any negative perceptions will travel twice as fast as positive ones, so try to make only
positive impressions!
The EMPACT LSYP engaged in a wide variety of additional activities to promote the project
as well as to enhance community lead awareness. These included:
• Participation in a "Lead Expo" at a community center, in the citywide Lead Awareness
Week, and in the neighborhood Multicultural Festival.
• Footage about the project on the local cable station (Neighborhood Network News).
• Discussion of the project in a segment entitled "Removing Lead from a Low-Income
Community" on National Public Radio's Living on Earth, an award-winning environmental
news magazine.
• Presentations at workshops and conferences, including the Second Syracuse Lead
Conference (October 1999) in Syracuse, New York, and the Toxics Action '99
conference at Boston College in Newton, Massachusetts.
EDUCATING PEOPLE
ABOUT LEAD AND LEAD
5.2
IN SOIL
Once you have identified people interested in the program and willing to speak with you at greater
length, you will have the opportunity to provide education about the problem of lead exposure,
explain the benefits of your program, and answer questions. The EMPACT LSYP's Education and
Outreach Plan is presented in the box on page 39-
In conducting education, you should convey the basic dangers of lead first—how and why lead is
dangerous to families' health, as well as what people can do to protect themselves (de-leading,
proper nutrition, cleaning, etc.) Remember that you need to educate people not only about lead in
soil, but about all the sources of lead in and around the home. It is important to follow up on the
advice you give about these issues, so that people don't get frustrated and give up on slow-moving
assistance programs.
Many city or state childhood lead programs have developed excellent written materials on lead poi-
soning prevention that you can use with residents. Examples of some used by the EMPACT
36 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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program, from the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, are included on pages
46 to 55- Using the Internet, you can also access educational materials developed by EPA and other
federal agencies. These materials include:
Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home
(EPA747-K-99-001, http://www.epa.gov/oppcintr/letid/Ieadpdfe.pdf) is a 16-page
educational pamphlet that provides general information about lead and lead hazards.
A Spanish-language version can be found on HUD's Web site at
Lead in Your Home: A Parent's Reference Guide
(EPA 747-B-98-002, http://www.epa.gov/lt-ad/leadrev.pdf) is a more comprehensive
guidebook, 67 pages long, that recommends steps parents can take to reduce their
family's risk of lead exposure and prevent lead poisoning.
What Every Parent Should Know About Lead Poisoning in Children
(http://www.cdc.gov/ncch/lcad/hiq/cdcy7a.htrn) is a one-page fact sheet from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that provides basic information about
lead poisoning and lead-paint hazards.
Keep in mind that written materials are not always enough to get the message across. The
EMPACT LSYP has found that outreach workers need to develop creative ways of emphasizing and
reinforcing the lead hazard message (e.g., by using tools such as films and quizzes), and to create
repeated opportunities for homeowner re-education. For tips on creative education strategies, see
"Lessons Learned: Education and Outreach" on page 38, and Sections 8.4 and 8.5-
For your lead-safe yard program, you will want to give special emphasis to why addressing lead in
soil can help protect health. You will need to explain how lead gets into soil, how children playing
in yards with contaminated soil are exposed to lead, and how dirt and dust containing lead can also
be tracked into the home. Once the levels of lead in a yard's soil are tested, you can go over the rec-
ommended actions (based on these levels) for the yard (see Section 7-4). Finally, the residents need
to understand that landscaping measures do not remove the contaminated soil; the landscaping
needs to be properly maintained to control exposure to the lead hazard, and future home improve-
ments need to be done safely to prevent recontamination.
NEXT STEPS; ENLISTING
THE HOMEOWNER IN THE
If a homeowner has shown interest in your program based on your initial outreach and education,
you can encourage him or her to take the next steps. The EMPACT LSYP found that at this point
in the process it was important to reassure homeowners that they would not be penalized if they
did not participate, and that there was no catch to the free landscaping provided.
The process of enlisting the homeowner into your program can be as formal or informal as you
want to make it. One option is to establish a formal application process that the homeowner will
complete before participating in the program. Lead Safe Boston, a spinoff of the EMPACT LSYP
run by the City of Boston (see Section 1.2.1), requires homeowners to fill out an application form
and submit copies of their insurance policy, their water and sewer payment plan, and a recent real
estate tax bill. Lead Safe Boston's application form is included on pages 56 to 57.
Once accepted into the program, the homeowner should sign a "permission slip" or consent form
that establishes an agreement between the program and the homeowner to allow testing of the
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 37
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LESSONS LEARNED: EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
A key to the success of a lead-safe yard program like EMPACT's is that residents understand
why lead in soil is harmful to their children. Without this understanding, it is more likely
that the landscaping measures will not be maintained, greatly reducing their effectiveness
in protecting children from lead exposure.
In its first two phases, the EM PACT LSYP followed a model commonly used for
community education and outreach: a bilingual outreach worker from the community
health center conducted typical outreach activities, including walking in the neighborhood,
door knocking, distributing flyers, speaking at community meetings, and talking with
people one on one. These efforts were culturally specific to the neighborhood and
conducted at an appropriate literacy level.
After Phase 2 was completed, the project returned to the residences where yard work had
been done to evaluate how the work had held up and what had been learned. They found
that people had not really taken in the problem of lead in soil, but viewed the project as
more of a landscaping program.
To remedy this shortcoming, in Phase 3 the project implemented a more comprehensive
education program, using several new approaches. The community outreach worker
received more extensive training on the lead issue. She helped devise a new plan to show
community residents a video, "The Thief of Childhood," as a teaching tool about the
hazards of lead. After watching the video, residents were given a short quiz (see box oil
page 40). The quiz motivated the resident to pay attention to the video, whose key
messages were reinforced by the questions. The outreach worker graded the quizzes and
discussed the answers with the residents. Thus, the education work used three different
modes of learning: visual (the video), written (the quiz), and oral (discussion of the video,
quiz, and educational flyers). The quiz will be used again when the yard mitigation work is
completed, to see whether the residents have retained the information.
So far, the project has judged this new approach to be more effective than using literature
alone. The video and quiz seem to be an engaging, interactive "hook" to promote a better
understanding of the lead problem and the health benefits of a lead-safe yard.
Another video that could be used for the same purpose is EPA's "Little Moccasins" Lead
Safety Program video, created for day care centers, clinics, and families. This 22-minute
animated video was developed by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians with funding from
EPA's Lead Program. An interactive "First Steps" CD-ROM is also available, presenting
helpful information on lead poisoning prevention in the form of video clips, games, and
songs. Ordering information for the CD-ROM and both videos is found in Section 5.4.
Ask your community or state lead officials to recommend other videos appropriate for
your audience.
property, participation in a design session, and subsequent remediation through landscaping. The
permission form should include language regarding the homeowners duty to have their property
in testable and workable condition (removal of trash, debris, and old cars; notification about/relo-
cation of pets). Again, the permission form can be formal or informal, depending on the needs of
your program. A very simple form, used by the EMPACT LSYP during Phases 1 and 2, is shown
on page 60. A more detailed consent form, developed by Lead Safe Boston, is shown on pages 61 to 62.
3B 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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At this point you should establish a case file that contains
all the information related to application, testing, mitiga-
tion, and follow-up tor the property. The EMPACT
outreach worker keeps all this information, including
"before and after" photographs, in a binder, which is
given to the homeowner when the work is completed.
Next, the outreach worker conducts a homeowner inter-
view. The interview is designed to obtain information
about the activities that take place in the yard and the
ages and numbers of people who use the yard. The
questionnaire that the EMPACT outreach worker uses
is shown on pages 63 and 64 (filled out for a hypo
thetical home).
To map out yard use patterns, the outreach worker uses a
house plot plan, as shown on page 65- Plot plans can be
developed in one of several ways. For example, the out-
reach worker can visit the municipal assessor's office to
photocopy official drawings showing the footprint of the
house and all property lines. A plot plan can also be devel-
oped using a geographic information system (GIS), or the
outreach worker can simply draw one by hand, using a
measuring tape and pen and paper. The plot plan devel-
oped during this outreach phase will be used later as a
guide for the field testing crew and for the landscape
coordinator, as described in Chapters 6 and 7-
The next step in the process is testing of the yard soil, fol-
lowed by a design session with the homeowner if the yard
is found to have high levels of lead. These steps are
described in detail in Chapters 6 and 7 of this handbook.
5.4 FDR MORE INFORMATION
Your local or state childhood lead poisoning prevention
program may have good educational materials on lead
issues.
Lead education materials developed by EPAs Office of
Pollution Prevention and Toxics can be accessed at
http://www.epa.gov/lead/leadpbed.htm.
The following Web sites list state and local lead poisoning
prevention contacts:
The Lead Program of the National Safety Council's
Environmental Health Center:
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/nlic/contacts.htm
LEAD-SAFE YARD EDUCATION
AND OUTREACH PLAN
1. Make appointment with interested applicants to
discuss the problem of lead poisoning and the
lead-safe yard and home program.
2. Home visit: First, ask them if they have had
experience with lead poisoning. Have they had a
child, relative, or neighbor who was lead poisoned?
Using theeducational pamphlet, discuss five key
points about lead poisoning:
—How does a child usually get lead poisoned?
(Paint chips, dust and dirt on hands and toys,
lead in water)
—How do you avoid lead in drinking water?
(Run tap water until it is cold)
—How do you avoid lead in the home?
(Specific lead-safe home cleaning and
maintenance procedures)
—Why is dust on children's hands and toys, as
well as on window sills and floors, a problem,
especially if the house is not de-leaded?
(Children may put hands, fingernails, toys, or
food dropped on floor in their mouths)
—What foods are good for preventing lead
poisoning? (Foods high in iron, calcium,
and vitamin C, and low-fat foods)
This is a good time to show the photos of the LSYP.
3. Give the homeowner the video which is available in
multiple languages, explores the dangers of lead
paint poisoning, its adverse health effects, and prac-
tical measures for protecting children (see Section
5.4 for ordering information). Also give the home-
owner the set of questions to answer after viewing
the video. (The answer sheet can be returned imme-
diately after watching the video, or later, with the
lead-safe yard and home application.)
4. Explain the application process and documentation
needed for the lead-safe yard program.
5. Leave the application, video, and sheet of questions
(if the homeowner hasn't returned it already) with
your business card.
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 39
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The National Conference of State Legislatures' Directory of State Lead Poisoning Prevention
Contacts: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/esnr/pbdir.htm
For guidance on writing clearly and effectively for a general audience, try http://www.plainlanguage.gov.
Video: "Lead Paint Poisoning: The Thief of Childhood" (20 minutes, 1996)
This video explores the dangers of lead-paint poisoning and its adverse health effects. It
provides information, education, and practical advice on protecting children, using
interviews and discussions with educators, health care providers, and culturally and
linguistically diverse parents whose children have been lead poisoned. The video is available
in English, Spanish, CapeVerdean Creole, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. Available for $10
from: City of Boston, Office of Environmental Health, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston,
MA 02118. Phone 617-534-5966, Fax 617-534-2372.
Video: "Little Moccasins" Lead Safety Program Video (22 minutes)
This lead poisoning prevention video was developed for day care providers, clinics, and
families by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, with funding from EPA's Lead Program.
The video is available in English, but may soon be available in Spanish and some Native
American languages. Available free of charge from Philip Quint, Lead Director, Houlton
Band of Maliseet Indians, at 1-800-545-8524 or 1-207-532-4273- E-mail quint@ainop.com.
CD-ROM: "First Steps"
This CD-ROM, developed by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians with funding from
EPA's Lead Program, presents helpful interactive information on lead poisoning prevention
in the form of video clips, games, and songs. Course manuals are available on the CD in
English, Spanish, and Native American motif. Available free of charge from Philip Quint,
Lead Director, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, at 1-800-545-8524 or 1-207-532-4273-
E-mail quint@ainop.com.
QUIZ TO ACCOMPANY FILM, "THE THIEF OF CHILDHOOD"
1. By what year was lead no longer used in new house paint?
2. How can a child get lead poisoned?
a) paint chips b) dust
c) drinking water d) all of these
3. Name some foods that are good for children and that help decrease
blood lead poisoning.
4. How can you avoid lead in drinking and cooking water?
5. How can you avoid lead hazards from home interiors?
6. Name two ways in which lead has gotten into yard soil.
7. Give three suggestions for protecting children in the home and yard from
becoming lead poisoned.
4D 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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DORCHESTER LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
FREE SOIL TESTING IN YOUR YARD FOR LEAD
WE ARE LOOKING FOR 50 YARDS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
WITH HIGH LEVELS OF LEAD
IF YOUR YARD MEETS A CERTAIN LEVEL, YOU COULD BE
ELIGIBLE FOR $700 WORTH OF FREE MATERIALS AND LABOR
WHICH WILL MAKE YOUR YARD SAFER AND ATTRACTIVE
WITHOUT ANY COST TO YOU!
The Dorchester Lead-Safe Yard Program is a collaboration of the Bowdoin Street Health Center, the New
England Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory, Boston University School of Public Health and
Garden Futures. The purpose of this pilot program is to show that low cost methods exist which will make
your yard safer. By improving the safety of your yard, we hope this will further reduce the risk of our chil-
dren six years of age and younger becoming lead poisoned.
Your neighborhood has been chosen for this pilot project because there are a number of children with high
levels of lead in their blood. Lead is especially hazardous to children. This is the main reason we want to
conduct this pilot program. Because children play in many parts of this neighborhood, you do not have to
have children six years of age or younger to participate.
We will first test your yard for lead content and if your yard qualifies, we will work with you on certain meth-
ods of reducing exposure to elevated lead levels. Staff from Garden Futures will provide landscape materials
and labor to complete the work in your yard.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please call the number listed at the bottom of this page.
We will be in the neighborhood speaking with you and your neighbors about this program. If you have ques-
tions, please do not hesitate to call.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT, CALL
Bowdoin Street Health Center, (617) 822-5318
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 4 1
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PROGRAMA DE PATIOS SIN PLOMO
DE DORCHESTER
(Dorchester Lead-Safe Yard Program)
PRUEBAS DE PLOMO GRATUITAS EN SU PATIO
ESTAMOS BUSCANDOS 50 PATIOS EN EL VECINDARIO CON ALTOS NEVELES DE
PLOMO EN LA TIERRA.
SI SU PATIO CONTIENE PLOMO, USTED PUEDE SER ELEGIBLE
PARA RECIBIR 700 DOLARES, ENTRE MATERIALES Y TRABAJO,
PARA REMOVER EL PLOMO DE LA TIERRA Y EMBELLECER
SU PATIO SIN COSTO ADICIONAL PARA USTED.
El Programe de Patios sin Plomo de Dorchester es una colaboracion del Centra de Salud de Bowdoin Street,
el Laboratorio de la Agenda de Protection Ambiental de Nueva Inglaterra, la Escuela de Salud Publica de
Boston University y Garden Futures. El objective de este programa piloto es il mostrar que existen metodos
a bajo costo que haran sus patios mas seguros. Mejorando los patios esperamos reducir el riesgo que corren
los nifios de seis anos y menores de acabar envenenados com plomo.
Su vecindario ha sido escogido para este programma piloto debido al alto numero de nifios envenenados o
con altos niveles de plomo en la sangrue. El plomo es realmente perjudicial para los nifios, y eelo es la razon
por la que queremos realizar este programa. Debido a que los nifios juegan en diferentes partes del vecin-
dario, usted no tiene que tener nifios de seis anos o menores para participar.
Primero mediremos la tierra de su patio para ver si esta contiene plomo, y si es elegible trbajaremos con uste
par mostrarle ciertos metodos para reducir el nivel de plomo en la tierra. Personal de Garden Futures traba-
jaran proveyendole materiales jardineria y trbajaran para completar el trabajo en su patio.
Si usted esta interesado en participar en este programa, por favor llame a la persona listada mas abajo en esta
pagina. Estaremos en el vecindario hablando con usted y sus vecinos sobre este programa. Si tiene alguna
pregunta, por favor llamenos.
Para Mas information o Para Participar en este Programa, Llame
Bowdoin Street Health Center, (617) 822-5318
42 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL. AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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Dorchester Lead-Safe Yard Program
Um teste gratuito para detectar veneno de chumbo no seu patio/quintal. Procuramos 5
patios, na vizinhari9a, com nivel de veneno de chumbo elevado. Se o seu patio/quintal
mostrar um nivel elevado de veneno de chumbo no solo voce se qualificar a receber uma
quantia de $700 no valor de materials e mao-de-obra, o que Ihe ira ajudar a tornar o seu
quintal mais atractivo e seguro. Este programa Ihe sera ofericido sem nenhum custo
monetario.
Este programa e uma colabora9ao de Bowdoin Street Health Center, New England
Environmental Protection Agency Laboratoiy, Boston University School of Public
Health e Garden Futures. O proposito do programa e para mostrar que existen meios, a
pre?os accessiveis, para remover o veneno de chumbo do solo, e tornar o seu patio/quin-
tal mais seguro. Ao reduzir o nivel de chumbo no solo, esperemos que ira diminuir a
possibilidade dos seus filhos, menores de seis anos di idade, contrairem veneno de
chumbo no sangue.
A sua vizinhan9a foi escolhida para este programa porque existe un numero elevado de
criancas contaminadas de chumbo no sangue, o que e bastante prejudicial, e pode causar
graves problemas de saude. Porque as crian9as brincam em varies lugares, nao e neces-
sario que voce tenha filhos/as para poder participar neste programa.
Faremos un teste para detectar resdios de chumbo. Se o seu patio qualificar, entraremos
em contacto consigo para discutirmos meios de como reduzir o nivel do chumbo. O pes-
soal de Garden Futures providenciara materials e mao-de-obra. Se voce esta interesada/o
em participar neste programa, por favor contacte:
Bowdoin Street Health Center, (617) 822-5318
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 43
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Pwogram Ki Okipe Lakou Kont Plon
Tes Gratis Nan Lakou Pou Plon
Nap Chache Sinkant Pie Nan Lakou Ki
Nan Zon Nan
Ki Genyen Yon Nivo Plon Ki Wo.
Si lakou a genyen Yon nivo plon, ou kapab elijib pou yon zafe de set san dola an mateiyo & men dev
sak ka fe lakou bel, san danje e gratis.
Pwogram sila ki pou kimbe lakou san danje. Mare avek Bowdoin St. Sant pou Sante, N.E. EPA,
B.U.S. of PH. & Garden Futures. Rezon pwogram sa se pou montre ou metod bon mache ki egziste
pou fe lakou san danje ak plon. Pake timoun yo ap jwe tout kote. Ou pa bezyen gen timoun sizan ou
byen timoun pi piti pou patisipe.
Nap Teste lakou pou plon, si lakou a kalifye nap travay ak ou pou redwi nivo plon an. Nap ba ou
materyo ak zouti pou travay sila.
Si ou enterese patisipe nan pwogram nan souple rele moun sa ke ou we nan an ba fey la. Nap pale ak
ou e ak vwazen ou o sije pwogram nan.
Si yon gen keksyon pa ezite rele:
Bowdoin Street Health Center, (617) 822-5318
44 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL. AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
BOSTON'S PUBLIC FACILITIES DEPARTMENT
THOMAS M. MENINO, MAYOR
CHARLOTTE GOLAR RICHIE, CHIEF AND DIRECTOR
January 5, 2000
Dear Property Owner:
The City of Boston's Lead Safe Boston program, in conjunction with the National Center for Lead Safe Housing
and the Environmental Protection Agency, would like to offer you the chance to improve the quality of the grounds
surrounding your home through a unique program:
Low Level Soil Treatment Demonstration Project
There is no cost involved or work required on the part of the property owner!
Properties meeting project criteria and enrolled in the program will be part of an effort to demonstrate low-cost soil
interventions through the use of landscape treatments mat will enhance the appearance of your home!
What the Program Can Offer You!
Up to $3000 to cover the design, acquisition and installation of landscape elements.
Comprehensive testing/sampling of soil surrounding your home.
Scaled drawings of your property identifying lead hazard areas.
Fully developed plans showing proposed treatments and plantings.
Supervised construction and installation of all landscape treatments.
Detailed educational information.
What We Ask Property Owners To Do!
Answer a questionnaire concerning Lead Paint Hazards.
Allow project staff to sample the soil surrounding your home.
Participate in and provide feedback during the landscape design process.
Enjoy your newly landscaped yard!!!
A representative of Lead Safe Boston and The National Center for Lead Safe Housing
will soon be contacting you about your possible involvement in this program.
We hope you decide to join us in this important endeavor!
Please call the Lead Safe Boston office at (617) 635-0190 with any questions regarding the program.
COMMLJNICATfNB ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND Ya U R LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 4-3
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Fact Sheet: LEAD
What is Lead?
Lead is a poisonous metal found in nature. Because it is durable
and persistent, it was used in house paint, pipes, cans, old toys,
cribs, and furniture.
If a house was built before 1978, it probably
has lead paint. Lead dust can be created by
just opening and closing windows.
What does lead poisoning do to mv
child?
Lead poisoning can damage your child's
brain, cause hearing loss and learning
disabilities, and impair motor skills.
How can my child be exposed?
Your child can be exposed to lead by touching
window sills, ledges, an-d other areas which
have lead dust, and then putting their fingers in
their mouths. This is normal behavior for
children.
Finding the Lead
The only way to find out where the lead is in the house is to have a
lead inspection done by a licensed inspector, if the inspector finds
lead, then a licensed contractor must come in and make the
house safe. You cannot live in the house while this is happening.
•46 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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Lead Dust is Invisible
The most common way for children to be poisoned is by exposure
to lead dust.
What Can 1 Do?
Make sure your child has a well-balanced diet,
which includes miik (for calcium), dark green, '
leafy vegetables (for iron), and vitamin C.
Have your child's blood tested regularity.
Wash Hands and Toys Often!
Wash your child's hands and toys often, and
keep fingernails short.
Run the tap waterfor a few minutes every
morning. Use only COLD water for cooking
and drinking. Hot water concentrates the
lead.
Keep It Clean!
Wipe windows, windowsiils and dusty
surfaces with warm water and TSP. Throw
used paper towels away after wiping.
Don't Disturb Leaded Paint!
Make sure that there is no loose or flaking paint.
NEVER scrape painted surfaces.
For more information, contact the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program at the Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, 'MA 02118
(617)534-5966
5 COMMLlNICATiNe ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND Ya U R LEAD-SAFE YARD PROBRAM 4- "7
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How Much Do You Know
About Lead Poisoning?
MYTH
There is no way to prevent children from
being lead poisoned.
FACT
Lead poisoning is completely preventable
Get the facts and learn how to protect
your child by getting lead out of your home
safely.
MYTH
Children have to eat paint chips, or chew on
walls, to be lead poisoned.
FACT
Children can be poisoned simply by breathing
lead dust. They can also be poisoned by
having lead dust on their toys or fingers and
then putting their fingers in their mouths.
MYTH
Only children with very high levels of lead in
their blood will be hurt by the lead.
FACT
Low levels of lead in a child's blood can cause
long term problems and permanently affect
[earning and behavior.
•4S 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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MYTH
Only children who live in the inner city can be
lead poisoned.
FACT
Any child, from any neighborhood, can be
lead poisoned. Lead paint can be in any
home built before 1978.
MYTH
Lead poisoning is not a real problem. Many
people grew up in homes with lead paint
and are perfectly healthy.
FACT
The lead paint that existed in homes twenty
years ago is much more dangerous now, As
lead paint gets older, it is likely to peel chip,
and create lead dust. This is a real health
hazard.
MYTH
Having a home deleaded is much more
dangerous than just leaving the lead paint there.
FACT
Lead removal must be done by a licensed
deleader who will use safe techniques and who will
clean up properly.
Far more information, contact the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program at the Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Roor, Boston, MA 02113
(617)534-5966
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROBRAM 4-9
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TEMPORARILY REDUCING LEAD PAINT
HAZARDS BY CLEANING
L window well
— window sill
1 Wear plastic gloves to clean
Protect yourself from exposure to lead.
2 Pick up all chips by hand or use a damp paper towel
{Window areas often have lots of paint chips)
• Seal chips and paper towels in a plastic bag and throw out
Do not use a household vacuum or broom to clean up
lead paint chips or dust!
3 Wash household surfaces
• Use TSP, a lead-specific detergent, or any all-purpose,
non-abrasive cleaner.
• Scrub well for best results. (Don't scrub hard enough to
remove the intact paint.)
• Clean window wells, window sills, play areas, and floors
at least ones or twice a week.
• Keeps children away when cleaning.
• Keep all cleaners safely away from children.
4 Use a spray bottle to keep dust levels down
• Use a cleaner already in a spray bottle, or put the cleaner into a spray bottle.
• If you must use a bucket, keep the wash water clean. Never put dirty paper towels into the wash water.
5 Use paper towels
• Don't use dish cloths or sponges to clean.
• Use a new paper towel to clean aach area.
• Seal the used paper towels and gloves in a plastic bag
and throw them out.
6 Rinse after cleaning
Use clean water and paper towels for rinsing each area.
7 Clean up properly
• Wash your hands when cleaning is done.
• Pour any wash and rinse water down the toilet not
the sink.
Important! Do not use a household vacuum
or broom to clean up lead paint chips or
dust. This could spread the lead dust into the
air and into your vacuum cleaner or broom.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health « Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
5D
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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TEMPORARY WAYS TO KEEP CHILDREN
SAFE FROM LEAD PAINT HAZARDS
Under the Lead Law, the property owner is responsible for having his or her home deleaded or brought
under interim control if it was built before 1978 and achild under the age of six lives there. Deleading
permanently- reduces the risk of lead poisoning. Until deieading occurs, here are some temporary ways
to reduce lead hazards:
.1 Clean often
Wet wiping regularly reduces, lead dust levels in the home. See other side.
2 Put duct tape or contact paper over peeling paint and pfaster
Put duct tape or contact paper on window wells, window sills, walls or other surfaces with peeling
paint or plaster. Clean these areas often. Window wells and sills can be cleaned more easily when
contact'paper or duct tape are put down first. See other side.
3 Keep the lower part of the window closed {if possible)
If a window well'is in bad condition, keep the lower part of the window closed and open only the upper
part. This will prevent your children from putting their hands or objects in the window well where the
lead dust collects. It also helps keep lead dust from blowing into the. house.
4 Move furniture to block contact with peeling paint and plaster
By moving a sofa in front of a crack in a wall, you can block a child's access to lead hazards.
Never place furniture where a child may climb on it and fall out of a window.
5 Change child's bedroom (if possible)
If your child's bedroom.has chipping paint or plaster, consider using another room.without chipping
paint for the bedroom.
6 Other ideas
Regularly have your child tested for lead poisoning; wash your child's hands and toys often; if you are
renovating or repainting call CLPPP for more information on how to do the work safely before you
begin; feed your child food high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C and low in fat.
Lead Poisoning and your child health
Lead pain is the most common cause of childhood lead poisoning. When old paint cracks or peels, or
when lead paint surfaces rub against each other or are bumped, lead paint dust or chips are created.
Children typically become poisoned by putting their fingers which have touched lead dust into their
mouths. Lead poisoning can cause lasting damage to children's brains, kidneys and nervous system.
Even lower levels of lead can slow children's development and cause learning and behavioral problems.
Children under six are at greatest risk.
Keep your child safe
Remember, these are only temporary ways to reduce the risk of lead poisoning from lead paint hazards.
The only permanent way to reduce the risk of lead poisoning is to have the home deleaded. The owner
of a home built before 1978 is responsible for having it deleaded or brought under interim control when
a child under the age of six lives there.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: or your \oca\ \ea
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BOSTON CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING PREVENTION PROGRAM
UNDERSTANDING WHAT BLOOD LEAD (PB)
TEST RESULTS MEAN:
IF THE CHILD HAS A
PB LEVEL OF:
9 ug/dL or below
10 - 14 ug/dL
15 - 19 ug/dL
20 - 24 ug/dL
25 ug/dL and above
70 ug/dL and above
THEN:
A child with a blood lead level below 9 is not considered to be
poisoned.
The CDC defines a level over ten as a "level of concern/' The child
should be tested again frequently. Check with your pediatrician. He
or she may prescribe multi-vitamins and iron.
The child's pediatrician should be involved in helping brins this
blood lead level down by managing the child's diet and increasing
nutrition. In addition, the child should be tested frequently. An
environmental assessment should be done to find out where the lead
is coming from. Prevention measures should be implemented
immediately.
Get a complete medical evaluation, and have the child's home
inspected for lead. Find and get rid of lead hazards in the child's
home, school, and play areas.
A child with a blood lead level above 25 is considered poisoned.
A lead inspection in the home is required, and it is essential that the
child visit the doctor immediately. This is very serious. Medical
treatment such as chelation may be used.
A child with this level is considered a medical emergency.
For help understanding your child's test result, talk with your pediatrician or health care provider. For
information and assistance regarding inspections and removing lead hazards from your home in Boston
contact: The Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at (617) 534-5966.
Outside of Boston, call The Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Childhood Lead
Poisoning Prevention Program at (800) 532-9571.
For more information, contact the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program at the Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor. Boston, MA 02113
(617)534-5966
52
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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PROGRAMA DE PREVENCION DEL ENVENENAMIENTO INFANTIL CON PLOMO
COiVIPRENDA EL SIGNIFICADO DE LOS RESULTADOS DEL EXAMEN
DE PLOMO EN LA SANGRE (PB):
SI SU NINO TLENE
UN NTVEL DE:
9 ug/dL o menos
10 - 14 ug/dL
15 - 19 ug/dL
20 - 24 ug/dL
25 ug/dL y mayor
70 ug/dL y mayor
ENTONCES:
Se considera que un nino con un nivel de plomo en la sanare con
menos de 9 no esta envenenado.
El Centro de Control de Enfermedades (CDC) define un nive! mavor
de 10 como un "nivel de interes." El nino defae ser chequeado
frecuentemente. Consulte con su pediatra, este le puede recstar
multi-vitaminas e hierro.
- El pediatra debe colaborar y ayudarle a reducir el nivel de plomo en
la sangre de su nino, atraves de cambios en la dieta y nutricion.
Tambien. el nino debe ser chequeado frecuentemente y ei ambiente
tiene que ser examinado para encontrar la fuente del plomo.
Medidas de prevencion tienen que ser implementadas
inmediatamente.
Su nino necesita una completa evaluation medica. EI pediatra puede
recetarie hierro. Localize el lugar de donde proviene el plomo y
aleje a su nino de este lugar. Recuerde que la fuente de plomo puede
estar en su casa, en la escuela y donde juesa su nino.
Se considera que un nino con un nivel de plomo en la sangre mayor
de 25 esta envenenado. _ Interventions ambientales y medicas tienen
que ser implementadas inmediatamente. Un tratamiento medico y
medicinas pueden reducir el nivel de plomo en la sanare.
Un nino con este nivel es considerado una emersencia medica.
Si necasita mas ayuda para coraprender los resultados de su nino, hable con su pediatra. Para mas informacidn
sobre como puede remover el plomo de su casa en Boston, [lame ah Programa de Prevencion dc!
Envenenamiento Infandl Con Plomo al (617) 534-5966.
Si usted vive fuera de Boston, liame al Progranu de Prevencion del Envenenamiento Infantil Con Plomo del
Departamento de Salud Piiblica de Massachusetts al (800) 532-9571.
LA COMISION DE SALUD PUBLICA DE BOSTON
1010 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, 2oo Piso / •» BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS •* 0211S
* (617) 534-5966 (VOICE)* (617) 534-2372 (FAX) *
5 COMMUNICATiNO ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 53
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Foods That Help Reduce
the Harmful Effects of LEAD
Lead is poisonous to the body. Infants, children under six, and
pregnant women are at the greatest risk for lead poisoning.
Caicium is very
Important for growing
bodies. Extra calcium
will help protect
children from lead
poisoning!
Foods to Eat for Calcium
Milk
Yogurt
Tofu
Cheese
Sardines and Tuna
Green leafy vegetables
(Collard greens, broccoli, kale)
Lead looks like calcium, zinc and iron to the body. The body absorbs
lead just like these important minerals, but lead is harmful, not helpful,
to normal development. This is why it is important for you and your
children to eat a balanced diet.
54 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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When you don't have enough vitamins and minerals in
your diet, your body will absorb more lead. Lead is
stored in the bones, just like calcium and iron.
Foods to eat to get IRON
Lean meats
Chicken, Turkey
Black beans
Kidney beans
Rice
Cereai with added iron
Dried fruits
Peanut Butter
Corn Tortillas
Dark green leafy vegetables
(like spinach and kale)
IRON is very
important for
growing bodies.
Extra iron will help
protect children from
lead poisoning!
Iron works better with Vitamin C. Eat oranges, mangos, green peppers
fomatos, and drink real fruit juices (not fruit punch or kool aide) to help
your body absorb iron.
For more information, contact the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program at the Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02113
(617)534-5966
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 55
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CITY OF BOSTON
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
LEAD SAFE BOSTON PROGRAM
38 Winthrop Street
Hyde Park, Ma 02136
(617) 635-0190
LEAD SAFE BOSTON YARD PROGRAM APPLICATION
APPLICANT (Owner of Property)
Name:
Property Address:
I live here I do not live here # units in building
Mailing Address (Investor-Owners only):
Phone: (home) (work) SS #_
Identify your ethnic/racial category Female Head of Household Yes No
Contact person Phone (home)
CO-APPLICANT (Co-owner of property only if listed on deed)
Name:
Mailing Address:
Phone: (home) (work) SS #
Identify- your ethnic/racial category
Please check the appropriate answer Yes No
1. Do you have a current homeowner's insurance policy in place?
(If yes, attach a copy of the insurance certificate to application)
2. Are you current with your Boston Water and Sewer Payments?
If no, do you have a payment plan in place?
3. Are vou current with you real estate taxes?
4. Please complete the child information below (use additional sheets if necessary).
56 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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Name of Child(ren) Date of Unit # where
Who live on the property Birth child(ren) lives
AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH
LEAD SAFE YARD PROGRAM APPLICATION
I am interested in participating in the Low level Soil Treatment Demonstration and Evaluation Project, as outlined
in the Homeowner Consent Form. I understand in order to be eligible for this grant program I. as the Owner of the
Property, must be in good standing with my Boston Water and Sewer account, be current on my real estate taxes and
have a homeowner insurance policy in place. I also understand that this program is being offered to protect children
and that there must be young children living here: either the child/ren who lived here during the Round 1 evaluation
or at least one child under the age of 6 years old.
I hereby certify that the information that is provided in this application is true and complete to the best of my
knowledge. I will make mis information available for review upon request by the City of Boston's Department of
Neighborhood Development, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or its designee. I authorize
the program to proceed with my application.
Applicant's Signature: Date:
Co-Applicant's Signature: Date:
TERMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
MISSING INFORMATION WILL DELAY PROCESSING THIS APPLICATION AND MAY
JEOPARDIZE FUNDING AVAILABILITY!
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 57
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DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
BOSTON'S PUBLIC FACILITIES DEPARTMENT
THOMAS M. MENINO, MAYOR
CHARLOTTE GOLAR RICHIE, CHIEF AND DIRECTOR
March 28, 2000
Homeowner Name
Homeowner Address
Mattapan, MA 02126
Dear Homeowner:
Thank you for your interest in our Lead Safe Boston Yards Program. As you know from visiting w?ith our outreach
person Yvonne Illich of Silver Linings, if you participate in this program you will receive at no cost to you,
comprehensive testing/sampling of the soil surrounding your home; drawings of your property identifying lead
hazard areas; fully developed landscape plans showing proposed treatments; supervised construction and installation
of all landscape treatments and detailed educational information about how to maintain your lead safe yard!
On March 6. 2000 we sent you a letter requesting the following documents. As of today, we have not received the
documents listed below. It is important to note that we need these items before we can enroll you property in our
program. Please use the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope to send copies of the following documents to
our office.
/ Boston Water and Sewer written approved payment plan.
Copy of current insurance policy for the property that will receive yard treatments.
Since this program will begin in early spring and funding is limited, it is very important mat the document(s) be
forwarded to our office as soon as possible. If your application is still incomplete after April 6, 2000, we will not be
able to enroll you in our lead in soil grant program.
We are looking forward to working with you on this Low: Level Soil Treatment Demonstration Project. Yvonne
Illich will be contacting you later this week to offer you assistance in sending this information to our office. If you
have any questions, please contact me at 617/635-0193.
Sincerely,
Sandra R. Duran
Lead Safe Boston
Cc: File
SB 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
BOSTON'S PUBLIC FACILITIES DEPARTMENT
THOMAS M. MENINO, MAYOR
CHARLOTTE GOLAR RICHIE, CHIEF AND DIRECTOR
June 12, 2000
Homeowner Name
Homeowner Address
Dorchester, MA 02124
Dear Homeowner:
Congratulations, you have been officially enrolled in the Lead Safe Boston Yards Program!
As a participant in our Lead Safe Boston/National Center for Lead-Safe Housing Low Level Soil Treatment
Demonstration and Evaluation Project, you will receive a grant of up to $3,000 worth of design and landscaping
work to reduce the exposures to lead in soil on your property. For your files, we have attached a copy of the consent
form that you signed. This form details the terms of our program that you are required to comply with in exchange
for this granted scope of services. This is a very important project and your participation is vital to our efforts to
demonstrate that low cost soil treatments are instrumental in reducing dust lead levels found inside homes.
Now that your property has been enrolled, EPA will sample the soil around your home and analyze the samples for
their lead content. Once the results are available, one of our landscape contractors will set up an appointment with
you to review your current yard use. With your input he or she will design a landscape plan that will abate the lead
hazards found around your home.
Once the design is approved, the landscape contractor will schedule another appointment to review the design with
you and determine the start date of your project. It is important to note that any debris that the landscape contractor
determines needs to be removed in order to facilitate his work must be completed before work can begin.
Once the new landscaping work is complete, the landscape contractor will schedule a convenient time to meet with
you to review the work and to explain the information contained in a Homeowner Maintenance Manual that will be
yours to keep. Over the course of the following year, there will be times when our outreach person will return to
your property to take dust wipes inside the entrance to your home and your tenant's units. We would like to thank
you in advance for your cooperation in providing access to these areas.
If you have any questions regarding the program please feel free to contact me at 617/635-0193.
Sincerely.
Sandra R. Duran
Lead Safe Boston
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 5"3
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HOMEOWNER PERMISSION FORM
Most homes in Boston have lead in the yard soil. This comes mainly from leaded paint flaking or
being scraped off houses and leaded gasoline which was used in cars until recently. Lead in soil
can harm children because dirt and dust get on children's hands, toys and other objects that
they often put in their mouths. Lead in soil can also be tracked into the house.
PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM
The Lead-Safe Yard Program is a project to make yards in your neighborhood safer for residents,
especially children. We plan to do this by making low-cost and easy-to-in stall landscape
improvements in yards with high lead levels in soil.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
1. Analysis.
As part of your voluntary participation in the Lead-Safe Yard Program, the soil around your
property at
will be analyzed for lead content. We will provide the analysis free of cost.
2. Improvements.
If the lead in your soil is above certain levels, we will suggest different kinds of landscaping
options for you to choose. These may include covering the soil with barriers such as: mulch,
wood chips, crushed stone, and shrubs. We will discuss options for children's play areas and
vegetable garden sites also. We will make the improvements that you choose, with materials
and labor provided free of cost.
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION
Your participation is voluntary because there is no obligation to reduce or protect against the
lead in your soil. If you wish to be part of the Lead-Safe Yard Program, we will make an
appointment to analyze your soil and make the results available to you If your soil has high levels
of lead, we will make a second appointment to discuss the yard improvements and to plan a
schedule for the landscaping work.
Value
If the levels of lead in your soil are above 400 parts per million, you are eligible to receive
materials, services, and labor in landscape improvements free of cost from the Lead-Safe Yard
Program.
I understand the conditions of this agreement and I agree to participate in the program.
Signature Date
SO 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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Homeowner Consent Form
Lead-Safe Boston/National Center for Lead-Safe Housing
Low Level Soil Treatment Demonstration and Evaluation Project
I am interested in participating in the Low Level Soil Treatment Demonstration and Evaluation Project.
If I meet the criteria for this project and if my property is accepted for the project, I understand that I
will receive up to $3,000 worth of design and landscaping work to reduce the exposures to soil lead on
my property in exchange for my participation in the program. The work will be completed in the year 2000 or 2001.
I will receive the following:
1. Up to $3,000 worth of design and landscaping work for my property.
2. Comprehensive testing/sampling of soil surrounding my home.
3. Scaled drawings of my property identifying the lead hazard areas in my yard.
4. Fully developed landscape plans showing proposed treatments and plantings.
5. Results of limited dust testing taken before, immediately after and one year after the work has been done.
6. Detailed educational information about how to maintain my yard.
7. A new door mat after all dust collection activities have been completed.
I agree to do the following:
1. Complete an application form and provide a copy of my homeowner's insurance policy to project staff.
2. Remove any debris, trash, old cars or other identified items that would make soil sampling or landscape work
difficult or not possible.
3. Participate in an initial interview to identify my current or planned uses of the yard.
4. Meet with the landscape designer to provide input into the plan.
5. Allow access to my yard for site testing by Region 1 EPA, prior to starting and after completion of the
landscape work.
6. Allow access to my home for dust testing by Silver Linings, Inc. Dust testing will take place three times
(immediately before the work is done, after work is done, and one year after work is done) and include wipe
sampling and laying down a dust collection mat to better measure accumulation of lead dust over time. I will
allow Silver Linings, Inc. access to my home to pick up the mats about two weeks after each has been put in
place.
7. Meet with the landscape designer after the plan has been developed, to review and approve the plan.
8. Allow the landscape designer access to my yard to complete planned treatments.
9. Cooperate with the landscape designer and allow him/her to use at no cost my utilities (such as lights, heat,
power and water) as needed to cam' out and complete the work.
10. Meet with the interviewer and landscape designer after work is completed to review my Homeowner
Maintenance Manual, conduct dust testing, and complete project evaluation forms.
11. If a one year evaluation of this project is funded, allow one more site visit approximately one year after
the yard work has been completed by the interviewer who will conduct dust testing and complete project
evaluation forms.
12. Speak with the press and/or participate in a press event and/or publicity related to the Lead Level Soil
Treatment Demonstration and Evaluation Project.
5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 6 1
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I will formally sign off on the proposed scope of work, Form #09 Owner Approval of Scope of Work, and Form #19
Homeowner Education and Project Completion Certificate, indicating that the work has been successfully completed.
I understand that Lead-Safe Boston will oversee the landscape work done in my yard and that the project's inter-
viewer. Yvonne Illich of Silver Linings, will coordinate collection of most of the data for this project. Soil-lead
measurements of my yard will be taken by the EPA as soon as it is feasible to sample, depending on weather condi-
tions; I do not need to be present during this sampling. Because of changes in field conditions such as weather, I
will not be notified in advance of the EPA sampling date.
If I have any questions about the construction work for this project, they will be answered by Sandra Duran. Lead-
Safe Boson at 617-635-0193. If I have questions or concerns about the evaluation aspect of this project, they will be
answered by Pat McLaine, National Center for Lead-Safe Housing at 1-800-624-4298.
Homeowner #1 signature Date
Homeowner #2 signature Date
Interviewer signature Date
1 copy to homeowner
1 copy to Evaluation Files
62 5 COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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HOMEOWNER YARD USE/TREATMENT OPTIONS INTERVIEW
Name:
Address:
Using a "clean" copy of the plot plan with house footprint:
1. Show me where people walk through the yard going to and from the house.
(exposed soil?)
2. Show me where children play (how many and how old?)
3. Show me where people raise vegetables (or do other gardening)
4. Show me where people eat outside
5. Show me where pets (especially dogs) spend their time
6. Show me where cars or other vehicles are parked or repaired
7. Show me where people walk to hang out clothes
8. Show me other areas for:
Sunbathing
Garbage cans .
Recycling bins
Composting —
Hobbies
9. Tell me any other places and ways children or adults spend their time in the
yard,
COMMUNICATING ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 63
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HOMEOWNER YARD USE/TREATMENT OPTIONS INTERVIEW
Nome:
Address: IO
Using o "cleon" copy of the plot plon with house footprint:
1. Show me where people walk through the yard going to and from the house.
(exposedsoil?) H^>rc% ACUL>^ju^CL*-*"b-> Ax.cfc!.., 4- Q^&^**.<3d?O~±-£
2. Show me where children play (how many and how old?) "oQ-C-L,*
A lo-N> -rvl
3. Show me where people raise vegetables (or do other gardening)
4. Show me where people eat outstde oo di«o\C- 4-
5, Show me where pets (especially dogs) spend their time OO ~T
6, Show me where cars or other vehicles are .parked or repaired
:xo.
_ _ _ _ Ci
8. Show me other areas for:
Sunbathing
Garbage cans
Recycling bins -rvx.r Jr..
L
Composting OO
Hobbies rv>
9. Tell me any other places and ways children or adults spend their time in the
yard. .CXt-f'Aga^jr. "tsn_r4" U^ Lrs M~Rjt^ ^ t. >WTNTN roJUT"
- - - - —
64 5 CDMMUNICATINB ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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10 HOME STREET
oo-sC
- .» « * «
****** » « _
* .••»••:•.••>
SCALE: i"» r-io-
\
I
YARD USE PATTERN KEY
DOTS
High Traffic Area (Exposed Soil)
LINES
High Risk Use Area
(Play Area or Vegetable Garden)
CROSS HATCH
Recreation Area (Picnic or BBQ)
5 COMMLJNICATfNB ABOUT LEAD IN SOIL AND YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 63
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6
COLLECTION AND MANAGING
DATA ON LEAD IN
This chapter describes a state-of-the-art technique, using field-portable x-ray fluorescence technol-
ogy, for collecting and managing data on lead in soil. This technique allows inspectors to discern
patterns of contamination in a property quickly and accurately. The technology can be used only
by trained, certified inspectors who meet federal, state, and local requirements for collection of
environmental samples, as described in Section 6.4. This chapter is not intended to provide guid-
ance for inspectors, but to give you, as a program organizer or decision-maker, an overview of the
data collection and management process.
Section 6.1 is an overview of data collection and management techniques used by the EMPACT
Lead-Safe Yard Project. Section 6.2 provides information on how to find the necessary equipment
and laboratories for testing and how to cut costs. Section 6.3 is a step-by-step description of test-
ing, quality control, and data management procedures that are used by professional inspectors;
Section 6.4 discusses health and safety precautions for inspectors; and Section 6.5 is devoted to
equipment maintenance.
If you mainly want a general idea of what data collection and management entails, you can focus
on Section 6.1 alone. Sections 6.2 through 6.5 present more detailed material for those who are
responsible for implementing a lead-safe yard program. Such readers may also be interested in the
reproducible site worksheets at the end of this chapter.
6.1 COLLECTING AND MANAGING
DATA: AN OVERVIEW
A key component of the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project is the use
of field-portable XRF technology. This technology allows inspectors
to provide residents with onsite, real-time data about lead contamina-
tion in yards, without having to wait for the results of laboratory
analysis. Field-portable XRF requires a substantial capital investment,
as noted in Sections 6.2 and 6.5- On the other hand, programs com-
mitted to soil inspection for the long haul may find
that the investment more than pays for itself. The
EMPACT LSYP has conducted XRF analysis on
roughly 2,000 soil samples over the past three years,
which makes the cost per sample far less than it would
have been for laboratory work. After all, sending sam-
ples to a lab involves not only charges for the analysis
itself but also the expense of sample collection, ship-
ping, and handling.
Studies have affirmed the accuracy of XRF, and it has
received EPA verification as well. (For example, EPA's
Environmental Technology Verification Program has
conducted field demonstrations to test several XRF
technologies. Verification Reports and Statements
The XRF is a band-held field-portable device that allows inspectors
from these tests are available online at to get a lead-level reading within seconds.
COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA DN LEAD IN SDIL E>"7
-------
http://www.epa.gov/etv/verifrpt.htm#monitoring.) What makes XRF technology especially valu-
able for a lead-safe yard program is that it offers real-time results with a hand-held, battery-powered
device. This means that inspectors, while on site, can get parts per million (ppm) lead levels for
individual soil samples within seconds, and, if necessary, adjust
their testing strategy for the property as a whole accordingly.
Experience has shown that lead concentrations in properties often
vary significantly and unpredictably. With XRF, inspectors can
learn about any unusually high lead levels right away and then
take more closely spaced readings in the area from which the high
reading came. The result is a clearer delineation of how soil con-
tamination differs from one part of the property to another.
One concern that has been raised about field-portable XRF is that
it tests for lead only at the surface level. Many experts, however,
are convinced that this is usually where the lead level in soil actu-
ally is highest. Also, the top layer of soil clearly poses the greatest
potential health risk because ot its accessibility.
Inspectors mark the location of each XRF reading on
a plot plan and record lead levels on a site worksheet.
When the EMPACT LSYP conducts XRF testing, the first step is to determine some rough guide-
lines by interviewing the homeowner and observing current conditions in the yard. Several
high-risk or high-use areas may be identified. As the sample interview form in Chapter 5 suggests,
these could include gardens, picnic areas, and children's play areas, in addition to areas of bare soil
and heavy foot traffic. Such parts of the property are singled out for careful inspection. Another tar-
get is the drip line, generally a 3-foot-wide strip around the foundation of a house where lead tends
to have been washed into the soil by rain.
The EMPACT LSYPs procedure for taking XRF readings is straightforward. The XRF and test
guard are placed on the exposed soil surface and depressed to open the shutter. A 30- to 60-second
measurement should yield reliable results. As inspectors take these readings, they mark the location
of each on a plot plan of the property and record the lead levels on a site worksheet. Also recorded
on the worksheet are measurements that fix the location of the reading somewhat more precisely.
Any other relevant descriptive information, such as the weather and the general condition of the
yard, is noted on the worksheet as well.
The ppm lead levels from different locations within a particular area—say, the east drip line—are
averaged to yield a mean value. Depending on this value, the EMPACT LSYP assigns each area to
one of its four categories (see Section 3-4.3-1 tor a comparison with proposed categories under
TSCA Section 403):
• Very high (5000 ppm or more)
• High (2000 to 5000 ppm).
• Moderately high (400 to 2000 ppm).
• Low (400 ppm or less)
Detailed guidance about mitigation strategies for each of these categories is provided in Chapter 7
of this handbook.
The EMPACT LSYP takes several quality control measures to back up XRF readings on every
property. Accuracy and reproducibility are checked periodically using continuing calibrations
6B 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL
-------
(against a known standard) and replicate
measurements, respectively. Inspectors
also collect a small number of soil samples
for confirmatory lab analysis. Since XRF
is still a new technology, its results need
to be judged against the gold standard of
accepted practice, in this case inductively
coupled plasma (ICP) or atomic absorp-
tion (AA) methods, both of which are
conducted in a laboratory and take about
2 to 4 weeks.
Nevertheless, inspectors often have
enough confidence in their XRF findings
to give homeowners and landscapers a
provisional color-coded map of a prop-
erty's lead levels well before the results of
confirmatory lab tests are available. The
map on page 81 is an example. Inspectors
may prepare such a drawing before they
even leave the site, using markers or col-
ored pencils and a copy of the plot plan.
This hand-drawn method is simple,
immediately interpretable, and readily
accessible to the homeowner.
Alternatively, the XRF readings may be
taken to an office and used to produce a
computer-generated map, as shown on
page 82. Either way, homeowners and
landscapers can gain a general under-
standing of what areas of a yard need
remediation and start making plans.
Once a lead-safe yard program has tested
a sizable cross-section of properties in a city,
it might be useful to record the results on
a map to see if a geographical pattern
emerges. If such a pattern does emerge,
the information could be made available
to the public, perhaps on a Web site, to
promote awareness of the lead-in-soil
problem and help homeowners and com-
munities make more informed decisions.
As an example, maps showing the lead
content of soil in various parts of
New Orleans, Louisiana, are available
online at http://www.tmc.uulanc.edu/
ccmc/leadhome/soil.huml. Environmental
1998
In Phase I of the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project, lead in surface
soil concentrations measured in the Bowdoin Street neighborhood
ranged from 103 to 21,000 ppm.
The mean value for these data was 1,632 ppm (n=781). Twenty-
two percent of the measurements were above 2,000 ppm, and 87
percent were above 400 ppm.
Distribution 0-10,000
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000
lead—ppm
Distribution 0-2,000
150
100
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
lead—ppm
Lead Concentration Distribution for Phase 1 Field Work
6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN BOIL 6 9
-------
toxicologist Howard Mielke of Xavier University in New Orleans analyzed 3,074 surface soil sam-
ples representing 283 census tracts. The data indicate that the most contaminated areas usually lie
in the central part of the city, where traffic is heaviest.
6.2 GETTING STARTED
Individual homeowners or groups planning a very limited lead-safe yard program will probably just
want to hire a risk assessor certified tor use of XRF for soil analysis. In any case, local authorities
regulating lead abatement activities should be consulted.Those seeking to implement an extensive
program will probably want to buy their own field-portable XRF to be used by trained/certified
inspectors working with the program. The EMPACT LSYP uses an instrument manufactured by
Niton Corporation17, which also provides training. For information, call 1-800-875-1578 or visit
http://www.niton.com. See Section 6.4.2 for information about XRF use licenses and certification.
An XRF similar to the one used in the EMPACT LSYP, a field portable Niton Model 702, costs
about $26,500, making it the most substantial expense a program will face. Day-to-day mainte-
nance of the XRF is generally not costly, though programs will face the additional expense (around
$2,600) for replacement of the instrument's radioactive source at least once every two years, if not
more frequently (see Section 6.5)- Some savings are possible, however. The box below provides
some suggestions; for example, it describes a less costly XRF instrument that was not available when
the EMPACT LSYP purchased its instrument.
" A lead-safe yard program may also save money if it can align
Recently, Niton has developed a field portable itself with a university, which is much more likely if the work
XRF that tests for lead alone, not the wide range has a research component. In this case, the school might pick
of other metals detectable with a 700-series UP some or all of the cost of the XRF, and interns paid by the
Niton. This instrument, the XL309, costs just school might conduct inspections under the supervision of a
$17,000, and a version exclusively for lead in soil faculty member. This type of approach is described in more
is available for $15,000. The main reason the detail in Appendix B, which presents less-resouice-intensive
XL309 is so much less expensive is that it lacks a approaches to implementing lead-safe yard programs.
high-resolution silicon pin detector. But this
feature is useful largely for measuring levels of 6.3 TESTING STEP BY STEP
elements such as arsenic, which require a great _,. . . , ., r .
, . c . . , . . , . 1 his section describes the procedures used by professional
deal or precision. Lead levels, by contrast, are . . ' r .,
c • i L j . I • i I . inspectors in the EMPACT LSYP tor soil testing, quality
rairly broad measurements. A high-resolution J
silicon pin detector is not necessary. control> and data management. In developing these proce-
dures, the EMPACT LSYP relied on two primary sources: 1)
Method 6200 from EPA publication SW-846 (entitled Test
Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods], EPAs compendium of methods on
evaluating hazardous waste; and 2) the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) that was developed
for the EMPACT program. What follows is mainly a summary ot the directives from these two
sources, along with recommendations and insights from the programs inspectors themselves. You
can go to http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/test/sw846.htm to learn more about SW-846
and obtain a copy online. The EMPACT LSYP's QAPP is provided in Appendix D.
6.3.1 BEFORE BEGINNING
The inspectors should plan to allot about two hours for testing a typical residence. Homeowners
need not be present, but they do have to have signed a permission form (see Chapter 5). Ideally, all
'Mention of trade names or commercial products In this publication does not constitute endorsement
or recommendation for use.
VD 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL
-------
the information about yard use gained from observations and homeowner interviews will have been
incorporated into the plot plan prepared during outreach and education. This plot plan will be used
as a guide for testing. See Section 5-3 for guidance on conducting homeowner interviews and devel-
oping a plot plan. A sample kiterview form and plot plan can be found on pages 63 to 65.
Favorable weather conditions are necessary for testing. Experience shows that XRF testing does not
work well when the ground is frozen or when the air temperature falls below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
And while high temperatures usually pose no problem,
direct sunlight can cause the instrument to overheat.
Inspectors should take care to shade it on sunny days, even
in relatively cool weather.
Soil moisture can not only interfere with readings but also
damage the XRF, so soil that is saturated with water should
not be tested. This condition is most likely to occur in
early spring, when the ground absorbs water inefficiently
because it hasn't yet thawed and dried out from the winter
months. Inspection should be delayed in the event of rain
as well; even after the rain has stopped, testing may still be
inadvisable for several hours, because of standing water on
the grass. The XRF can generally tolerate humidity, however.
Inspectors take at least two readings along
.. . r r i the property border on each side of the house.
11 conditions are favorable, and all the necessary paperwork
is in place, inspectors may prepare the property for testing. Debris such as rocks, pebbles, leaves,
and roots should be removed, and the ground should be made flat enough to allow uniform con-
tact with the XRF. In some cases grass or plant material may need to be moved aside to expose the
soil surface. As they do this, inspectors must remember that lead in soil is mostly a surface phe-
nomenon, and that readings may not be accurate if the ground is disturbed too much.
6.3.2 TESTING STRATEGY
Although each property is different and must be approached with its unique characteristics in
mind, testing typically focuses on four main concerns: the drip line, play areas, areas of exposed soil,
and areas that may be contaminated with lead from sources other than the house, such as structures
on abutting properties. In the EMPACT LSYP, if play areas are found to have lead levels greater
than 400 ppm, they are tested further to determine the extent of contamination. Other areas are
subjected to extra testing if they are found to have levels greater than 2000 ppm.
A variety of formats for testing are possible, but data collection is generally more systematic and
efficient if inspectors decide on one format and use it consistently. In the EMPACT LSYP, the sides
of the house on a property are labeled A, B, C, and D. The A side is that which bears the house's
address, and the B, C, and D sides follow in a clockwise fashion. Inspectors start at the corner where
the A and D sides meet, then cover the whole A portion of the yard, and after that the whole B, C,
and D portions, until finally they arrive at the A-D corner again.
The pattern for testing a particular area on any of the sides of the house depends on the size and
shape of that area. In long, narrow areas such as drip lines, initial XRF readings are generally taken
at 10-foot intervals along an imaginary line that extends from one end of the area to the other. If
an area is not long enough to yield at least three readings with this method, inspectors mentally
divide the imaginary line into thirds and take a reading from each third.
6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL "7 1
-------
Generic Testing Pattern
19
11
10
9
House
3 2 LI— r1 1
Street
Scale
20 feet
10ft. 10ft.
72 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL
-------
Inspectors then take a second series of XRF readings along an imaginary
line that is parallel to the first one but 2 to 5 feet away from it. If the area
is in fact a drip line, this second imaginary line usually falls outside it, so
lead levels are expected to drop off. If they don't, further testing is con-
ducted to ascertain whether and where they do.
Before completing testing on any one side of the house, inspectors take
at least two readings along the property border. These readings are gener-
ally evenly spaced. If either reading shows elevated lead levels, additional
reading are taken along the border.
For other areas of concern, including play areas, an imaginary X is usu-
ally superimposed on the ground. Readings are taken at 5- to 10-foot
intervals along each line of the X. If the area is too small to yield at least
five readings with this method, inspectors mentally divide the lines of the
X into thirds and take a reading from each third.
When sufficient readings have been obtained from a given area, the lead
levels are averaged to produce a mean value, and on the basis of this value,
the area is assigned to a specific lead-level category, as explained in
Section 6.1.
Testing Pattern for Play Areas,
Gardens, and Other Areas of Concern
4
N
X
\
\
.
/
/
/
/
5
Play Area rjT\
| Q |
/
/
/
/
3
\ s
V
M
Scale
10 feet
5ft. '
5ft.
7
V
2
\
\
\
tu
t
[start Testing |
NOTE!
Borderline mean values for an area are judged to
fall into the more toxic category rather than the
less toxic one. For example, a mean value of 1,980
ppm would earn an area a "high" rating (2,000 to
5,000 ppm). The idea is to avoid the risk of
undertreating a contaminated area. Measurements
of lead levels are broad, and a difference of just
20 ppm is insignificant.
6.3.3 QUALITY CONTROL
Niton XRFs are factory calibrated, so site-spe-
cific calibration is not necessary. Regular
checks of the instrument's calibration are an
essential aspect of quality control, however.
Before inspectors from the EMPACT Lead-
Safe Yard Project begin to test a property, they
take readings on standard reference materials
(SRMs) whose lead levels are known to be 400
ppm, 1,000 ppm, and 5,000 ppm, the antici-
pated range for lead in urban soil. They also
take a reading on a blank—a soil sample whose lead level is less than 100 ppm, which is the detec-
tion limit for the XRF instrument they use. If any of these readings fails the quality control criteria
(+ 30% for SRMs; < 50 ppm for field blank), possible problems are investigated and the check is
re-run until the instrument passes. If it never passes, it is sent back to Niton to be recalibrated.
These same calibration checks are conducted at the end of testing on a property, to ensure that the
instrument's calibration has remained intact throughout.
In addition, 10 percent of the XRF readings are replicate measures. That is, a particular location is
tested a second time, to see if the reading on it falls into the same range. If it doesn't, inspectors try
to find out what the problem is and fix it, and calibration checks and further repeat readings are
performed until the XRF results are clearly reliable.
The final quality control measure is to collect soil samples for confirmatory ICP or AA analysis. At
evenly spaced intervals within a particular area, inspectors scoop up a subsample, which is about a
tablespoon of the top half-inch of soil. These subsamples are emptied into a common ziplock bag
to create a composite for the area. An XRF reading is then taken on the composite, after which it
is ready to be sent to the lab.
6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL 73
-------
Typically, a perimeter composite sample is created by taking twelve subsamples—three from the
drip line on each side of the house. Composite samples are also created for every other area desig-
nated as high use or high risk, such as gardens and play areas. As in XRF testing, an imaginary X
is superimposed on the area. Subsamples—a total of five, if possible—are taken along each line of
theX.
6.3.4 DATA MANAGEMENT
The two main data management tools, the plot plan and the site worksheet, are versatile and easy
to use. As shown on page 81, the plot plan can be converted into a color-coded map of a property's
lead levels to help homeowners and landscapers discuss plans for remediation. The plot plan can
also be used to formulate a guide for testing, and during the inspection itself, test locations can be
recorded on the plot plan, as shown on page 80. Information on developing an initial plot plan can
be found in Section 5-3.
The site worksheet offers a simple way to identify the locations marked on the plot plan more
closely. It also allows inspectors to keep track of the lead levels found at each location. Finally, it
provides convenient spaces to write down any relevant descriptive information: a short form at the
top and a "comments" column on the right side. On page 78 is a clean worksheet that groups
implementing a lead-safe yard program can reproduce. On page 79 is an example of a site work-
sheet that has been filled out.
The letters A, B, C, or D in the "sample I.D." column of the filled-out site worksheet tell which
side of the house a particular XRF reading came from. The number immediately after each letter
corresponds to the testing location noted on the plot plan. The last letter in the "sample I.D." col-
umn tells how many feet the testing location was from the foundation of the house.
The number in the "location" column of the worksheet tells how many feet the testing location was
from the corner that would be on someone's right when facing the A, B, C, or D side of the house.
Thus the right corner on the A side would be the A-D corner; on the B side it would be the A-B
corner; on the C side it would be the B-C corner; and on the D side it would be the C-D corner.
The "ppm-lead" column tells the lead levels measured at each testing location. The comment
"repeat" in the "comments" column indicates where a second reading was taken on a test location
as a quality control measure.
6.4 HEALTH AND SAFETT PRECAUTIONS
Testing for lead in soil entails two different kinds of risk. The first comes from the soil itself, which
frequently does contain high levels of lead. The second comes from the XRF, which employs
radioactive material. Inspectors must guard against both these kinds of risks.
6.4.1 GUARDING AGAINST LEAD HAZARDS
The important point to keep in mind is that lead can enter the body through ingestion, which
occurs as a result of routine hand-to-mouth activities such as eating, drinking, and smoking.
Therefore, inspectors should wear gloves and refrain from hand-to-mouth activities on the job.
When their work is done, they should wash their hands and faces and clean off their work shoes
after leaving the site. On a windy day, inspectors may need to use face masks to avoid breathing air-
borne lead-contaminated dust when working at dry, dusty sites.
74 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL
-------
6.4.2 GUARDING AGAINST
RADIATION HAZARDS 1B
Portable XRF instruments used for lead-based paint inspec-
tions contain radioactive isotopes that emit x-rays and
gamma radiation. Proper training and handling of these
instruments is needed to protect the instrument operator
and any other persons in the immediate vicinity during XRF
usage. The XRF instrument should be in the operator's pos-
session at all times. The operator should never defeat or
override any safety mechanisms of XRF equipment.
For a discussion of required (and recommended) licenses,
certifications, and permits for portable XRF instruments,
see the box on page 76.
6.5 MAINTAINING EQUIPMENT
Day-to-day maintenance of the XRF is generally not diffi-
cult. The instrument's display window should be cleaned
with cotton swabs. The case should be cleaned with a soft
cloth. Batteries should be recharged as directed in the
owner's manual. Beyond that, inspectors usually just need to
take care not to drop the instrument, not to get it wet, and
not to neglect the calibration checks described under
"Quality Control" in Section 6.3.3.
Over the long term, however, XRF owners face the very sig-
nificant maintenance concern of replacing the instrument's
radioactive source, a cadmium-109 isotope. Like all radioac-
tive isotopes, cadmium-109 decays at a fixed rate. Its
half-life, or the amount of time needed for the activity of the
radioactive source to decrease by one half, is about fifteen
months. After that, the XRF can still be used, but the instru-
ment becomes progressively less efficient. Readings that
once took 30 to 60 seconds take progressively longer.
Eventually the wait becomes burdensome, and a new cad-
mium-109 isotope must be purchased from Niton, at a cost
of about $2,600.
Niton recommends replacing the isotope source every fif-
teen months, as soon as its half-life is spent, but most
inspectors find that they can postpone the job for another
three to nine months. After all, readings are no less accurate,
just somewhat less prompt. When inspectors do decide to
replace the cadmium-109 isotope, they simply send the XRF
to Niton. The corporation not only puts in a new isotope
but disposes of the old one, upgrades the instrument's soft-
ware, and provides whatever preventive maintenance is needed.
SAFE OPERATING DISTANCE
XRF instruments used in accordance with
manufacturer's instructions will not cause
significant exposure to ionizing radiation. But the
instrument's shutter should never be pointed at
anyone, even if the shutter is closed. Also, the
inspector's hand should not be placed on the end
plate during a measurement.
The safe operating distance between an XRF
instrument and a person during inspections
depends on the radiation source type, radiation
intensity, quantity of radioactive material, and the
density of the materials being surveyed. As the
radiation source quantity and intensity increases,
the required safe distance also increases. Placing
materials, such as a wall, in the direct line of fire
reduces the required safe distance. According to
NRC rules, a radiation dose to an individual in
any unrestricted area must not exceed 2 millirems
per hour. One of the most intense sources
currently used in XRF instruments is a 40-
millicurie 57Co (cobalt-57) radiation source.
Other radiation sources in current use for XRF
testing of lead-based paint generally produce lower
levels of radiation. Generally, an XRF operator
conducting inspections according to
manufacturer's instructions would be exposed to
radiation well below the regulatory level. Typically,
XRF instruments with lower gamma radiation
intensities can use a shorter safe distance provided
that the potential exposure to an individual will
not exceed the regulatory limit.
No people should be near the other side of a wall,
floor, ceiling or other surface being tested. The
inspector should verify that this is indeed the case
prior to initiating XRF testing activities, and check
on it during testing.
Finally, the effectiveness of the instrument's
radiation shielding should be assessed every six
months through a leak test. The XRF manufacturer
or owner's manual can be consulted to obtain
vendors of leak test kits.
If these practices are observed, the risk of excessive
exposure to ionizing radiation is extremely low and
will not endanger any inspectors or occupants
present in the dwelling.
Adapted from HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead Based Paint Ha^zard Evaluation and Reduction Activities, Chapter 7: Lead Based Pain
Inspection, 1997 Revision. Available at http://www.hud.gov/lea
& COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL 75
-------
XRF USE
In addition to training and any required accreditation, a person using a portable XRF
instrument for inspection must have valid licenses or permits from the appropriate federal,
state, and local regulatory bodies to operate XRF instruments. (These are needed because
XRF instruments contain radioactive materials.) All portable XRF instrument operators
should be trained by the instrument's manufacturer (or equivalent). XRF operators should
provide you with information about their training, licensing, permitting, and certification
before an inspection begins. Depending on the state, operators may be required to hold
three forms of proof of competency: a manufacturer's training certificate (or equivalent), a
radiation safety license, and a state lead-based paint inspection certificate or license. To
help ensure competency and safety, HUD and EPA recommend hiring only inspectors who
hold all three.
The regulatory body responsible for oversight of the radioactive materials contained in
portable XRF instruments depends on the type of material being handled. Some
radioactive materials are federally regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC); others are regulated at the state level. States are generally categorized as
"agreement" and "non-agreement" states. An agreement State has an agreement with NRC
to regulate radioactive materials that are generally used for medical or industrial
applications. (Most radioactive materials found in XRF instruments are regulated by
agreement states). For non-agreement states, NRC retains this regulatory responsibility
directly. At a minimum, however, most state agencies require prior notification that a
specific XRF instrument is to be used within the state. Fees and other details regarding the
use of portable XRF instruments vary from state to state. Contractors who provide
inspection services must hold current licenses or permits for handling XRF instruments,
and must meet any applicable state or local laws or notification requirements.
Requirements for radiation dosimetry by the XRF instrument operator (wearing dosimeter
badges to monitor exposure to radiation) are generally specified by state regulations, and
vary from state to state. In some cases, for some isotopes, no radiation dosimetry is
required. However, it should be conducted even when not required, for the following five
reasons:
• The cost of dosimetry is low.
• XRF instrument operators have a right to know the level of radiation to which they are
exposed during the performance of the job. In virtually all cases, the exposure will be far
below applicable exposure limits.
• Long-term collection of radiation exposure information can aid both the operator
(employee) and the employer. The employee benefits by knowing when to avoid a
hazardous situation; the employer benefits by having an exposure record that can be used
in deciding possible health claims.
• The public benefits by having exposure records available to them.
• The need for equipment repair can be identified more quickly.
76 o COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL
-------
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
A number of organizations that conduct lead-safe yard activities rely on laboratory analysis rather
than field-portable XRF for testing of yard soil. For example, Lead-Safe Cambridge, described in
Appendix A of this handbook, sends soil samples to a state laboratory for analysis.
A homeowner in an area where no lead-safe yard program exists may also wish to determine
whether there is a lead problem in his or her yard. In this case, the homeowner can collect soil sam-
ples in ziplock bags and send them to a laboratory for analysis. To determine sampling locations, a
homeowner can follow the guidance in Section 6.3, or refer to HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation
and Control of Lead Hazards in Housing, June 1995 (Title X, Section 1017) Appendix 13.3, available
at http://www.hud.gov/lea/learules.html#download.
Homeowners can contact their state or local childhood lead poisoning prevention program for
more information about obtaining soil-lead testing. The following Web sites list state and local lead
poisoning prevention contacts:
The Lead Program of the National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center:
http://www.nsc.org/elic/nlic/contacts.lum
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Directory of State Lead Poisoning Prevention
Contacts: htrp://www.ncsl.org/progranis/ESNR/pbdir.htm
6."7 MORE INFORMATION
6.Y.I XRF ACCURACY
Verification Reports and Statements on the accuracy of several XRF technologies are available on
the Web site of the EPA Environmental Technology Verification Program:
iutp://www. epa.gov/etv/verifrpt.lum#monitoring.
Clark, Scott, William Menrath, Mei Chen, Sandy Roda, and Paul Succop. Use of a Field Portable
X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer to Determine the Concentration of Lead and Other Metals in Soil and
Dust Samples. Call the University of Cincinnati Department of Environmental Health at 1-513-
558-1749-
Shefsky, Stephen. Comparing Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) to Laboratory Analysis of Heavy
Metals in Soil. Call Niton Corp. at 1-800-875-1578.
6.7.2 TEST METHODS
Methods 6200, 6010B, and 7420 from EPA's SW-846 (entitled Test Methods for Evaluating Solid
Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods). For ordering information, or to obtain a copy online, go to
http://www.epa.gov/epao.swer/ha/waste/test/sw846.lurn.
Sackett, Donald and Kenneth Martin. EPA Method 6200 and Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence
Analysis for Metals in Soil. Call Niton Corp. at 1-800-875-1578.
6.7.3 DUALITY CONTROL.
Shefsky, Stephen. Sample Handling Strategies for Accurate Lead-in-Soil Measurements in the Field and
Laboratory. Call Niton Corp. at 1-800-875-1578.
6 CDLLECTINe AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL 77
-------
J
]
SITE WORKSHEET
Site Name: Date:
Site Address: Weather:
Building Tvpe: Lot Condition:
Yard Uses:
SAMPLE I.D. LOCATION PPM-LEAD COMMENTS
\ = front, B = left, C = rear, D = right
Location = distance from right corner of house
78 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA DN LEAD IN SOIL
-------
Site Name:
SITE WORKSHEET
Date: »O
Site Address: LC^L
Weather:
-^A CoOJ
Building Type:_2-
Yard
VL
Lot Condition:
SAMPLE I.D. LOCATION
PPM-LEAD
COMMENTS
- l - r\
A-
A-
-
- 4
- 13 - i
C-H4- (S
. 13
- ifc- |S
- IS -"22.
0
u
•2J
12-
2J
to
as
0
(0
to
-435 J: M2>
(K -I ± (3*1
^ 130
A = front, B = left, C = rear, D = right
Location = distance from right corner of house
CDLLECTINB AND MANABiNe DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL 79
-------
10 HOME STREET
~J\
ii
\
! LiAO LEVELS DOLOR KEY I
»^mtem*m*jmMimVZmmimm!m?i^"°ypW^'fV®£W&^
6000 OP more ppm (Vtry High)
Must bt with a
fwrnanenl barrier.
Unsafe for al typ>*s of gahdenf^,
, 2000-SOOO ppm (High)
Treatment is necessary for
iwj ree? us» by or
aduMs and for pet areee.
yn«afc for §1 types of gardening.
f11"""1 > * •• «•'««-« «' • «
; 40i3-2000 ppm (Moderately High) .
is rec«mmerid*d for use ss
a children's play area and for jgardenir
vegetable
1400 or less ppm (Low) \
No treatment is necessary fer
moirf uses by
pets.
YARD Ufil WTTERN KEY
H«g|i Traffic Area (Exposed 0w
t". x'-ior
12
High Risk Mm
(Play Area or Vegetable Garden)
HATCH:
Recreation .Ares (Picnic or BiQJ
so
6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL
-------
10 HOME STREET
Ife*
V :' ~"' * ' -S
AX X/\
I LEAD LEVELS COLOR KEY j
5000 or mote pprn (Very High)
be treated with 9
permanent barrier.
Unsafe for all types of gardening.
[aOOO-5000 ppm (High)
nert is nec^aary for
y reoreafkwnal use by children or
adults and for pet areas,
Unsafe for all types of gardening.
[
40O-2000
^ Kgh)
Tret^ment is reoommended for uw as
a children's play area ar>d for gardening,
espaeially vegetable gapderiing,
6400 or less
(LnvwJ I
No treatincf-t is ruecessary for
mosi uses by children.
adults, and
YARD USE PATTERN KEY
DOTS^
High Traffic Area (Exposed ©oil)
LJME9
High Risk UivS Area
Area or Vegetable Gwtlen)
CROSS HATCH!
Recreation Area (Picnic or SBQJ
SC4LJE: r. r-
& COLLECTINC3 AND MANAC3INC3 DATA ON LEAD IN SOIL B 1
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32 6 COLLECTING AND MANAGING DATA QN LEAD IN SOIL
-------
•7
Once you have sampled and analyzed a property's soil and determined that a lead hazard exists, the
process of designing and implementing landscape treatments can begin. This chapter provides
guidance on matching treatments to the hazards you've identified (Section 7-1), and describes spe-
cific low-cost treatment measures used by the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project (Section 7.2). The
chapter also covers the many "nuts and bolts" issues involved in the treatment process, including:
• Developing a budget for each yard treatment (Section 7-3).
• Meeting with the homeowner to explain the sampling results and areas of concern
and to develop/review the treatment plan (Section 7-4).
• Contracting with a landscaper to complete all design and landscaping work
on the property (Section 7-5).
• Establishing guidelines to ensure landscaper health and safety (Section 7.6).
• Securing the homeowner's approval and signoff on completed work (Section 7.7).
• Reviewing and approving landscaping work prior to final contractor payment
(also in Section 7.7).
If you are a homeowner interested in learning about low-cost landscaping measures for reducing
children's exposure to lead in soil, you can focus on Sections 7.1, 7.2, and 7-6. (Section 7.6, Health
and Safety for Landscapers, is essential reading for anyone who intends to do landscaping work
in a lead-contaminated yard.) You should also read Chapter 8, which covers the development of a
maintenance plan for the finished yard—a critical part of the treatment process.
Sections 7-3, 7-4, 7-5, and 7.7 present detailed information for those responsible for implementing
a lead-safe yard program.
"7.1 MATDHINB TREATMENTS TO HAZARDS
There are many ways of protecting children and other people from the hazards of lead-contami-
nated yard soil. Possible methods include removing and disposing of the contaminated soil,
covering it with a permanent barrier such as asphalt, covering it with a non-permanent barrier such
as mulch or grass, or changing the way people use their yard to reduce exposures.
To select the best method or methods for a particular property, you need to consider a number of
factors, including the level of lead contamination, the frequency and extent of potential exposures,
the homeowner's esthetic preferences, the cost of the protective measure, the amount of mainte-
nance it will require, and its likely effectiveness. Protective measures can vary greatly both in the
level of protection they provide and in their associated costs. Soil removal, for example, can com-
pletely eliminate a soil hazard, whereas use of a non-permanent barrier such as grass cannot.
However, soil removal can be prohibitively expensive for many people due to the high cost of soil
excavation, transportation, and disposal.
"7 YARD TREATMENTS B3
-------
The EMPACT LSYP was created to develop low-cost landscape measures that protect children
against exposure to high lead levels in yard soil. The landscape measures described in this handbook
were selected for four main reasons:
• They are relatively inexpensive.
• They can be implemented by the homeowner or a program partner
with a minimum of tools and experience.
• They are attractive and enhance the value of the yard.
• They are effective in reducing lead concentrations at the yard surface, and they therefore
effectively reduce the potential for children's exposures.
All of the measures presented here could be characterized as interim controls. None provide the sort
of permanent protection you could achieve through soil abatement (that is, by removing or paving
contaminated soil), nor are they meant as a substitute for abatement. In fact, in circumstances where
soil-lead levels are greatly elevated (i.e., above 2,000 ppm) and the possibility of children's exposure
is high (i.e., in residential settings), federal regulations recommend or require abatement of the soil
hazard (see Section 3-4.3).
The EMPACT LSYP encourages homeowners to follow all federal and state requirements and guid-
ance for soil abatement that apply to them. But the project also recognizes that there will be many
situations where homeowners and community organizations cannot afford the cost of abatement
measures. In such situations, these landscape measures can provide some degree of long-term, effec-
tive protection so long as they are properly applied and well maintained. The key is selecting the
right measures based on the existing lead hazards.
"7.1.1 TREATMENT
So how do you choose among the treatment measures presented in this handbook? Your goal in
developing a treatment plan is to achieve a delicate balance between the safe use of the yard and the
existing lead levels. To do this, you should combine two main approaches:
• Altering the surface cover. Select landscape measures that provide a sufficient barrier,
based on the soil-lead levels and the types of yard use.
• Altering the yard use patterns. Encourage safe yard uses, and discourage certain activities
(e.g., gardening, children's play) in the areas of highest contamination. These activities
may need to be relocated to a safer part of the yard.
In many cases, you will need to design different treatments for each of the yard areas evaluated dur-
ing the sampling process: the house dripline, areas of bare soil, areas of unique use such as children's
play areas and picnic and gardening areas, and other areas. The illustration on page 86,
Characteristics of a Lead-Safe Yard, shows how a number of treatment measures can be combined
to create a yard that is safe and attractive and meets the needs of the homeowner and/or residents.
In other cases, you may only have to address a single yard area, such as the dripline (where soil-lead
levels are usually found to be highest).
The table on page 85 presents a list of treatment measures used by the EMPACT LSYP at specific
soil-lead levels. Each measure is described in greater detail in Section 7-2. However, before incor-
porating these measures into your own program, you should refer to Section 3-4.3 for a discussion
of how the EMPACT treatment approach compares with the approach recommended under the
B4 *7 YARD TREATMENTS
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LSYP TREATMENT
Soil-Lead Level
(parts per million)
5,000 (very high)
EMPACT LSYP
Treatment Measures
If soil removal or permanent barriers
are not possible:
• Install semi-permanent barrier, such as
a wood-framed dripbox filled with gravel
or mulch.
• Relocate gardens—unsafe for all types
of gardening.
2,000-5,000 (high)
Relocate gardens—unsafe for all
types of gardening.
Relocate children's play area, pet
area, and picnic area, if possible. If
not, install wood platform or wood-
framed raised play and picnic area
filled with woodchips.
Install path of walking stones for
high-traffic areas.
Seed and fertilize grassy areas, or
cover with mulch or woodchips if
not suitable for grass.
400-2,000 (moderately high)
Install raised-bed garden and
supplement with clean topsoil.
Install wood-framed raised play and
picnic area filled with woodchips.
Install path of walking stones for
high-traffic areas.
Seed and fertilize grassy areas, or cover
with mulch or woodchips if not suitable
for grass.
400 (urban background)
No treatment necessary.
*7 YARD TREATMENTS OS
-------
Characteristics of a Lead-Safe Yard
Signs of a Healthy Yard:
Mulch or gravel covering
contaminated soil m the
drip zone
vvil-i
Walkways of stepping stones, paving.
or gravel lo keep contaminated soil
from being tracked into the house
Play areas for kids and pels located
away from the drip zone and covered
mulcn or woodcrtips
X
Healthy, well-tended lawns lo
provide safe outdoor spaces
lor play and relaxation
• x Shrubs planted around the house
\lo keep children and pets away from
the drip zone
Cars confined lo driveway area
covered with asphalt or gravel
Signs of a Toxic Yard:
No plants, grass, or mulch covering
contaminated soil in the drip nonet
Areas of dusty, exposed soil such as
walkways, dog runs, ar>d backyard
play and picnic areas
Cars parked on yard, creating dusty
areas of bare contaminated soil
Play areas located
near the drip zone
Vegetables growing in soil with a
- high lead content
Lead-based paint chips near
the foundation of the house,
con:u-n ratriq GUI v.i'.-i'p th:-
dnp zone
36 7 YARD TREATMENTS
-------
pending TSCA Section 403 rule (information about the rule can be found at
http://wwvv.cpa.gov/lead/Ieadha7.htm). Also keep in mind that decisions on specific landscape
measures (e.g., choosing between mulch or grass, or between types of grass) must be made on a
yard-by-yard basis to account for variables such as regional climate, yard topography, the amount
of available sunlight, and the homeowner's esthetic preferences. These factors will often play a major
role in shaping the final treatment plan for a property.
"7,2
This section presents the specific landscape treatments used by the EMPACT LSYP. The treatment
measures described here represent a suite of tools that the landscaper can use to address elevated
soil-lead levels in specific yard areas: drip zones, grassed areas, parking areas, walkways, recreation
and children's play areas, gardens, pet areas, and porches. As mentioned in Chapter 6, these are the
high-risk and high-use yard areas where children are most likely to experience dangerous exposures
to soil lead. For most of these yard areas, the EMPACT LSYP has developed two or more treatment
options, giving the landscape designer some flexibility in selecting treatments that match both the
homeowner's esthetic preferences and other variables such as yard topography and the amount of
available sunlight.
It is important to keep in mind that not all treatments will be appropriate and/or effective at all
locations. The treatments described here were selected by the EMPACT LSYP because they address
the conditions found at a majority of sites in the project's target neighborhoods in Boston: high to
very high soil-lead levels; inner-city homes that are typically wooden and covered with lead paint;
high rates of yard use by children and families; and many areas of bare and partially bare soil. These
landscaping measures also work well given Boston's variable climate, with its cold, wet winters and
relatively hot, humid summers.
As you develop your own lead-safe yard program, you will no doubt want to pick and choose
among the treatments presented here, rejecting some, revising others to fit your specific needs, and
devising some entirely new treat-
PHYTOEXTRACTION: merits. The work you have done to
AN get to know your target community
(see Section 4.4) will help you in this
All of the treatment measures used by the EMPACT LSYP T , , • •
. \ process. In addition, you may want
focus on employing grass, plants, and other materials as a , , , ,
, . j , ., j , , , . , to consult local garden centers, nurs-
barner to reduce children s exposure to lead-contaminated ° ,
soil. None of these treatments, however, remove the lead enes' landscaPers> and arbo»sts tor
from the soil. Today, researchers are experimenting with helP selecting Plants and grasses that
another approach for using plants to actually extract lead wil1 thrive in your area- If 7OU live in
and other contaminants from soil: phytoextraction. an arid or semi-arid climate, for
example, you may find yourself
As a technology, phytoextraction is still in its infancy. • , fl _ j-cc <-
&/ " ' ' using plants that are very different
Researchers are still struggling with a number of questions, ,- , , . , x, ,
. i • i i i ^^i I • • from those used in the Northeast.
such as which plants best absorb certain contaminants,
and how to make the technology affordable. The Qnce you have assembled a suite of
EMPACT LSYP does not use phytoextraction at this treatment options that will work in
point, but may consider it in the future, as more program area, you should
information becomes available about its applicability in , , j -i j -c L
, . ,. i -i i develop detailed specifications that
residential settings. See Appendix C tor a detailed . ,, . . . . .
,. . LI- • • it define exactly now the landscaping
discussion about this promising technology. - ,
work should be done and what
7 YARD TREATMENTS 87
-------
materials should be used. These specifications should be provided to the landscaper and included
with the landscaping contract (see Section 7-5-1) if you intend to engage a contractor. A set of sam-
ple specifications, developed by Lead Safe Boston and used by the EMPACT LSYP, is provided on
pages 99 to 100.
7.2.1 DRIP ZONES
The drip zone is the narrow 3-foot strip around the foundation of
the house. There, soil-lead levels are usually highest, because lead-
based paint on the outside of older homes weathers over time and
falls into the top layer of soil adjacent to the foundation, contam-
inating it. Play areas, picnic areas, and vegetable gardens must be
located away from the drip zone. In addition, covering the zone
with a permanent or semi-permanent barrier provides long-term
protection from the contaminated soil.
The EMPACT LSYP uses raised perimeter boxes that not only
cover the contaminated soil in the drip zone, but also prevent ero-
sion and offsite transport of the soil and allow for continued
weathering of the exterior. Built from 2" by 6" ACQ (Alkaline
Copper Quaternary) pressure-treated lumber, the boxes are lined
with a filter-fabric weed barrier and then filled with either gravel or mulch and plantings, depend-
ing on the homeowner's preference. Plantings, such as evergreen shrubs, azaleas, boxwoods, holly, or
thorny bushes, help keep children and pets
away from the drip zone. Plantings used by
the EMPACT LSYP are listed in the sample
specifications on page 99. Consult a local gar-
den center, nursery, or arborist to select
plantings appropriate for your area.
A perimeter mulch bed covering the drip zone.
7.2.2 BRASSED AREAS
Maintaining a healthy lawn is one of the best
ways to reduce exposure to lead-contami-
nated soils. A healthy lawn acts as a
natural barrier between people and
contaminated soils, and provides a
safe outdoor space for play and relax-
ation. Lawns require routine
maintenance with water and fertilizer,
and should be protected from foot
traffic for the first 3 to 4 weeks after
seeding. Consult a local garden center
or lawn care professional to select
grasses that will grow in the soil and
climate conditions found in your
region. In areas of heavy foot traffic or
low light where grass won't grow well,
install a stone path or raised mulch
bed to cover all bare soil.
Top: Before—bare soil in drip zone (1660 ppm).
Bottom: After—mulched planting bed covering soil.
aa
7 YARD TREATMENTS
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Existing lawn improvement. Improvement of
an existing lawn can be accomplished quite
inexpensively. Rake bare areas to loosen the
soil, apply seed mix at the rate specified by the
manufacturer, then apply 1A" of top soil over new
seed. Water thoroughly.
New lawn installation (at existing grade). Where
little or no grass exists on a lawn, the entire lawn
area should be rototilled and reseeded (apply water
to contain dust during rototilling). Spread 1/4" of
loam (soil composed of sand, clay, silt, and other
organic matter) on top of the seed, then water
thoroughly. Two months post treatment. Lawn growth over
previously bare, contaminated soil (1,770 ppm).
New lawn installation (raised bed). For sloped yards,
the EMPACT LSYP sometimes uses raised grass beds to create a terraced effect and limit
runoff and erosion. A raised grass bed can also be installed in areas where roots or rocky
soil prevent grass from growing. In a perimeter box made of 2" by 6" ACQ pressure-
treated lumber, install 6" of loam over filter fabric weed barrier. Apply seed mix, then
spread 1A" of loam on top of seed and water thoroughly.
Wood platform built with ACQ lumber.
LESSONS LEARNED:
USING ACQ PRESSURE-TREATED
LUMBER FOR ADDED SAFETY
Over the past 30 years, pressure-treated
lumber has become standard for outdoor
construction because it deters rot, decay, and
termite destruction. The EMPACT Lead-
Safe Yard Project used pressure-treated wood
for these reasons during its first two years of
yard treatments. Recently, however, there has
been a growing awareness of the dangers
posed by chemicals used in the traditional
wood-treatment process. There is some evidence that these chemicals, which include the
EPA-listed hazardous compounds arsenic and chromium, can leach out of pressure-treated
wood and into the environment.
During its third phase of yard treatments, the EMPACT LSYP began using a relatively new
type of pressure-treated lumber: ACQ Preserve. ACQ-treated lumber contains no EPA-
listed hazardous compounds and is guaranteed to protect against rot, decay, and termites.
hi other words, it offers all of the values of traditional pressure-treated lumber with fewer
hazards. This is especially important when you use wood in and around gardens and
children's play areas, as the EMPACT LSYP does. Costs of ACQ-treated wood vary, though
the EMPACT LSYP has found these costs comparable to the costs of traditional pressure-
treated wood. For an information sheet on ACQ-treated wood, go to
http://www.conradwp.com/acq.htm.
VYARD TREATMENTS B9
-------
Raised mulch bed (with or without plantings). Raised mulch beds can be used to cover
areas of bare soil where grass won't grow well. The beds can serve as children's play areas,
or can be filled with various plantings to form an attractive garden area. Install a perimeter
box made of 2" by 6" ACQ pressure-treated lumber to completely cover bare soil area.
Install 4" of loam and 2" of pine bark mulch over filter fabric weed barrier. Select plantings
that are appropriate for the area (e.g., shade, partial shade, full sun; arid or semi-arid soil).
Provide recessed egress stepping-stones from the bed to an existing walkway.
7.2.3 PARKING AREAS
Cars parked on yards destroy grassed areas, turning them into
dusty areas of bare contaminated soil. Cars should be confined
to designated parking areas covered with gravel or asphalt.
Heavy landscape timbers can be sunk at the perimeter of the
parking area to define the edge and prevent stones from
spreading into grass areas. All lots, whether gravel or asphalt,
should have at least a 2-percent pitch across the surface
to ensure that water will not puddle. Detailed specifications
for creating a gravel or asphalt parking area are included on
page 99-
A stone driveway.
Install stepping stones to prevent contaminated
soil from being tracked into the house.
7.2.4 WALKWAYS
Worn dirt paths create dust. By installing stepping stones in areas where
people regularly walk, you keep contaminated soil from being tracked
into the house. Alternatives include concrete walks, cement stepping
stones, gravel over filter fabric, recycled concrete, and brick paths.
7.2.5 RECREATION AND
CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS
If possible, swing sets, sand boxes, and other children's play areas should
be relocated away from the drip zone and other areas of highly contami-
nated soil. The same is true for picnic, barbecue, and other family
recreation areas that receive heavy use. If relocation is not possible, the
EMPACT LSYP uses one of two options:
• Wood Platform. A wood deck, made from ACQ pressure-treated 2" by 6" stock, can serve
as a site for picnics, cook-outs, and children's play, and provides long-term protection from
contaminated soil. Decking should be installed with a 1A" pitch to drain rainwater off the
surface.
• Raised bed filled with mulch or woodchips. Raised beds can be used to cover areas of bare
and/or highly contaminated soil. The beds provide an effective barrier and a safe, attractive
place for children's play and family gatherings. Install a perimeter box made of 2" by 6"
ACQ pressure-treated lumber, then install 4" of loam and 2" of pine bark mulch or
woodchips over filter fabric weed barrier.
7.2.6 GARDENS
Homeowners and residents should take precautions when gardening in or around lead-contami-
nated soil. Though plants generally do not accumulate lead, it is possible for a plant to absorb some
lead in settings where soil-lead levels are very high. In addition, lead-contaminated dust can settle
on the surface of garden plants.
9D
7 YARD TREATMENTS
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Basic precautions include washing all vegetables with a vinegar-water solution, locating gardens
away from roads and highly contaminated yard areas, and planting crops that are less likely to
absorb or accumulate lead. In general, this means planting fruiting crops (e.g., corn, beans, squash,
peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, apples) and avoiding root crops and leafy vegetables
(e.g., carrots, radishes, lettuce, collard greens, spinach) since they are more likely to absorb lead from
soils or become coated with lead-contaminated dust. Two excellent resources on lead in gardens are:
Lead in the Home Garden and Urban Soil Environment,
by Carl J. Rosen and Robert C. Munter
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG2543.html
Lead Contamination in the Garden, a fact sheet by Terry Logan
http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/hyg-fact/1OOO/1149.html
The EMPACT LSYP recommends relocating gardens away from the drip zone and other areas of
highly contaminated soil. The EMPACT LSYP treatment approach recommends using raised beds
in areas of moderate contamination (400 to 2,000 ppm). (Please refer to Section 3-4.3 for a discus-
sion of how the EMPACT treatment approach compares with the approach recommended under
the pending TSCA Section 403 rule.) Beds should be framed with 2" by 8" ACQ pressure-treated
wood, lined with a filter-fabric weed barrier, then filled with 6" of loam that has been tested for lead
levels (levels over 400 ppm are unacceptable). Gardening is considered safe in yard areas where lead
levels are below 400 ppm.
7.2.7 PORCHES
The soil found underneath porches is often contaminated
with lead from paint chips and with other chemicals that
leach from pressure-treated wood used in outdoor construc-
tion. Because it receives little sunlight, this soil is also
naturally bare. The EMPACT LSYP has developed two
strategies to discourage children from playing in contami-
nated soil beneath porches:
• Lattice and Trim Barricade. All exposed soil under
porches is to be barricaded by ACQ wood
framing, lattice, and pine trim. Prep, prime,
and paint pine trim or apply two coats of
wood sealant. Install a framed access door of
like material. If loose soil is likely to be
blown out from under porches, a covering of
gravel or pea stone over bare soil would be
appropriate.
• Raised bed filled with mulch or gravel.
Install a wood box made from 2" by 6"
ACQ pressure-treated lumber along
footprint of porch. Line the box with filter-
fabric weed barrier, then fill with either 2" of
loam and 3" of pine bark mulch or 3" of
loam and 2" of crushed stone.
Top: Before—bare soil under porch deck.
Bottom: After—area barricaded with lattice and trim.
7 YARD TREATMENTS 9 1
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7.2.B PET AREAS
By tracking lead-contaminated soil and dust indoors, dogs and other pets can be a major source of
lead exposure for humans. Pets that play regularly in certain parts of the yard can also create dusty
areas of bare contaminated soil. If possible, pet areas should be located away from areas of highly
contaminated soil. If not, install a wood box made from 2" by 6" ACQ pressure-treated lumber to
completely cover the bare soil area. Line the box with a filter-fabric weed barrier, then fill it with 4"
of loam and 2" of pine bark mulch or woodchips.
7.3 DEVELOPING A BUDGET
FDR EACH YARD TREATMENT
Once you have selected a suite of treatment measures for your program, you may want to develop
a standard budget that can be used to guide each yard treatment. This budget will represent the
maximum amount that the landscaper is authorized to expend in designing and implementing a
treatment plan for each home.
Three main factors will drive the budget development process: the amount of funding available to
your program, the number of yards you hope to treat, and the actual costs of materials and labor
needed to create a lead-safe yard. Some yards will obviously cost more than others to treat. Your goal
is to establish a reasonable budget for an average yard, with the possibility of authorized cost over-
runs at certain yards where treatments turn out to be unusually expensive.
A sample budget developed by the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project is shown on page 101. The
budget was developed in two steps. First, the project team calculated an allowance for each indi-
vidual treatment measure by estimating the total cost of labor and materials. There are a number of
reference books that can help with this process. The RSMeans Company, for example, offers several
such books, including Means Site Work & Landscape Cost Data 2000 (ISBN 0-87629-547-2) and
Landscape Estimating, 3rd Edition by Sylvia H. Chattin (ISBN 0-87629-534-0). These books can
be found in some libraries and bookstores or ordered online (http://www.rsmeans.com). Keep in
mind that labor and material costs vary by region. You may want to consult a local landscaper as
you develop allowances for each measure.
Second, the project team identified ways in which the individual measures might be cost-effectively
combined to create a lead-safe yard. The goal was to make the yard lead safe by addressing as many
areas as possible within a set budget (in this case, $3,000), while giving homeowners some freedom
to choose the types of landscape measures they prefer. Note that the budget includes a standardized
construction management allowance of $500, which allows the
<\OI TRPFS OF landscaper to cover costs such as landscape design, permits and fees,
CDCT: \/f ATTDTAT c a workmanship and materials warranty, insurance, construction
rKrih iVLAl bKiA_Lo .
oversight, and the development of a maintenance manual for the
Parks departments completed yard.
° Remember that the standard budget you develop represents the
Tree services maximum amount that the landscaper is authorized to expend for
Corporate sponsors each yard. Some yard treatments will cost less than the maximum.
For this reason, you should consider developing a standard cost esti-
mate sheet that the landscape coordinator can complete for each yard.
A sample cost estimate sheet is shown on page 102.
92 7 YARD TREATMENTS
-------
LESSONS LEARNED: ESTIMATING TREATMENT COSTS
The experience of the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project illustrates the importance of
accurately estimating the per-yard costs of materials and labor. At the inception of the
project, the project team set a target of treating 70 yards over the first two years, with a
goal of expending about $750 per yard in landscape labor and materials that would be
offered free to the participating homeowners. However, the project quickly found that
treatment costs were running much higher than expected, partly because the project had
chosen to employ a landscape team of city youths who were learning on the job (see also
Section 4.2, "Selecting Program Partners"). The average cost per yard was roughly $2,100,
with $300 going toward materials and $1,800 toward labor. Project management and
indirect costs amounted to another $900 per yard. Because of these unexpected costs, the
project was forced to scale back its objectives, though it still managed to treat 42 yards over
the two-year period.
The EMPACT LSYP is currently investigating alternative models for organizing a lead-safe
yard program that could reduce current average costs, in particular costs for labor,
management, and overhead. For example, the EMPACT LSYP is investigating a model
based on the principles developed by Habitat for Humanity, in which the work involved in
achieving a lead-safe yard is carried out with the help of the homeowner by using volunteer
labor and donated materials. See Appendix B for more information on this and other
proposed models.
7.4 HOMEOWNER DESIGN SESSION
The EMPACT LSYP has found that it is critical to include the homeowner in designing landscape
treatments for his or her yard. Why? First, the homeowner is the person who can best verify that
the selected treatments provide enough actual protection from the lead-contaminated soil, based on
the way the yard is used. Second, the homeowner is there to ensure that the selected landscape treat-
ments meet his or her approval in terms of their esthetic value. A homeowner who is unhappy with
the appearance or layout of his or her yard is unlikely to commit the money and effort needed to
maintain the landscape treatments year after year.
Chapter 5 of this handbook described the necessity of creating a permission form to document the
homeowner's participation in your lead-safe yard program. That permission form should also spec-
ify the homeowner's role in choosing treatment options, should soil-lead levels on his or her
property turn out to be elevated. The homeowner design session is where these choices are made.
The EMPACT LSYP has tried using both the outreach worker and the landscape coordinator for
the design session. The landscape coordinator is the better option. However, the outreach worker
should facilitate a smooth transition for the homeowner from the outreach/sampling phase to the
design phase. For example, the outreach worker should convey names, numbers, and any linguis-
tic barriers to the landscape coordinator soon after the soil sampling is complete. The outreach
worker may also want to attend the initial meeting between the landscape coordinator and home-
owner to maintain a sense of familiarity, trust, and continuity for the homeowner. During the design
session, the landscape coordinator will do three things:
1) Communicate with the homeowner about the testing results. Using the color-coded map
developed during the data-collection phase, the landscape coordinator should describe the
testing results, the areas of concern, and the need for changes.
7 YARD TREATMENTS 93
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2) Ask follow-up questions about yard uses. During their initial meeting, the outreach
worker should have interviewed the homeowner about the activities that take place in the
yard and the ages and numbers of people who use the yard. Yard uses should have been
mapped on a plot plan using colored markers or crayons (see Section 5-3). During the
design session, the landscape coordinator should review the yard uses with the homeowner
and ask any follow-up questions.
3) Work with the homeowner to select appropriate treatments based on the lead levels, the
yard uses, and the homeowner's esthetic preferences. The selected treatments should be
mapped on the plot plan showing yard uses, and this treatment plan should be used by
the landscaper as a blueprint for work to be done. A sample treatment plan is shown on
page 103- See Section 7.1 above for guidance on matching treatments to hazards.
You may wish to develop a legally binding form that the homeowner can sign at the conclusion of
the design session, stating that he or she understands and approves of the final treatment plan. A
sample homeowner's approval form is included on page 104.
"7.5 CONTRACTING WITH A
Early in the development of your lead-safe yard program, you will want to identify a program part-
ner for the design and landscape components of your project (see Section 4.2, "Selecting Program
Partners"). This could be a non-profit landscaping company, a private landscaping company, or even
a team of youth volunteers who have been trained in landscaping techniques. Another option, cur-
rently being tested by the EMPACT LSYP, is to develop a pool of landscaping contractors trained
at designing and implementing landscape treatments that can reduce exposure to lead-contaminated
soil. Why create a contractor pool? By training and partnering with multiple contractors, you cre-
ate competition—a market—for the work you have to offer, and you also build "capacity" within
your community for this type of work. This is an important goal of your program:
to increase your community's base of knowledge about soil-lead hazards and strategies for
yard treatment.
No matter who you use for the design and landscape components of your project, you will need to
develop a contract for the work. If you have chosen to use only a single landscaper, this process will
be relatively straightforward: you will simply negotiate an agreement for the property or properties
requiring treatment, and then capture the agreement in the form of a contract. Guidance on devel-
oping a contract is provided below.
If you have succeeded in creating a contractor pool, you will need to develop a system for choosing
which contractor to use at a particular property. Here are two possible ways of doing this:
• Group the properties geographically, then assign several to each contractor. Under this
scenario, each contractor is given a budget for each property he or she is assigned, and is
asked to develop and implement a treatment plan within the budget. This method is
relatively noncompetitive, in that contractors are not asked to bid against one another.
However, over time, you can determine which contractors do the best and most cost-
effective work, and then increase their workload.
• Solicit bids for the property (or properties) requiring treatment. This works best if you (or
a professional landscape designer) have already developed a treatment plan for each property,
identifying which landscape measures will be used. Each contractor is then given a copy of
the treatment plan(s), along with detailed specifications for the work to be done, and is asked
94 *7 YARD TREATMENTS
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to submit a bid. The work goes to the lowest bidder. The disadvantage of this method is
that the landscape contractor is not included in the development of the treatment plan.
Whatever method you use, you should consider assigning or awarding several properties at a time
to each contractor, rather than one at a time. This allows contractors to benefit from the economies
of scale when buying materials and planning their work.
7.5.1 DEVELOPINB A CONTRACT
To simplify the contracting process, you should develop a standardized contract for use at every
property. This contract should define the scope of services the contractor will perform, the time-
frame for the work, the contractor's legal responsibilities, and the details of compensation. The
sample contract on pages 105 to 108 shows some of the details that should be incorporated into a
standardized contract, including:
• Warranty—Contractors should provide a warranty guaranteeing their work from defects in
workmanship and materials for a specified period. The EMPACT LSYP requires a one-year
warranty from its contractors.
• Draws—The term "draws" refers to the timing of compensation. Many contractors will
want one-third of their compensation up front, one-third at the halfway point, and the
final third upon completion of the project. You should attempt to negotiate a payment
schedule that is mutually acceptable, though you should keep in mind that draws are
typically market-driven.
• Insurance—Each contractor should be required to maintain general liability and workman's
compensation insurance to protect against claims due to bodily injury or property damage
and claims under state workman's compensation acts.
• Pollution insurance—Most general liability insurance policies do not cover injury or illness
caused by pollution (for example, illness caused by lead exposure). You should look into the
costs and the potential necessity of pollution insurance in your state and consider
encouraging contractors to purchase such insurance.
7.6 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Before any field work begins, your program should develop safety guidelines that protect your soil
sampling team and landscape workers from the risks associated with working with lead-contami-
nated soil. All field workers should be educated about lead hazards, health effects, safe work
practices, and any federal or state regulations that apply to their work.
OSHA regulation 1926.62, the "lead in construction standard," applies to all private sector work-
ers, no matter how few are employed. Although it does not apply to workers in the public sector,
it is nevertheless a useful reference on responsible practices. The regulation, available online at
http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_data/1926_0062.html, requires a written description of the work
to be done, an estimate of the anticipated exposure to lead, and a statement detailing the precau-
tions to be taken. If the anticipated exposure to lead reaches the "action level"—30 micrograms per
cubic centimeter of air, averaged over an 8-hour day—extensive guidelines come into play to pro-
tect workers.
Since the lead to which landscapers in the EMPACT LSYP are exposed falls below the action level,
compliance with the lead in construction standard has not been difficult. However, to be on the
*7YARD TREATMENTS 95
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safe side, the project has adopted an important con-
tract requirement that goes beyond what OSHA
stipulates for enterprises whose employees are
exposed to lead below the action level. This require-
ment is health and safety training for landscapers.
One of the main points conveyed in the training is
that lead enters the body chiefly through ingestion,
which happens as a result of routine hand-to-
mouth activities such as eating, drinking, and
smoking. An information sheet used in the training
is shown in the box, "Lead-Safe Yard Program
Health and Safety."
Even small amounts of lead on the hands can affect
blood lead levels. Also, lead on clothing is easily
transferred to the hands, and then from the hands
to the mouth. Another danger is that lead will be
brought into the home on landscapers' clothing,
especially their boots or shoes.
A key precaution is to avoid activities that generate
dust. When the ground must be disturbed, as is
often the case in landscaping, it should be damp-
ened to minimize the dust that may be generated.
Leather or comparable work gloves should be worn
to cut down on hand contamination, and land-
scapers should not eat, drink, or smoke in the work
area. After they leave, they should wash their face
and hands before doing any of these activities. They
should remove their boots or shoes at the door of
their home to keep from tracking in contaminated
soil, and they should wash their work clothing
separately from their other clothing.
Blood lead tests are advisable to make sure such measures are effective, and in fact are mandated by
OSHA for employees exposed to lead at or above the action level. Almost any doctor at almost any
clinic can perform this service, but an occupational health physician and an occupational health
clinic are recommended, primarily for skillful interpretation of test results.
Landscapers should have their lead levels taken before doing any work and then every two months
for the next six months. If levels are still less than 40 ug/dL, the time between tests can increase to
six months. If levels are between 40 and 50 ug/dL, testing should continue every two months. Levels
above 50 pg/dL should trigger monthly testing, and if they don't decrease, the landscaper should be
removed from the work area. However, this step may well be avoided. As soon as blood lead levels
rise, employers should try to find out why and remedy the situation. Often the cause is some break
in the accepted work practices, which can be handled by re-educating the employee.
The EMPACT LSYP has not seen any elevated blood lead levels among its team members as a result
of exposure to lead in soil during landscaping work.
LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
HEALTH AND SAFETY
I. Primary route of entry of lead into the body is ingestion:
A. Lead can enter the body through normal
hand-to-mouth activities.
B. Small amounts of lead left on hands or clothing
can impact blood lead levels.
C. Lead-contaminated soil can be transferred to the
interior
of dwelling (by pets, shoes, clothing).
II. Preventive measures:
A. Avoid dust-generating activities.
B. Dampen soil to minimize dust generation.
C. Keep children and pets away from area where
work is being done.
D. Wear leather or comparable work gloves to
minimize
hand contamination.
E. Do not smoke* or eat while in work area.
F. Wash face and hands before smoking* or eating.
G. Remove shoes/boots before entering a dwelling to
limit contaminated soil transfer.
H. Wash work clothing separately from other clothing.
* Do not smoke at all.
7 YARD TREATMENTS
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7.7 APPROVAL AND SIBNDFF
ON WORK COMPLETE
After all landscape work and construction is complete, both you and the homeowner should inspect
the property. You should look for the following things:
• That all landscape treatments have been successfully implemented as per the scope of
work agreed to during the design session.
• That, for each treatment measure, the landscaper has followed the detailed specifications
defining exactly how the work should be done and what materials should be used.
• That the property has been left in a clean state. The homeowner must approve any
material remaining on site after completion of the landscape work.
This process of approving the completed work can be as formal or informal as you want to make
it. During Phases 1 and 2, the EMPACT LSYP approved each yard treatment during an informal
visit between the outreach worker and the homeowner (the outreach worker also used these visits
to reinforce the lead hazard education delivered during previous visits). On the other hand, Lead
Safe Boston, a spinoff of the EMPACT LSYP run by the City of Boston, has developed a legally
binding project completion certificate (see page 109) to be signed by the homeowner and the land-
scape contractor after the property has been inspected and all work approved. The certificate also
serves as a lien waiver, in which both the homeowner and contractor discharge Lead Safe Boston
from any legal claims that may arise in connection with the work performed under the program.
Lead Safe Boston has also created an additional form (see page 110) for the contractor to sign upon
receipt of final payment. The form certifies that the contractor:
• Has paid all debts associated with the work done on the property.
• Discharges the program and the homeowner from any claims made by subcontractors,
material suppliers, or workers, in connection with the work performed under the program.
• Has completed all work on the property according to the terms of the contract.
• Warrants the completed work against workmanship and material defects for the period
stipulated in the contract.
• Has been paid in full for all work complete.
7.B HANDING OVER
THE CASE FILE
At the conclusion of the yard treatment process, after all land-
scape work has been inspected and approved, you should
present the homeowner with the case file that has been devel-
oped for his or her property. This file should be a binder
containing all information related to the property, including
copies of application and permission forms, testing results,
treatments plans, and approval forms. The binder should also
contain a copy of the maintenance manual that the landscape
coordinator develops for the property (see Chapter 8). Keep a
copy of each case file for your program's records.
A finished project.
VYARD TREATMENTS 97
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7.9 FDR INFORMATION
For information on U.S. EPA's proposed standards (TSCA 403) for lead-based paint hazards
(including lead-contaminated residential soils), visit the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
at http://www.epa.gov/lead/leadhaz.htrn.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Requirements for Notification, Evaluation
and Reduction of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Federally Owned Residential Property and Housing
Receiving Federal Assistance (24 CAR Part 35) can be found online at http://www.hud.gov/lca/.
For an information sheet on ACQ pressure-treated lumber, go to http://www.conradwp.com/acq.ritm.
Two excellent resources on lead in gardens are:
Lead in the Home Garden and Urban Soil Environment, by Carl J. Rosen and
Robert C. Munter, http://www.extension.umn.edu/di.stribiition/liorticulture/DC2543.html
Lead Contamination in the Garden, a fact sheet by Terry Logan,
http://oliioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1 l49.html
The RSMeans Company publishes two reference books that can help with the process of
estimating landscaping costs. The books, Means Site Work dr Landscape Cost Data 2000
(ISBN 0-87629-547-2) and Landscape Estimating, 3rd Edition by Sylvia H. Chattin
(ISBN 0-87629-534-0), can be ordered online at http://www.rsmeans.com.
Information on OSHA's "lead in construction standard" (OSHA Regulation 1926.62) can be found
online at http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_data/1926_0062.html.
9B *7 YARD TREATMENTS
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TREATMENTS
DRIP
SI JGGFSTFD PI ANTTNGS Raised perimeter box filled with gravel (no plantings). Install 2" x 6" ACQ
pressure-treated wood box 3' from foundation wall. All joints and corners shall
Azalea evergreen hybrid (2 gallon) be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2" square
Torch azalea (2 eallon) stake driven into the ground to a minimum depth of 12". All corners shall be
braced with triangular exterior grade plywood keystones mechanically fastened
Japanese boxwood (1 gallon) directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 3" of loam and
Common boxwood (2 gallon) 2" of 3A" crushed stone over filter fabric weed barrier.
American holly (2'-3') Raised perimeter box filled with mulch and plantings. Install 2" x 6" ACQ
„ , . /..nun/Hi pressure-treated wood box 3'from foundation wall. All joints and corners shall
Regal privet (18 -24 ) f . . „ r . . . „„ . . . . ' , , .„„
be mechanically tastened with 3 galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2 square
Columbine (1 gallon) stake driven into the ground to a minimum depth of 12". All corners shall be
Chrysanthemum (I gallon) braced with triangular exterior grade plywood keystones mechanically fastened
directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 4" of loam and
foxglove (1 gallon) 3" of pine bark mulch over filter fabric weed barrier. Install a minimum often
Day lily (1 gallon) perennials per the list of plantings or approved equal.
Black-eyed susan (1 gallon)
Hosta (1 gallon) Existing lawn improvement. Rake bare areas to loosen soil. Apply rye, fescue,
and bluegrass seed mix at the rate specified by manufacturer. Apply lA"o( top
soil over new seed and water thoroughly.
New lawn installation (at existing grade). Rototill existing lawn bed 6" deep. Apply water to contain dust
during rototilling. Apply rye, fescue, and blue grass seed mixture at the rate specified by manufacturer. Spread
V4" loam on top of seed. Water thoroughly.
New lawn installation (raised bed). Install 2" x 6" ACQ pressure-treated wood box at owner-approved
location. All joints and corners shall be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2"
square stake driven into the ground a minimum of 12". All corners shall be braced with triangular exterior
grade plywood keystones mechanically fastened directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws.
Install 6" of loam over filter fabric weed barrier. Apply rye, fescue, and blue grass seed mixture at the rate
specified by manufacturer. Spread 1A" loam on top of seed. Water thoroughly.
Raised mulch bed (with plantings). Install 2" x 6" ACQ pressure-treated wood box to completely cover bare soil
area. All joints and corners shall be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2" square
stake driven into the ground a minimum of 12". All corners shall be braced with triangular exterior grade
plywood keystones mechanically fastened directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 4"
of loam and 2" of pine bark mulch over filter fabric weed barrier. Install a minimum often perennials per the
list of plantings or approved equal. Provide recessed egress stepping-stones from bed to walkway.
PAHICINB
Gravel parking areas. Install 6" of compacted gravel/crushed stone base to all areas designated as parking areas.
Top of base shall be 2" to 3" below finish grade of surrounding area. Install a top layer of 1-1/2" to 2" of
processed gravel or crushed stone (3/8" or %" size) over gravel/crushed stone base. Final grade is to have a
minimum of 2% pitch across the surface to ensure that water will not puddle.
Asphalt parking areas. Level surface by preparing a 6" gravel base over a uniformly graded and compacted
subgrade. Form, spread, and roll 2" of bituminous base coat and 1" topcoat to create a driveway 10' wide. Final
grade is to have a minimum of 2% pitch across the surface to ensure that water will not puddle.
"7YARD TREATMENTS 99
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WALKWAYS
Stone path. Install round or square red patio stepping stones at all egresses from front to rear yard. All stones
shall protrude no more than VV above the existing or new grade.
CHILDREN'S PLAY
Raised play area. Install 2" x 6" ACQ pressure-treated wood box. All joints and corners shall be mechanically
fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2" square stake driven into the ground a minimum of 12".
All corners shall be braced with triangular exterior grade plywood keystones mechanically fastened directly to
the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 4" of loam and 2" of pine bark mulch or woodchips
over filter fabric weed barrier.
Wood platform. Install a 10' x 12' ACQ wood platform built from 2" x 6" stock, 16" on center with 5/4" x
6" radius edge decking. All decking and joints to be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized screws. Platform
shall be installed with a V4 " pitch to drain rainwater off of surface.
Raised vegetable garden bed. Install 2" x 8" ACQ pressure-treated wood box at owner approved location. All
joints and corners shall be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2" square stake
driven into the ground a minimum of 12". All corners shall be braced with triangular exterior grade plywood
keystones mechanically fastened directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 6" of loam
over filter fabric weed barrier.
PET
Raised pet area filled with mulch or woodchips. Install 2" x 6" ACQ pressure-treated wood box to
completely cover bare soil area. All joints and corners shall be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood
screws to a 1-1/2" square stake driven into the ground a minimum of 12". All corners shall be braced with
triangular exterior grade plywood keystones mechanically fastened directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized
wood screws. Install 4" of loam and 2" of pine bark mulch or woodchips over filter fabric weed barrier.
PORCHES
Bare soil under porches (lattice and trim). All exposed soil under porches is to be barricaded by ACQ wood
framing, lattice, and pine trim. Prep, prime, and paint pine trim or apply two coats of wood sealant. Install
framed access door of like material. Include galvanized metal hasp and hinges.
Bare soil under porches (mulch bed). Install 2" x 6" ACQ pressure-treated wood box along footprint of
porch. All joints and corners shall be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2" square
stake driven into the ground a minimum of 12". All corners shall be braced with triangular exterior grade
plywood keystones mechanically fastened directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 2"
of loam and 3" of pine bark mulch over filter fabric weed barrier.
Bare soil under porches (gravel bed). Install 2" x 6" ACQ pressure-treated wood box along footprint of porch.
All joints and corners shall be mechanically fastened with 3" galvanized wood screws to a 1-1/2" square stake
driven into the ground a minimum of 12". All corners shall be braced with triangular exterior grade plywood
keystones mechanically fastened directly to the wood box with 3" galvanized wood screws. Install 3" of loam
and 2" of 3/4" crushed stone over filter fabric weed barrier.
1 DO "7 YARD TREATMENTS
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House perimeter (drip zone)
Each house receives approximately 150 l.f. of perimeter raised boxes installed 3' from
foundation wall where feasible. (Exceptions to perimeter boxes are existing asphalt/concrete
paving, bulkhead, under rear porches, etc.)- fill perimeter boxes with homeowner's choice of:
Option #1: 6" of pine bark mulch, filter fabric, and ten 1-gallon plantings (i.e., common
boxwoods, azaleas, holly, or equal). Plantings to include compost/top soil/manure.
Or Option #2: 4" of gravel, filter fabric (no plantings).
soil porch (all to receive
Option #1: Barricade exposed soil by wood framing and lattice secured to porch
framing/supports. Install access door of like material with hasp.
Or Option #2: Area under porch to received raised perimeter boxes, filter fabric,
and installation of 6" of pine bark mulch or 4" of gravel.
yard (homeowner to choose one option)
Option #1: Each house shall receive a 10' x 12' wood platform built from 2" x 6" ACQ stock,
16" o.c. with 5/4" x 6" radius edge decking.
Each house shall also receive approximately 10' x 12' area of lawn. Treatment to include
rototilling soil 6" deep, installing filter fabric, adding 6" of conditioned top soil to be spread
by hand, perimeter edging to be constructed of 2" x 6" ACQ stock, and a 6# shade mix to be
installed by push spreader.
Or Option #2: Each house shall receive a 10' x 12' wood platform built from 2" x 6" ACQ
stock, 16" o.c. with 5/4" x 6" radius edge decking.
Each house shall also receive approximately 10' x 12' garden area. Treatment to include
rototilling soil 6" deep, installing filter fabric, adding 6" of conditioned top soil to be spread
by hand, perimeter edging to be constructed of 2" x 6" ACQ stock.
Or Option #3: Each house shall receive approximately 20' x 24' area of woodchips. Treatment
to include installation of filter fabric, adding 2" of topsoil spread by hand and covered with 6"
of woodchips, and installation of perimeter edging to be constructed of 2" x 8" ACQ stock.
Each house shall also receive misc. treatments to adjoin mulched area to egresses. Misc.
treatments to include up to 30 additional 12" x 12" red patio stepping stones, misc.
plantings, additional mulching, etc.
Walkways
Each house shall receive up to 30 red patio stepping stones, 12" x 12", to be used at major egresses.
SUBTOTAL (house perimeter, rear porch, back yard, and walkways)
Allowance
$1060.00
$1060.00
$350.00
$ 350.00
$780.00
$250.00
$780.00
$250.00
$905.00
$125.00
$60.00
$2500.00
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ALLOWANCE (general requirements; landscape
design and site development; construction oversight; homeowner education and maintenance $500.00
manual development)
TOTAL (APPROXIMATE) COST PER LOT $3000.00
7YARD TREATMENTS ID!
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SAMPLE COST ESTIMATE SHEET
Property address:.
House perimeter (homeowner to choose one option)
Option #1 l.f.
Perimeter box with pine bark mulch, filter fabric, and plantings. $.
Or Option #2 l.f.
Perimeter box with gravel, filter fabric; no plantings. $.
Bare soil area under rear porch area (all areas matching this criteria to receive treatment)
Option #1
Wood framing, lattice, access door, stepping stones. $
Or Option #2
Raised perimeter boxes, filter fabric, and mulch or gravel. $
Back yard (homeowner to choose one option)
Option #1
Installed 10' x 12' x 6" ACQwood platform. $
New 10' x 12' area of lawn with ACQ perimeter edging. $
Or Option #2
Installed 10' x 12' x 6" ACQwood platform. $
New 10' x 12' x 6" garden area framed with ACQwood. $
Or Option #3
New 20' x 24' x 8" area of woodchips framed with ACQwood. $
Stepping stones, misc. plantings, additional mulching, etc. $
Walkways
Egress stepping stones. $
Misc. treatments:
Existing lawn improvement. $
Additional edging, material, plantings, etc. $
Total (Approximate) Cost
Cost Estimate Submitted by:.
Date:.
Company name:.
1 DZ 7 YARD TREATMENTS
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10 HOME STREET
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TREATMENTS 1 D3
-------
SAMPLE FORM:
HOMEOWNER'S APPROVAL OF TREATMENT PLAN
Date:
Property Owner: .
Property Address:
I/We have reviewed the construction documents (specifications, plans, drawings, etc.) for
the proposed treatment of the soil around my/our property and attest that they are complete,
accurate and conform to my/our wishes.
I/We authorize the program to proceed with my/our application using said construction
documents fully aware that said documents may change. I/We understand that any changes
to the documents will be reviewed by me/us and I/We shall approve such changes prior to
commencement of the work by the landscaper. I/We also understand that [the lead-safe yard
program coordinator] must approve all changes to the proposed scope of work before
work begins.
Date of Specifications/Plans:
Date Landscaper can begin scope of work:
Number of days required to complete scope of work:
Calendar Days
Owner # 1
Date
Landscaper
Date
Owner #2
Date
Program Coordinator
Date
1 D4 7 YARD TREATMENTS
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CONSULTANT CONTRACT
THIS CONSULTANT CONTRACT (the "Contract") is made as of this day of 200_ between
(Organization Name), with its principal office located at (Organization Street Address, City, State, Zip, hereinafter called
"(Organization acronym)", and (Contractor Name), the principal place of business of which is located at (Contractor Street
Address, City, State, Zip).
WHEREAS, the (Organization acronym) desires to engage the Consultant as an independent contractor, and the Consultant
desires to accept such engagement on the terms and conditions set forth hereinafter;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements herein contained, the (Organization acronym) and
the Consultant agree with each other as follows:
1. Scope of Services.
• Obtain completed Homeowner Yard Use Interview and plot plan, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency,
from (the organization acronym).
• Design and landscape (number of) properties recruited and enrolled from (Target Area). All landscaping designs shall
include but not be limited to the attached Attachment A Lead Safe Boston/National Center for Lead Safe Housing
Standard Plan for Low Level Lead Soil Treatment dated December 29, 1999.
• Meet with homeowner within ten business days after receipt of testing results and homeowner use questionnaire from
(Organization acronym/name) to complete Landscape!' Information Sheet and to discuss current and future use of yard.
• Generate landscape design within five business days from the date of meeting with the homeowner. Obtain
(Organization acronym/name) approval of design; obtain homeowner approval of same. Provide (Organization
acronym/name) with four copies.
• Generate property specific cost proposals and submit to (Organization acronym/name) for approval.
• Secure planting stock and materials required for specific project(s).
• Pay for and post all necessary fees/permits.
• Install landscapes as per owner and (Organization acronym) approved designs within thirty days from the date of
landscape plan approval.
• Generate homeowner maintenance manual specific to each property. Provide (Organization name) with three copies
and homeowner with one copy.
• Conduct 30-minute educational session with homeowner to review homeowner maintenance procedures and manual.
• Obtain homeowner and (Organization acronym) final approval of landscape work.
• Leave property in a clean state. Owner must approve any material remaining on site after completion of landscape
installation.
• Provide a 1-year workmanship and materials warranty from date of final homeowner approval. This warranty is limited
to defects in workmanship and materials attributable to the consultant only and does not cover losses caused by: acts of
God, third parties or failure of the homeowner to comply with the maintenance procedures and manual.
• Coordinate with Lead Safe Boston representatives and/or other applicable agencies in the execution of this contract.
• Complete all work as per local, state and federal rules and regulations.
"7YARD TREATMENTS 1 D5
-------
1. Compensation. The (Organization acronym/name) shall reimburse Consultant on a semimonthly basis for (Contractor name) serv-
ices on receipt of itemized invoices as follows:
• $(Negotiated amount)/ea. On completion of initial visit with homeowner to discuss landscape design
• $(Negotiated amount)/ea. On completion and approval of landscape design and maintenance manual.
• Half of property specific cost proposal (less design fee) on commencement of landscape installation.
• Balance on completion and approval of installation and 30-minute educational session with homeowner to review homeowner
maintenance procedures and manual.
• No one property shall exceed $3,000 including general conditions, design work and maintenance manual without prior
approval from (Organization acronym/name).
• Invoices shall reflect actual costs per property and are to be submitted semimonthly to (Organization acronym/name) for
processing and payment.
2. Term. The term of this Contract shall be from (Start Date) to (End Date). Either party on 30 days notice may terminate this con-
tract. In the event of premature termination by the (Organization acronym/name), the Consultant shall be paid for all work
completed prior to the termination as well as the reasonable value of all work partially completed and all materials obtained and
stored on-site.
3. Benefits. The (Organization acronym/name) is not responsible for any insurance or other fringe benefits, including, but not limited
to social security, worker's compensation, income tax withholdings, retirement or leave benefits, for Consultant or employees of
Consultant. The Consultant assumes full responsibility for the provisions of all such insurances and fringe benefits for himself or
herself and all Consultant's employees.
4. General Liability and Workman's Compensation. The contractor shall purchase and maintain such insurance as will protect
him/her from claims under the Workman's Compensation Acts (chapter 152 of the Massachusetts General Laws) and from claims for
damages because of bodily injury, including death and all property damage including, without limitation to, damage to the buildings
and adjoining the site of construction which might arise from and during operations under any Contract, whether such operations be
by himself/herself or by any subcontractor or anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them. The Contractor shall, with-
out limiting the generality of the foregoing, conform to the provisions of the Section A of Chapter 149 of the Massachusetts General
Laws, which Section is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
General Liability Insurance Minimum bodily injury limits of $100,000 per person and
$300,000 per accident, and $300,000 aggregate during any twelve-month period, shall
include the following:
a. Public Liability (bodily injury and properly damage)
b. Independent Contractor's Protective Liability
c. All Risk Insurance - covering all contractor equipment with provisions of waiver of Subrogation against the Owner
d. Comprehensive All Risk Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance—minimum bodily injury limits of $100,000 per person,
per accident, and property damage limit of $300,000 per accident
5. Arbitration. Any controversy or claim arising out of, or relating to, this Contract or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitra-
tion in accordance with the rules then obtaining of the American Arbitration Association. Judgement upon the award rendered may
be entered in any Court having jurisdiction thereof. Any award rendered hereunder shall be final and binding on all parties thereto.
6. Construction. This Contract shall be construed, interpreted and applied under and in accordance with the laws of Massachusetts.
7. Parties Bound. The terms and provisions of this Contract shall be binding upon the parties hereto, their legal representatives, suc-
cessors and assigns.
IDS *7 YARD TREATMENTS
-------
8. Federal Requirements. The Consultant's services may be reimbursed in part from funds under a contract funded directory or
indirectly by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Consultant is bound by the provisions of that contract.
9. Entire Agreement. This instrument contains the entire agreement between the parties. No statement, promises or inducements
made by any party hereto, or agent of either party hereto, which is not contained in this written contract, shall be valid or binding;
and this contract may not be enlarged, modified or altered except in writing and signed by the parties.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused to be properly executed on their respective behalf, this Consultant Contract,
effective for all intents and purposes as of
(Month, Day, Year).
(Organization Name)
Title:
(Contractor's Name)
By:
Title:
7 YARD TREATMENTS 1 D7
-------
ATTACHMENT A—Narrative
Lead Safe Boston/National Center for Lead-Safe Housing
Standard Plan for Low Level Lead Soil Treatment
December 29, 1999
Goals of the Low Level Soil Treatments
The goal of this project will be to improve the lead safety in homes by the reduction of exposure to high levels of lead in soil. All
work will be based on soil assessments conducted by EPA. EPA will conduct all soil testing and provide to the vendor/contractor a
plot plan indicating areas of concern.
Abatement strategies shall be designed to change the use of the yards while providing a lead safe area for children and families to
enjoy.
Outreach and Enrollment
The outreach and enrollment component of the project will be undertaken by a contractor already in use by The National Center
(Silver Linings). Outreach will focus on a pool of properties deleaded under Lead Safe Boston's Round 1 Evaluation project. These
properties will be targeted primarily because of the extensive data collected to date.
Typical Yard
When the deleading of a home was complete, the single soil treatment conducted by Lead Safe Boston deleading contractors
included a final cleanup of the soil by hand raking after abatement of the structure as per the Massachusetts Lead Law. The proper-
ties averaged 4000 s.f. and the footprint of the home averaged 1000 s.f. In addition, the yards are mostly flat, compacted soil with
evidence of tree roots and shade. Most properties do not have driveways.
General Requirements
The General Requirements are to include but are not limited to: permits/fees, a 1 year workmanship and material warranty period,
general liability and worker's compensation requirements (see attached).
Landscaping and Site Development
Landscaping and Site Development is to include generation of the initial Landscape design based on use and the plot plan provided
by EPA. Also to be included is the generation of the maintenance manual for the homeowner education component.
Construction Oversight
The construction oversight allowance is to include construction monitoring, final inspection/sign off and homeowner final approval.
The date of final homeowner approval will be the starting date of the 1 year warranty period.
Homeowner Education
The homeowner education allowance is to include two on-site meetings: initial meeting to obtain homeowner approval and a final
meeting to review all site specific maintenance manuals and work completed by the vendor/contractor.
Design
The Consultant shall use this document as a guideline for all landscape design decisions.
IDS *7 YARD TREATMENTS
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SAMPLE PRO'fECT
COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
Date: Building ID:.
Property Owner:
Property Address:
I/We have inspected my/our property and found that the work conducted to make our yard lead safe has
been successfully completed according to the scope of work I/we approved dated
I/We have met with [Contractor name] and attended a 30-minute educational session to review the Lead
Safe Yard Maintenance Procedure Manual. [Contractor Name] has provided me/us with a copy of this
manual for my use.
In accordance with the scope of work and in connection with the final payment made to the contractor, I
hereby agree to discharge, and hold [Your Program] harmless from any and all claims which arise against
the Owner and/or his/her property, in connection with the work performed under this Program.
Homeowner Name Date Homeowner Name Date
Inspection has been made of the yard made lead safe through the [Your Program]. I have examined the work
and found all the work to be completed in a satisfactory manner and in accordance with the scope of work
dated
Program Representative Date
In accordance with the contract dated and in connection of the final payment made there-
under, I hereby agree to discharge, and hold the Owner and [Your Program] harmless from, any and all claims
(including all liens resulting therefrom) which arise against the Owner of his/her property the contractor as its
assignee now has or ever had by virtue or, or in connection with the work performed under, said Agreement.
That also in consideration of said final payment I hereby agree to discharge, and hold the Owner harmless
from, any and all claims (including all liens resulting therefrom) which may be brought within forty (40) days
of the date hereof by all sub-contractors, all suppliers of materials and equipment, and performers of work,
labor or services arising by virtue of, or in connection with the work performed under, said Agreement.
That I warrant same for one (1) year from the date hereof, against workmanship and materials defects. One-
year warranty does not cover losses caused by: acts of God, third parties or failure of the homeowner to comply
with the maintenance procedures and manual.
Contractor Name Date
"7 YARD TREATMENTS 1 D9
-------
SAMPLE FORM:
CONTRACTOR'S AFFIDAVIT OF PAYMENT OF DEBTS, RELEASE OF CLAIMS,
WARRANTY OF WORKMANSHIP AND RECEIPT OF PAYMENT
Property Address:.
Pursuant to the Agreement between [Contractor Name] and [Your Program], dated / /, for
the scope of work conducted at the above listed property, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the
contractor, hereby certified and agrees as follows:
1) That he/she has paid in full, or has otherwise satisfied obligations for all materials and
equipment provided, and for all work, labor, and services performed and for all known claims
for all damages arising by virtue of, or in connection with the work performed under, said
Agreement for which the owner of his/her property might in any way be held responsible.
2) That in accordance with said Agreement and in connection of the final payment made
thereunder he/she hereby releases the Owner and [Your Program] of any lien, or claim or right
to lien on said property resulting therefrom, which against the owner of his property the
contractor or its assignee now has or ever had by virtue of, or in connection with the work
performed under, said Agreement.
3) That also in consideration of said final payment he/she hereby agrees to discharge, and hold
the Owner and [Your Program] harmless from, any and all claims (including all liens resulting
therefrom) which may be brought within forty (40) days from the date hereof by all
subcontractors, all suppliers of materials and equipment, and all performers of work, labor, or
services arising by virtue of, or in connection with the work performed under, said Agreement.
4) That all work in connection with said Agreement has been performed in accordance with terms
thereof.
5) That he warrants same for one (1) year from the date hereof, against workmanship and materials
defects. The one-year warranty does not cover losses caused by: acts of God, third parties, or
failure of the homeowner to comply with the maintenance procedures and manual.
6) That he/she has received from [Your Program] all sums of money payable to the contractor
under said Agreement and any modifications or changes thereof.
By:
Contractor Name Date
1 1 D *7 YARD TREATMENTS
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B
YARD MAINTENANCE
Since the start of the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project in 1998, the project's leaders have gained a
heightened appreciation of the importance of yard maintenance to the project's overall success. It
is safe to say that good maintenance is as critical as gathering accurate soil samples or selecting
appropriate treatment measures.
This chapter explains the importance of yard maintenance (Section 8.1) and provides guidance on
making maintenance an integral part of your lead-safe yard program. Section 8.2 presents specific
maintenance guidelines for the landscape treatments found in Chapter 7. Section 8.3 describes the
development of a property-specific maintenance manual and presents a sample manual used by the
EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project. Section 8.4 provides tips on homeowner education, while
Section 8.5 suggests creative ways of encouraging ongoing maintenance.
All of these sections will be useful to someone responsible for implementing a lead-safe yard pro-
gram. Homeowners interested in applying landscape treatments to their own yards can focus on
Sections 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3.
B.l THE IMPORTANCE OF YARD MAINTENANCE
Why is yard maintenance such an important part of a successful lead-safe yard program? The
answer is quite simple. All of the landscape measures used by the EMPACT LSYP are interim con-
trols: that is, they are designed to protect children and other people from existing soil-lead hazards
without permanently abating the hazards. These landscaping measures provide protection only so
long as they are kept in good repair. Evergreen shrubs, for example, will discourage children from
playing in the drip zone only if the shrubs are kept alive. Grass serves as a protective barrier only if
it is healthy and well maintained. Likewise, a mulch-filled pet area must be raked regularly to main-
tain a 6-inch mulch barrier and keep pets from contacting lead-contaminated soil.
The good news is that all of these landscape measures can provide effective, continuing protection
if well maintained. And most maintenance tasks are relatively simple—as easy as tightening a screw,
watering a lawn, or raking a gravel drive.
O.Z MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
EMPACT TREATMENT
The table on pages 114 to 116 summarizes all maintenance tasks required for the landscape treat-
ments described in Section 7-2 of this handbook. The table includes information on the optimum
frequency of maintenance and the tools needed for each task.
B.3 DEVELOPING A PROPERTT-
SPECIFIC MAINTENANCE MANUAL
For each completed yard treatment, the landscape coordinator should prepare a property-specific
maintenance manual that can be provided to the homeowner as part of the case file for his or her
property (see Section 7-8). This maintenance manual should tell the homeowner what maintenance
tasks need to be performed, when it is best to do them, and what tools (if any) are required for
each job.
B YARD MAINTENANCE 111
-------
The maintenance manual used by the EMPACT LSYP during its Phase 1 and 2 treatments is
shown on pages 117 through 122. The manual has several features that make it effective and easy
to use:
• It is easily customized for each yard treated. The landscape coordinator simply places
a checkmark next to each treatment measure used in that particular yard.
• It is easy to read. The homeowner simply looks for the checkmarks identifying the
treatments used, then follows the maintenance guidelines provided.
• It is keyed to correspond with the treatment plan developed during the design session.
The letters identifying particular treatment measures match up with those shown on
the site worksheet (see page 79 in Chapter 7).
• It includes a list of materials used for yard maintenance, their typical costs, and places
they can be obtained (including sources of free materials).
EDUCATINB
ABOUT YARD MAINTENANCE
At the conclusion of each yard treatment, the landscape coordinator should meet with the home-
owner to review all landscape work that has been completed in the yard, pass on the
property-specific maintenance manual, and explain the information it contains.
This meeting provides a perfect opportunity to educate the homeowner about the importance of
yard maintenance and to re-emphasize some of the key lessons of your program. The EMPACT
LSYP has found that homeowners often don't retain the information on soil-lead hazards that was
presented to them by the outreach coordinator (see Lessons Learned below). For this reason, the
landscape coordinator should use this opportunity to review the following:
• The results of the soil-lead sampling and the areas of concern.
• Why lead-contaminated soil is harmful to children and other people.
• The landscape treatments that were employed and how they protect
against harmful exposures.
• The homeowner's responsibility in maintaining the landscape installations.
Throughout the meeting, the landscape coordinator should emphasize that the landscape treat-
ments will only be effective if well maintained. He or she should also emphasize that all involved
maintenance is easy and inexpensive to perform.
ENCQURAQINQ
ONBOINB MAINTENANCE
Once you have finished treating a yard, met with the homeowner one last time, thanked him or
her for participating, and said goodbye, the success of that yard treatment is almost entirely in the
homeowner's hands. If he or she completes all maintenance tasks as outlined in the maintenance
manual, the treatments that have been installed can provide ongoing protection for many years. On
the other hand, if the homeowner neglects all maintenance, the benefits of the yard treatment will
be limited.
112 8 YARD MAINTENANCE
-------
LESSONS LEARNED: RE-EDUCATING HOMEOWNERS
ABOUT SOIL-LEAD HAZARDS
During Phases 1 and 2 of the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project, the project team made
focused efforts to educate homeowners about the need for maintaining the landscape
treatments that "were installed in their yards. These efforts included the creation of a
homeowner packet for each completed property; the packet contained a record of the
soil-lead sampling results, a color-coded plot plan showing treatments used, and a
property-specific maintenance manual identifying maintenance tasks needed for that yard.
In the spring of 2000, less than two years after the first Phase 1 treatments were
completed, members of the EMPACT team revisited several of the Phase 1 and 2
properties to evaluate the level of maintenance that had taken place. The results were
disappointing. Their observations indicated that, at some properties, little or no
maintenance had occurred. Many of the landscape installations (especially those requiring
frequent attention from the homeowner, such as grassed areas and plantings) had degraded
to the point where they no longer appeared to provide effective protection. Some
homeowners were unable to locate their maintenance manuals when asked.
In assessing the reasons for these disappointing results, the project team found that many
of the homeowners perceived the LSYP as a "yard beautification" project rather than as a
risk-prevention program designed to protect children from dangerous lead exposures.
Though each homeowner had been given extensive information about soil-lead hazards and
how landscape measures could help protect their family's health, the homeowners had not
always retained this message. The project team concluded that they needed to find new
strategies for emphasizing the lead hazard message during Phase 3 of the project, and for
creating repeated opportunities for homeowner re-education.
The strategies devised by the project team included sending out
reminders about the need for yard maintenance, holding
community-wide lead-safe yard maintenance days, and offering
annual educational events about soil-lead hazards. These
strategies are presented in Section 8.5. Additional strategies are
described in Section 5.2, "Educating People About Lead and
Lead in Soil."
Here are three strategies for encouraging ongoing maintenance
over time:
Send out reminders. Try developing a standard maintenance
reminder that can be sent out annually to all homeowners
who have participated in your program.
Organize a presentation on lead poisoning and soil-lead
hazards to encourage ongoing yard maintenance within
the community.
• Hold community maintenance days. Once or twice a year (perhaps in spring and/or fall),
organize a community-wide "Lead-Safe Yard Maintenance Day." Such an event could be
combined with community clean-up days.
• Offer annual educational events within your community about soil-lead hazards. For
example, you might want to organize a presentation on lead poisoning and soil-lead
hazards at a local community center or community college.
Above all, remember to be creative in communicating your message about soil-lead hazards, and
repeat it at every opportunity.
3 YARD MAINTENANCE 113
-------
Yard Area
Drip zone
Grassed
areas
Treatment
Measure
Raised perimeter
box filled with
mulch and
plantings
Raised perimeter
box filled with
gravel
Existing lawn
improvement
OR
New lawn
installation
(at existing grade)
New lawn
installation
(raised bed)
Raised mulch bed
(with plantings)
Maintenance Tasks
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look tor and remove splinters
Remove weeds and debris
Replenish mulch to 6" depth
Water plantings
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Remove weeds and debris
Apply grass fertilizer
Water lawn
Reseed bare spots
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Apply grass fertilizer
Water lawn
Reseed bare spots
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Remove weeds and debris
Replenish mulch to 6" depth
Water plantings
Frequency
Annually
Annually
Three times a year
Every two years
Regularly
Annually
Annually
Annually
Twice a year
(spring and fall)
Regularly
Annually (spring or
early fall)
Annually
Annually
Twice a year
(spring and fall)
Regularly
Annually (spring or
early fall)
Annually
Annually
Three times a year
Every two years
Regularly
Tools Needed
Screwdriver,
hammer
None
None
Mulch fork or rake,
shovel, wheelbarrow
Sprinkler, garden hose
Screwdriver,
hammer
None
None
None
Sprinkler, garden hose
Rake, seed mixture
Screwdriver,
hammer
None
None
Sprinkler, garden hose
Rake, seed mixture
Screwdriver,
hammer
None
None
Mulch fork or rake,
shovel, wheelbarrow
Sprinkler, garden, hose
114 8 YARD MAINTENANCE
-------
EMPACT
Yard Area
Parking
areas
Recreation
and
children's
play areas
Pet. areas
Bare soil
under
porches
Treatment
Measure
Gravel parking
area
Asphalt parking
area
Wood platform
Raised bed filled
with mulch or
woodchips
Raised pet area
filled with mulch
or woodchips
Install lattice and
trim
Maintenance Tasks
Remove weeds and debris
Rake to maintain evenly spread
top layer of 1 Vi " to 2"
No maintenance needed
Check that all screws and other
connections are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Sweep to maintain cleanliness
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Remove weeds and debris
Replenish mulch to 6" depth
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Remove weeds and debris
Rake to maintain 6" depth
Replenish mulch or woodchips to
6" depth
Check that all screws, nails, and
other connections on installation
are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Scrape, sand, and paint or apply
additional coats of sealant
Frequency
Twice a year
(spring and fall)
As needed
None
Annually
Annually
As needed
Annually
Annually
Three times a year
Every two years
Annually
Annually
Twice a year
As needed
Every two years
Annually
Annually
Annually
Tools Needed
None
Rake
None
Screwdriver, hammer
None
Broom
Screwdriver, hammer
None
None
Mulch fork or rake,
shovel, wheelbarrow
Screwdriver, hammer
None
None
Rake
Mulch fork or rake,
shovel, wheelbarrow
Screwdriver, hammer
None
Scraper, sandpaper,
paintbrush, paint or
sealant
Q YARD MAINTENANCE 115
-------
EMPADT TREATMENTS
Yard Area
Bare soil
under
porches
Garden
areas
Walkways
Treatment
Measure
Raised bed filled
with mulch or
gravel along
footprint of porch
Raised vegetable
garden bed
Stone path
Maintenance Tasks
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Remove weeds and debris
Rake to maintain evenly spread
top layer
For mulch beds, replenish mulch
to 6" depth
Check that all screws and other
connections on box are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Add additional loam
(or compost)
Sweep to maintain cleanliness
Frequency
Annually
Annually
Annually
As needed
Every two years
Annually
Annually
Annually
As needed
Tools Needed
Screwdriver,
hammer
None
None
Rake
Mulch fork or rake,
shovel, wheelbarrow
Screwdriver,
hammer
None
Shovel, wheelbarrow
Broom
116 O YARD MAINTENANCE
-------
LEAD-
-------
LOOK FOR THE
Ef
THAT SHOWS THE TREATMENTS
USED IN YOUR YARD AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES
A. Pressure Treated Wood Drioline Boxes
MAINTENANCE
Once a year:
Check to make sure that all screws
and other connections are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Tools Needed:
Screwdriver and/or hammer
Dripline Boxes are Lined with Perforated Plastic or Landscape Film
Then Filled with One of the Following:
./ Mulch
" MAINTENANCE
Three times a year:
Remove weeds and debris
spring and summer
Tools Needed:
None
Every two years:
Replenish mulch to 6" depth
Tools Needed:
Mulch fork or rake
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
1
./ gravel
MAINTENANCE
Once a year:
Remove weeds and debris
Tools Needed:
None
U Mulch Over Gravel
MAINTENANCE
Three times a year:
Remove weeds and debris
spring and summer
Tools Needed:
None
Every two years;
Replenish mulch to 2" depth
Tools Needed:
Mulch fork or rake
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
1 1 S O YARD MAINTENANCE
-------
7
B. Pressure Treated Wood Raised Picnic/Play Areas
MAINTENANCE
Once a year:
Check to make sure that all screws
and other connections are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Tools Needed:
Screwdriver and/or hammer
Pressure Treated Wood Raised Play or Picnic Areas are Lined
with Perforated Plastic or Landscape Fabric and then
Filled with One of the Following:
J
Woodchips
MAINTENANCE
Three times a year:
Remove weeds and debris
spring and summer
Tools Needed:
None
Every two years:
Replenish wood chips to 6" depth
Tools Needed:
Mulch fork or rake
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
I I Gravel
*" MAINTENAN
INTENANCE
Once a year:
Remove weeds and debris
Tools Needed:
None
Mulch
MAINTENANCE
Three times a year:
Remove weeds and debris
spring and summer
Tools Needed:
None
Every two years:
Replenish mulch to 6" depth
Tools Needed:
Mulch fork or rake
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
See Resource List for Sources of Free Materials
YARD MAINTENANCE 119
-------
C. Pressure Treated Wood Raised garden Plots
MAINTENANCE
Once a year:
Check to make sure that all screws
and other connections are secure
Look for and remove splinters
Tools Needed:
Screwdriver and/or hammer
Pressure Treated Wood Raised Garden Plots are Lined with Landscape
Film and then filled with Loam and Compost:
MAINTENANCE
Once a year:
Add additional Compost
Early spring
Tools Needed:
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
1 2D O YARD MAINTENANCE
-------
D. Covered Surface Areas for People, Cars and Pets
/[Stepping Stone Paths
Y [ *WINTm4NCE
Sweep as needed
Tools Needed:
Broom
Grassed Areas
(Recommended for sunny spaces)
Twice a year: .
Apply grass fertilizer
spring and fail
Tools Needed:
None
Water regularly especially
during hot, dry weather
Tools Needed:
Sprinkler
Garden hose
Every Year:
Reseed bare spots
spring or early fall
Tools Needed:
Rake
gravel Driveways and Paths
(travel spread to 2"depth)
MAINTB^NOE
Twice a year:
Remove weeds and debris
spring and fall
Tools Needed:
None
Rake as needed to
maintain 2" depth
Tools Needed:
Rake
Areas For Pets
(Woodchips spread to 6" depth)
MAINTENANCE
Twice a year:
Remove weeds and debris
spring and summer
Tools Needed:
None
Rake as needed to-
maintain 6" depth
Tools Needed:
Rake
Every two years: ^
Replenish woodchips to
maintain 6" depth
Tools Needed:
Mulch fork or rake
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
See Resource List for Sources of Free Materials
YARD MAINTENANCE 121
-------
RESOURCES AND TYPICAL COSTS
Prepared for Dorchester Lead Safe Yards Program 1999
MATERIAL
Gravel
Mulch
Woodchips
Pressure Treated
Lumber (2"x 6")
Grass Seed
Grass Fertilizer
Plastic in Rolls
Landscape Fabric
Compost
Stepping Stones
SOURCE
Building Supply
Garden Center
Garden Center
Tree Service or
Recycling Center or
Parks Department
Lumber Yard
Garden Center
Garden Center
Hardware Store
Garden Center
Garden Center or
Recycling Center or
Parks Department
Building Supply or
Garden Center
TYPICAL COST
$20.00 per cubic yard
plus delivery
$25.00 per cubic yard
$6.00 per 3 cubic foot
bag
plus delivery
FREE
FREE
FREE
$.75 per linear foot
plus delivery
$10.00 per 3 Ib. bag
(covers 1700 sq. ft.)
$10.00 per bag
(covers 5000 sq. ft.)
$3.00 per 3'x50f roll
$15.00 per 3x50' roll
$5.00 per 50 Ib. bag
FREE
FREE
$2.00 per 12" pre-cast
square or round stone
1 ZZ O YARD MAINTENANCE
-------
EVALUATING YOUR
LEAD-SAFE YARD
This chapter provides guidance on evaluating the effectiveness of your lead-safe yard program.
Section 9-1 suggests questions that you may want to focus on during your evaluation. Section 9-2
discusses the need for documenting your program's work at key evaluation points.
The information in this chapter is designed primarily for managers and organizers who are respon-
sible for running lead-safe yard programs.
9.1 FDCUSINB YOUR EVALUATION
How effectively does your program reduce young children's exposure to lead? To answer this, you
will need to evaluate your program.
As described in Section 1.2.2, EPA New England and the National Center for Lead Safe Housing
(http://www.leadsafchousing.org) are currently leading a HUD-funded research study to document
the effectiveness of the low-cost interim soil control measures used by the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard
Project. The study will include a retrospective evaluation of the soil intervention work conducted
during Phases 1 and 2 of the EMPACT LSYP It also will examine data collected during the sum-
mer of 2000 by all three Boston-based lead-safe yard programs: the EMPACT project, the Lead
Safe Boston demonstration project, and the Boston Public Health Commission project. Soil-lead
data will be collected before, during, and after each yard intervention, mainly to document the
effectiveness of the landscape treatment measures in reducing risk to residents.
In designing an approach to evaluating your own program, you can focus on any of a number of
criteria. Some of these are easily measurable, others are not. Here are four questions you may want
to look at in your evaluation:
• How effective were the yard treatments in reducing soil-lead levels?
• How well did the yard treatments hold up over time?
• What effect did the yard treatments have on children's blood lead levels?
• How well did your program educate residents about lead poisoning?
9.2 DOCUMENTINB EVALUATION POINTS
An effective strategy for evaluating mitigation work is to compare the yard at three points in time:
pre-treatment, immediately after treatment, and one year after treatment. Key to conducting an
evaluation is adequate documentation of the program's work. Throughout this handbook, tools for
documenting lead-safe yard activities have been identified. The following documentation should be
contained in the case file you began upon initial contact with the homeowner:
• Homeowner application materials and consent form (Chapter 5).
• Results of educational 'quiz' (Chapter 5).
• "Homeowner Yard Use/Treatment Options Interview" Form (Chapter 5).
• "Before and after" photographs of the yard.
9 EVALUATING YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 123
-------
• Site worksheet (with monitoring results) and color-coded plot plan (Chapter 6).
• Treatment plan (Chapter 7).
• Contract (Chapter 7).
• Cost estimate sheet (Chapter 7).
• "Homeowner's Approval of Treatment Plan" Form (Chapter 7).
• Project Completion Certificate (Chapter 7).
• Any information available about blood lead levels of children living in the home.
When you return a year later, you should again obtain the homeowner's permission for inspecting
the yard and taking additional measurements and photographs. A sample form is shown on
page 126 ("Homeowner Permission Form—One Year Follow Up"). Your photos and notes from the
follow-up visit will help document how well the landscaping measures have been maintained. You
should also get input from the owner on:
• His or her impressions of the benefits and/or drawbacks of the landscaping done
at the home.
• How hard or easy it was for the homeowner (or another resident) to maintain the
landscaping measures and whether the maintenance plan was clear and easy to follow.
• How your lead-safe yard program could be improved (e.g., through better treatment
measures or better maintenance procedures).
You can also try to evaluate how well your educational efforts worked; the EMPACT outreach
worker, for example, plans to readminister the quiz that she gives following the educational video,
'Lead Poisoning: The Thief of Childhood.' Finally, you can ask the residents if they are willing to
give you the results of any lead testing done on children who live at the home.
All of this information will help you document and assess the various aspects of the program. This
evaluation will be of value to your project team, your funders, the community, and each family
involved in the program.
1 24 9 EVALUATING YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
-------
IN
In the summer of 1999, the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard Project returned to several
residences in the Bowdoin Street neighborhood to assess changes in surface soil-lead levels.
All of these residences had been treated one year earlier, during Phase 1 of the project.
Retesting efforts focused on play areas and/or areas that had been found to have high soil-
lead levels during the initial testing. As illustrated in the graphs below, the results of the
retesting showed that lead concentrations in the yard surfaces were significantly lower at
each site. This indicated to the project team that the landscape barriers installed at the
sites during the yard treatments were effectively covering the contaminated soil below.
In the year 2001, the EMPACT LSYP intends to do another round of retesting at 25 sites.
Property #1
before
a Her*
tot avg
Property #2
tot avg A-Side Picnic Area
Lead Concentration Before and After Mitigation for Three Phase 1 Properties
*$oil-lead concentrations were sampled ] 0 10 13 months atrer mitigation.
EVALUATING YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM 123
-------
Homeowner Permission Form
Boston Lead Safe Yard Program
One Year Follow Up
Your yard has been made more safe for children to play in and for you to enjoy by the landscaping improvements
that we have done through the Lead Safe Yard Program. Thank you for your cooperation during this community
effort.
Now that we have finished a large number of yards in your neighborhood, we would like to inspect the work to see
how well the improvements are holding up over time. We would like your permission to talk with you and to visu-
ally inspect all of the landscape improvements made by our program. During the visual inspection, we would also
make some measurements and take a few photographs of the work. The inspection will take about an hour. This
evaluation is funded by Lead-Safe Boston and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
and coordinated by the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing.
I give my permission for a visual inspection and measurements of the landscape improvements made by the Boston
Lead Safe Yard Program.
Homeowner #1 signature Date
Homeowner #2 signature Date
Lead-Safe Yards Evaluation staff Date
or Interviewer
1 26 9 EVALUATING YOUR LEAD-SAFE YARD PROGRAM
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NON-RESIDENTIAL
APPLICATIONS OF LEAD-SAFE
MiTIBATIDN
Many of the mitigation strategies and approaches incorporated into a lead-safe yard program can
be applied to non-residential properties as well. Properties such as tot lots, playgrounds, commu-
nity gardens, and vacant lots where children play may contain high levels of lead in their soil. Also,
while children should not be playing at abandoned industrial sites or commercial buildings, these
properties can be sources of increased exposure if children have access to areas of lead-contaminated
soil. Specific mitigation approaches that have proven successful in reducing lead exposure risk at
residential properties can be just as effective when applied to certain non-residential properties.
At tot lots and playgrounds, for instance, raised sand boxes can be constructed. The bottoms of
these boxes should be lined with perforated plastic, landscaping fabric, or even indoor-outdoor car-
peting to create a barrier between the lead-contaminated soil and the clean sand in which the
children play. Clean sand should be tested to ensure that it does not contain lead levels of concern
(i.e., greater than 400 parts per million). Similar raised boxes can be built around playground
equipment and play areas and filled with sand, gravel, or mulch. Another alternative is to lay down
rubber matting in play areas, or even paving lots. Planting and maintaining healthy grass cover is
yet another option for play areas. Planting evergreen shrubs in areas with especially high lead levels
can also be effective in keeping children from playing in these areas.
Community gardens can also incorporate lead-safe yard principles to protect against lead exposure.
Raised garden boxes can be constructed, lined with perforated plastic or landscaping fabric, and
filled with clean loam and compost. Loam should be tested to ensure that it does not contain lead
above the 400-ppm level. Clean compost should be added yearly to replenish nutrients and help
control lead levels.
Vacant lots where children play can be made lead-safe by covering exposed areas of soil. Planting
grass is one approach, but other materials such as woodchips, mulch, or even gravel could be used.
To keep children from playing in areas with high levels of lead in the soil, plant evergreen bushes
and shrubs.
For abandoned industrial sites and commercial buildings, construct barriers (such as fences or walls)
to keep children out of these potentially dangerous areas.
1 O LEAD IN SOIL: WHY is IT A PROBLEM? 1 27
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Jk D D F" W n I ^ A OF CAMBRIOBE» MASSACHUSETTS
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Lead-Safe Cambridge (LSC) program works to make the homes of income-qualified people in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, lead safe through interior and external lead hazard control. It began the
Safer Soil Pilot Program in 1997 to build on this effort by making the yards of participants in its
interior de-leading program lead safe as well.
Alter soil sampling was initiated for the Safer Soil Pilot Program, LSC found that over 95 percent
of the yards it investigated contained soil with lead levels above 400 parts per million. Currently,
all homeowners participating in LSC are eligible for additional assistance under the Safer Soil Pilot
Program. However, after September 2000, participation in the Safer Soil Pilot Program will be
required, in keeping with new federal regulations.
Under the pilot program, soil samples are taken from select areas of a home and tested to determine
their lead content. If elevated lead levels are found, a landscape planner works with the homeowner
and/or tenants to develop an appropriate landscape remediation plan. The Safer Soil Program pro-
vides homeowners free soil sampling and grant support to reimburse them for the cost of
implementing LSC-recommended soil remediation and landscaping plans. Specifically, the
program offers:
• Free soil testing.
• Training on the dangers of lead exposure.
• Free technical advice on preventing lead exposure.
• Grant support of up to $2,000 per unit and $6,000 for three or more
units toward the cost of approved materials used to make the yard leadsafe.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
LSC receives funding for its Safer Soil Pilot Program from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development. LSC collaborates with a number of local non-profit housing groups, includ-
ing Just-A-Start and Homeowner's Rehab, as well as with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
OUTREACH AND STRATEGIES
Cambridge is a diverse community. Its residents come from many different cultural backgrounds—
English is not always their primary language. Successful communication with homeowners and
residents often requires close cooperation and coordination with their English-speaking relatives, as
well as the help of multilingual LSC staff members.
Homeowners and tenants are recruited to participate in the program through newspaper ads, Web
announcements, property owner workshops (such as Cambridge Homefair), and word of mouth.
As part of its soil education strategy, LSC distributes flyers to educate homeowners about the soil-
lead problem and inform them about the program, disseminates fact sheets via the Internet
APPENDIX A 1 29
-------
(hrtp://www-ci.Cambridge.ma.us/-LcadSafe), and presents lead-safety materials at public meetings
throughout Cambridge. In addition, LSC offers two annual Safer Soil workshops, free and open to
the public, at which people can learn why lead in soil is a problem, find out how to landscape a
yard to make it safer, and get technical advice from a landscape planner. LSC also enlists the help
of local garden centers, which sponsor the workshops and offer coupons to workshop participants.
Son_ SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
After their units have been de-leaded under the LSC program, homeowners interested in partici-
pating in the Safer Soil Pilot Program sign an agreement with LSC to have their soil tested for lead.
LSC takes soil samples from different use areas in each yard—such as driplines, play areas, gardens,
walkways, and other bare areas—and sends them to a state laboratory in Jamaica Plain for analysis.
All samples are analyzed using the atomic absorption method (microwave digestion followed by
flame atomic absorption spectroscopy). LSC relies on laboratory analysis, as opposed to onsite
analysis using field portable x-ray fluorescence technology, because of cost and liability issues. A
new XRF costs $15,000 or more (see Section 6.2); because an XRF contains radioactive materials,
only a trained technician can use it. Getting sample results back from the laboratory takes about 7
to 10 days, but this has not been a problem.
Once LSC receives the sample results, it reviews them and consolidates them in the form of hand-
drawn plot diagrams. These are then presented to (and interpreted for) the homeowners and/or
tenants. If the test results reveal that soil on a property exceeds EPA-recommended levels for lead,
an LSC landscape planner works with the homeowner and/or tenants to design attractive, usable
lead-safe urban yards, providing them with plans, product recommendations, and cost estimates.
The landscape planner works with homeowners in the design and construction of these plans. LSC
believes that close cooperation with homeowners helps to create a sense of ownership, community,
and most importantly, safety for children. In addition, this cooperation makes for longer-term com-
pliance and better maintenance.
The Safer Soils Pilot Program favors a combination of techniques for remediating lead-contami-
nated soil around a residence. These include selectively paving contaminated areas, using softer
paving materials (such as gravel with brick edging), and incorporating plants and shrubs in the
yard. The program often recommends placing plants and shrubs around house driplines to reduce
access to these areas while making the yard more attractive.
The program also works to reduce lead toxicity in the soil by rototilling organic matter (such as
composted cow manure) and rock phosphate, which bind with lead, into affected areas. Once
organic material has been introduced, the Safer Soil Pilot Program recommends taking the addi-
tional step of putting down landscape fabric over the contaminated area and covering the fabric
with 3 to 4 inches of bark mulch or pea gravel to create a natural barrier. Sodding is another effec-
tive option, although its drawbacks include its high cost relative to other treatments and the need
for routine watering in its early stages of establishment.
In areas where lead levels in the soil are found to be greater or equal to 5,000 ppm, LSC follows
current EPA recommendations for remediating high-lead-content soil by covering the area with an
impermeable surface (such as concrete or pavement) or, in extreme cases, removing the soil
altogether. However, the Safer Soil program generally tries to avoid complete soil removal, in large
part because of its cost and the difficulty of disposing of lead-contaminated soil.
1 3D APPENDIX A
-------
Participants in the Safer Soil program are offered grants to help them pay for the materials they need
to remediate their properties. The standard grant is $2,000 per unit and up to $6,000 for three or
more de-leaded units. In order to make full use of an available grant, the homeowner (or a
landscape contractor) must implement the program's recommendations for the property. Work
must be done according to the landscape planner's recommendations; soil must be kept damp in
order to prevent unnecessary lead dust exposure. Homeowners can use landscape contractors to exe-
cute their Safer Soil landscape plans if they are unable to do the work themselves. If the homeowner
chooses to use a landscape contractor, he or she takes the landscape plan and specifications devel-
oped by the landscape planner and obtains three estimates for the landscaping work. The landscape
planner approves the selected contractor, who then begins work. Homeowners save all receipts for
materials and labor and submit them to the landscape planner for reimbursement (up to the total
grant amount) after work has been completed.
The Safer Soil program also offers homeowners and tenants guidance on preliminary steps they can
take to mitigate children's exposure to lead-contaminated soil. These tips include:
• Establishing a play area away from areas once exposed to old paint, such as the
house or a fence.
• Covering leaded dirt with clean gravel or grass (preferably sod).
• Buying or creating a sandbox to cover leaded soil (making sure that the bottom
is sealed away from the soil).
RESULTS
To date, 27 yards have been landscaped through the Safer Soil Pilot Program, with 106 yards tested
for lead. Landscaping plans and specifications have been developed for an additional 11 yards, and
will be implemented in the near future.
AWARDS AND REGOBNITION
In 1999, LSC's Safer Soil Pilot Program was presented a National Merit Award from the American
Society of Landscape Architects for its innovative approach to addressing lead in residential soil.
FDR INFORMATION
Ann Stroobant
Landscape Planner
(617) 349-4652
astroobant@ci.cambridge.ma.us
APPENDIX A 1 3 1
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FDR L.ESS-RESQURCE-INTENSIVE
APPROACHES TQ IMPLEMENTINB
LEAD-SAFE YARD
To develop feasible working models that can be applied in other communities, the issues of cost-
effectiveness and homeowner participation need to be addressed. In the absence of a HUD-funded
municipal program, or for those homeowners or residents not eligible for grants or loans from such
a program, less costly approaches can be considered. In Boston, the EMPACT Lead-Safe Yard
Project is currently investigating the following possibilities, several of which could be drawn upon
in carrying out a lead-safe yard program at the local level:
• Using a model based on the principles developed by Habitat for Humanity, in which the
work involved in achieving a lead-safe yard is carried out by the homeowner with the help
of community volunteers (possibly other residents in the area who would then receive help
with their yards). Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that builds and
rehabilitates low-cost homes through volunteer labor and donations of money and
materials, with the help of homeowner (partner) families.
• Offering courses/workshops for homeowners and for landscapers through a local
community college or other adult education program. Such a course would include
information on building and landscaping techniques and materials, as well as
maintenance required to achieve lead-safe yards. This could be part of a longer
course on home maintenance or a course for new homeowners.
• Training environmental science students at a local community college to carry out
sampling of yards for lead contamination. Students would be trained in how to draw plot
plans, how to take samples, and how to interpret and write up the results, as well as in
health and safety issues surrounding the handling of lead-contaminated soil. This would
substantially reduce sampling costs, while providing an educational experience for the
students concerned.
• Involving youth volunteers from a program such as City Year in carrying out the
construction and landscaping work for lead-safe yards. City Year, a program of AmeriCorps
(the domestic Peace Corps), engages young people aged 17 to 24 in youth development,
human services, public health, and environmental programs. Another option would be to
contract with a training and construction program such as Youth Build. Youth Build is a
youth and community development program that offers job training, education,
counseling, and leadership development opportunities to unemployed and out-of-school
young adults, aged 16 to 24, through the construction and rehabilitation of affordable
housing in their own communities.
APPENDIX B 133
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APPENDIX C
—•
TO
This handbook focuses on measures that can keep children safe by reducing their risk of exposure
to lead. The fact is, though, that unless the lead is permanently removed, exposure can reoccur (for
example, if landscaping measures are not maintained).
The most frequently used method of removing the lead is to dig up the contaminated soil and haul
it to a hazardous waste facility. This method is costly and requires intensive labor. However, some
promising and innovative experiments explore how to minimize lead exposure by actually extract-
ing it from the soil. This angle of research explores how nature itself, through a process called
phytoextraction, might hold a potent solution for removing lead and other hazardous metals from
contaminated soils.
Phytoextraction involves using living green plants for removing contaminants, such as lead, from
soil and water. The term refers to the uptake of metal contaminants by the plant's roots and the sub-
sequent transport of the contaminants to various parts of the plant. In general, plants do not absorb
or accumulate lead.19 But certain plants, such as the sunflower and Indian mustard, absorb remark-
ably large amounts of metals compared to other plants and actually survive. After the plants are
allowed to grow on a contaminated site for a period of time with proper soil amendments to mobi-
lize the metal, they are harvested. After this, they are either disposed of as a hazardous waste or
incinerated (and the metals recycled). The schematic below illustrates phytoextraction processes
(adapted from http://aspp.or^/puWic_afiAirs/bnehn^/pliyroivmcdianon.lum).
Plants are
cultivated us
special agronomic
practices
1
Solublllzed lead Is
taken up by the roots and
transported to the shoots
3
Water evaporates
while lead is
concentrated
In the plant
4
Rosen and Robert Munter. 1998. Lead in the Home Garden and Urban Soil Environment. University of Minnesota Extension
Service. FO-2543-GO. i
APPENDIX C 1 35
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Scientists have studied phytoremediation (the use of plants to recover contaminated soils and water)
extensively. It is slowly becoming an acceptable, and even preferred, technology. Numerous demon-
stration projects have shown the promise of phytoremediation. For example:
• In Trenton, New Jersey, the Gould National Battery site was home to commercial lead-acid
battery manufacturers from the 1930s to the 1980s. In those years, the land became heavily
contaminated with lead. Under the Brownfields Initiative, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency awarded Trenton a grant to restore the site. In 1995, Phytotech Inc.
(now Edenspace Systems Corporation) approached the city about using "green technology"
to clean up the site. Three crops of plants over a summer reduced lead levels on 75 percent
of the treated area to below the New Jersey residential standard of 400 parts per million.
See http://www.edt'nspace.com/CaseStudies.htm.
• In Chernobyl, a team of scientists from Rutgers University headed by plant biologist Ilya
Raskin tested phytoextraction to remove radioactive cesium and strontium from a
contaminated pond. Sunflowers were set floating on small polystyrene rafts so that their
roots dangled in the water. Despite the poisons, the plants thrived. So far, Raskin has used
phytoextraction techniques in sites in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Only a handful of demonstration projects focused on removal of lead from residential soils. Here's
an example from the Boston metro area:
• The Boston Health Department sought a comprehensive strategy to remove lead from a
small Dorchester neighborhood that hosted a cluster of childhood lead poisoning cases.
Excavation and removal simply cost too much, so the department sought other methods.
They teamed with Edenspace Systems Corporation to explore phytoextraction using Indian
mustard plants on a 1,000-square-foot test site in the neighborhood. They spread a soil
amendment that would loosen the lead so it dissolves in the moisture. They planted Indian
mustard, which is well suited for metal removal because it accumulates the metal in its
leaves rather than its roots. After six weeks, they harvested the plants and analyzed the soil.
Lead concentrations decreased 47 percent, and after a second growing, the overall lead
reduction was 63 percent (from 1,500 ppm to under 300 ppm). The harvested plants were
incinerated, and the metals in the ash were recycled. Based on the results of the
demonstration, Tom Plante of the Boston Health Department feels this method is very
effective in reducing lead levels in soil and has the potential for a wide array of applications
including brownfields—and now urban residences (if there is enough sunlight and
moisture). For more information on this demonstration project, visit the Boston Childhood
Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at http://www.tiac.ner/users/bdph/oeh/leadhome.htm.
Edenspace Systems Corporation is continuing research on residential soil-lead remediation. One of
the challenges of lead remediation in residences is that the plantings can put an entire yard out of
use and out of sight for months or even years. Therefore, the company is researching the potential
of turf grasses to extract lead from the soil. Making the technology affordable, ensuring proper
sunlight and irrigation, bringing heavy machinery into residential neighborhoods, and reaching
lead that is too far for plant roots to reach might pose additional challenges. However, research will
continue to build on existing knowledge of phytoextraction and help address the potential challenges.
1 36 APPENDIX C
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For more information on phytoextraction and other forms of phytoremediation, see the following
online resources:
Edenspace Systems Corporation
Edenspace now owns or licenses an array of proprietary techniques used in removing lead,
arsenic and other metals from the environment. The resources page provides many useful
links to articles on phytoremediation.
http://www.edenspace.com/newpage4.htm
Phytoremediation: using plants to remove pollutants from the environment
An overview of phytoremediation written by Rutgers University plant biologist Ilya Raskin.
http://aspp.org/piiblic_arrairs/briefmg/phyto remediation, htm
Rutgers University Center for Agriculture and Environmental Technology
One of the pioneer research institutions for phytoremediation.
http ://aesop. rutgcrs.edu/-' bio tech/brochure/index, html
U.S. EPA Citizen's Guide to Phytoremediation
http://www.cpa.gov/swortiol/prodLicts/citguidt7phyto2.htm
APPENDIX C 137
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APPENDIX D
Quality Assurance Project Plan for:
A COMMUNITY BASED ENVIRONMENTAL
LEAD ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION PROGRAM
Prepared for:
Lead Safe Yard Program
USEPA New England Lab
60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02421
Prepared by:
Paul Carroll, Chemist
Investigations and Analysis Unit, OEME
Approved by:
Robert Maxfield, Chief
Investigations and Analysis Unit, OEME
Approved by:
Andy Beliveau, QA Officer
Quality Assurance Unit, OEME
APPENDIX D 1 39
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1 .a AND APPLICATION
This QAAP outlines procedures for the field analysis of lead in soil using the Niton 700 Series Field
Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer. These methods are designed as part of the sampling and
analysis protocol for the Lead Safe Yard Program and are applicable to the measurement of lead in
urban soils.
Project
Management
R. Maxfield, EPA
P. Hynes, BU
Outreach Coordinator
T. Settles, DSNI
Quality Control
A. Beliveau, EPA
Sampling and Analysis
W. Straub and P. Carroll, EPA
Site Remediation
L. Pettrucci, DGP
2. PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITY
The Project Managers are in charge of coordinating, maintaining and monitoring all activities,
including direction for preparation of work plans, sampling plans, and analytical procedures rela-
tive to the project. The Quality Assurance personnel will evaluate and approve QA/QC plans
through the course of the project and oversee all data quality assurance aspects of the project. The
Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for locating potential properties for sampling and analy-
sis, contacting property owners and gaining consent to work on the property. The sampling and
analysis team will be responsible for scheduling and conducting data collection and data reduction
procedures, properly maintain samples, develop site sketches and other observations, generate
1 4D APPENDIX D
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required QA/QC records and implement corrective actions. The site remediation group will apply
innovative and cost effective landscape techniques for site improvements.
3. DEFINITION
Lead poisoning continues to be an extremely serious environmental health issue for youth, partic-
ularly in poorer inner city neighborhoods with older wood framed housing. While considerable
attention has been focused on the lead contaminated paint prevalent on the surfaces of homes in
these neighborhoods, less attention has been paid to the lead contaminated soil that surrounds each
home. The reasons for this lack of attention by regulators stems from a variety of concerns: perhaps
foremost is the cost of soil removal and disposal.
4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The overall objective of the proposed project is to produce a summary report documenting the
effectiveness of low cost residential soil intervention. The project will incorporate two sampling
plans to accomplish this goal. One sampling strategy will be to measure surface soil lead at resi-
dential properties in the Greater Boston area. Properties that exceed project specific action levels
will be mitigated with simple, low cost methods that are designed to minimize the risk of human
exposure to the contaminated soil. Soil surfaces will then be measured to evaluate the effectiveness
and durability of the intervention measures over time. A second sampling strategy involves meas-
uring tracked-in soil Pb (house dust) to compare pre and post intervention Pb levels inside the
residence. This Quality Assurance Project Plan outlines protocol for the residential soil surface sam-
pling program that will be used in this project.
4A. PROJECT TIMELINE
Activity Start End
Review existing data 11/99
Determine target community 2/00
Community Outreach 2/00 9/01
Site Investigations 3/00 11/01
Meet with property owners
Site Remediation 3/00 11/01
5. BAMPLINB
The sampling strategy is designed to assess the potential of excessive lead exposure to humans from
soil on the property. Each property will be evaluated with focus on four areas of concern: the
dripline along the house foundation, play areas in the yard, areas of exposed soil in the yard, and
any other potential sources of soil lead contamination including those from abutting properties.
Play areas found to contain greater than 400 parts per million (ppm), and other areas that are found
to contain greater than 2000 ppm lead will be further characterized to determine the nature and
extent of contamination (note Appendix 1, the Sampling Logic Tree). Two soil sampling strategies,
APPENDIX D 14-1
-------
in situ and bag sampling, will be used to determine lead content in these residential soils.
Descriptions of each along with QA/QC protocol follow.
In-Situ Sampling. Samples will be analyzed with a Niton Model 702 XRF Spectrum Analyzer. The
702 is a field portable multi-element, multi-functional x-ray fluorescence analyzer (FPXRF)
equipped with a lOmCi cadmium-109 source and a high resolution Silicon-Pin detector. The hand
held, battery powered FPXRF is capable of in-situ analysis techniques. Based upon a minimum
detection limit study (MDL), the detection limit for this method is approximately 100 ppm. These
data are attached as Appendix 4. This instrument is factory calibrated, has been found to hold cal-
ibration quite well, and is software compensated for any deterioration of the source. In addition to
the MDL, precision and accuracy studies (1998 and 2000) are attached as Appendix 5.
Soil lead measurements will be taken in-situ during the screening phase provided that the surface is
not inundated with water. Large nonrepresentative debris, including rocks, pebbles, leaves and
roots, will be removed from the soil surface prior to sampling. The area will be smooth enough to
allow uniform contact between the FPXRF and the ground surface. The initial sample locations
will depend upon the size and shape of the region of interest. A line pattern will be used when the
area is linear (e.g. dripline). In-situ measurements will be taken at approximate 10 foot intervals
along the line depending upon the length of the building. Additional lines are tested at 2 to 5 foot
sampling intervals away from the original sampling area to characterize the extent of any lead con-
tamination. Target patterns will be used for sampling larger, nonlinear areas of potential exposure
(e.g. play areas). A large "X" will be superimposed upon the space to be analyzed. In- situ meas-
urements will be taken at 5 to 10 foot intervals along each line of the "X" unless the samplers
determine that additional (or less) resolution is required. Screening data and descriptive informa-
tion about each site will be recorded on the Site Worksheet (Appendix 2).
Quality control checks will consist of replicate measurements, standard reference material (SRM)
checks and confirmation samples as defined in Section 10, Acceptance Criteria for Soil Lead by
XRF. Replicate measurements will be conducted over a minimum of 10% of the screen samples to
indicate the precision of analysis and the homogeneity of the sample matrix. Three point SRM
measurements and a blank measurement will be conducted at the beginning and end of each sam-
pling day to ensure linearity over the expected sampling range (e.g. 400-5000 ppm) and to
determine that the instrument is operating contaminant free. SRMs (NIST 2586 @ 432 ppm lead
in soil) will be used as continuing calibration checks after every 10th screen sample. A minimum
of one confirmation sample will be collected from each site. Approximately 4 tablespoons of sur-
face soil, to no more than the approximate depth of 0.5 inches, will be collected into a soil sample
container and thoroughly mixed for each confirmation sample. The sample will be properly labeled
and returned to the laboratory for analysis by EPA Method 6010A.
Bag Sampling. If site conditions are such that in-situ sampling is not appropriate and sampling
activities must continue, this bag sampling method will be used to evaluate soil lead conditions on
the residential properties. The sampling strategy will be a scaled down version of the in-situ strat-
egy. The focus will still be on the dripline of the building on the property, play areas, bare soil and
other concerns such as sources from abutting properties. The bag approach involves collecting soil
samples into a sampling container and returning them to the laboratory for preparation, XRF
analysis and ICP confirmation.
Typically, a minimum of 4 discreet soil samples will be collected from each side of the building
perimeter within 1 to 3 feet of the foundation (dripline). These samples will be collected at the very
minimum of 2 feet from each other. Bare soil areas are the preference (vs. covered areas).
1 42 APPENDIX D
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Composite samples from play areas will consist of aliquots collected along an X shaped grid. These
subsamples will be collected at a minimum of 1 foot from each other. Bare soil areas are preferred.
This method will also apply to bare areas of soil, vegetable gardens and high use areas noted on the
subject property.
The decision to sample along the property boundary will be determined by the samplers at the time
of the site visit. If conditions exist on an abutting property that would appear to present a risk of
soil lead contamination to the subject property, the following protocol will be followed. Aliquots of
surface soil will be collected along the property line(s) of interest. These subsamples will be collected
no closer than 1 foot apart and will be located within 1 to 5 of the property line. Subsamples will
only be collected on the subject property.
Quality control for the composite method measurements will be identical to QA/QC for the in situ
method. Three point SRM measurements and a blank measurement will be conducted at the begin-
ning and end of each sampling day to ensure linearity over the expected sampling range (e.g.
400-5000 ppm). SRMs will be used as continuing calibration checks after every 10th screen sam-
ple. A minimum of one confirmation sample will be collected from each site.
All bag samples will be collected according to protocol outlined in Section 7 (Sample Handling and
Chain of Custody Requirements). The samples will be returned to the EPA laboratory where they will
be dried, screened to remove nonrepresentative debris, and analyzed using XRF technology. Select
samples will be designated for confirmation analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical
Emission Spectroscopy (ICP).
Confirmation Samples. Confirmation samples are collected during sampling activities to be ana-
lyzed at the University of Cincinnati, Hematology and Environmental Laboratory by Atomic
Absorption Spectrometry. These samples are collected in selected intervals around the house
perimeter (designated HC for house composite), any play areas (PC), from any on-site vegatable
gardens (GC) and from any high use areas (HUC).
Typically, 12 subsamples are collected for each perimeter composite sample (3 from each side of the
house). If possible, 5 subsamples are collected for each play area composite, garden composite
and/or each high use area composite using the target pattern approach. The samples are returned
to the EPA laboratory, sieved with a number 10 sieve (U.S.A. Standard Sieve Series) to removed any
coarse debris, rebagged and analyzed for lead content using the Niton XRF. Each sample is then
labeled (street number and name and composite designation), recorded on a chain of custody form
and sent to the U. of C. Lab for the extraction and AA analysis for lead content.
6.
ANALYTICAL,
Parameter Matrix # of Samples Analytical Containers Preservation Hold Time
Lead (XRF) Soil TBD EPA 6200 N/A N/A N/A
insitu
Lead (XRF) Soil TBD — ziplock 4°C 1 year
confirmation bags
Lead (ICP) Soil TBD EPA 6010A ziplock 4°C 1 year
confirmation bags
APPENDIX D 1 4-3
-------
"7. SAMPLE HANDLINB AND
CHAIN OF CUSTODT
The majority of the soil lead measurements will be taken in situ during the site characterization
phase. Sample handling and chain of custody requirements will not apply to these procedures. Soil
will be collected as confirmation samples and as discreet bag samples. Chain-of-custody (COC)
procedures will be followed for these samples to maintain and document possession from the time
they are collected until they are delivered to the laboratory for analysis. A sample COC form is
attached. The sample handling and COC predator will include:
— sample information on the jar/bag with sample ID, time and date of collection and
technician ID, all written in unerasable ink.
—a sample seal attached firmly to the sample cover as soon as possible after collection when
using sample jars.
—a chain of custody record containing the project name and number, the sampling station
ID, date and time of collection, a brief description of the type of sample collected,
parameters for analysis, the samplers name and signature, adequate space for any
transferee's name and signature and a comment section to describe any special conditions
associated with the samples.
All sample sets will be accompanied by a COC document. Any time the samples are transferred,
both the sample custodian and the receiver shall sign and date the COC document. COC docu-
mentation will be maintained in the project folder.
B. QUALITY CONTROL
Accuracy****
±25
±10
±20
**Typically 3 times the MDL
***Precision determined by replicate sample analyses
****Accuracy determined by analysis of SRMs
9. DATA MANABEMENT AND DOCUMENTATION
A field log book, dedicated to the project, and field data sheets will be maintained during sampling
events. There will be separate field sheets for the screening and additional site characterization
phases. Each sheet will include the date, time, property name and address, sample locations, a site
sketch that includes sampling locations, sample description, important details about how the sam-
ple was collected, analyst(s) names, along with the respective measurement data, and any additional
comments that would accurately and inclusively describe the sampling activities. Care will be taken
to maintain the logbook and field data sheets neatly with factual, objective language that is free of
personal feelings and other terminology that may be deemed inappropriate.
Analyte
Lead
Lead
Lead
Analytical
Method
EPA 6200
EPA6010A
Kevex XRF
Detection
Limit*
- 75 ppm
42ppb
50 ppm
Quantitation
Limit**
-225
-120
-150
Precision'
±50
±20
±20
1 44 APPENDIX D
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These field data sheets, along with confirmation sample data received from the laboratory will
be kept on file at the EPA Region 1 Lab. The confirmation information will include results of
sample analyses, method blanks, matrix spike/spike duplicates and acceptance criteria. Copies
of the field data sheets and validation information from the confirmation samples will be dis-
tributed to members of the remediation team to help determine where remediation activity will
take place.
1 Q. ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE ACTIONS
ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR SOIL LEAD BY XRF(IN-SIT[f)
Audit
Initial
Calibration
(SRM) @ 50,
500, 5000 ppm
Continuing
Calibration
Frequency
Run prior to daily
sampling events
Sample data must
be bracketed every
10th sample (or
less) using SRM
Limits Corrective Action
%RSD=30 Investigate problem and
re-run initial calibration
until an acceptable
calibration is obtained
%D <±25% Re-analyze CC and if passes
continue sample analysis. If
fails investigate problem and
re-analyze all samples following
the last acceptable CC starting
with a new initial calibration.
Field Blank
Replicate
Analysis
(Accuracy)
Confirmation
Samples
Varies by site
Varies by site
Site Dependent,
minimum I/site
<100 ppm
%D <±50%
Variable
Corrective action determined
by end user.
Intrusive sample for
conformation and/or
confirmation analysis
MDL
IDC
When there is
a change in the
method or
instrument.
When there is a
change in sampling
method or
instrument
Instrument
Specific
± 30%
recovery*
Action taken at data validation
level.
Investigate problem
and correct. Re-run.
APPENDIX D 1 4B
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Sampling Logic Tree
Appendix 2 Site Worksheet
Appendix 3 IDC Study
Appendix 4 MDL Studies
Appendix 5 Accuracy Studies
Appendix 6 Results of Confirmation Samples
Attached Sample Chain of Custody Form
APPENDIX 1
Sampling Logic Tree
In-Situ Sampling
/' A
Lead Levels < Action Level
\ V
Lead Levels at Action
Level +/- 10%
Lead Levels > Action Level
Complete QA/QCX
Measurements
No Further Action }*— NO-
Replicate X,
colocated
x analyses /
Lead Levels at Action / \
Level
+/-10%
^ /Complete QA/QC
x. Measurements
/' Consider Site for
Remediation
Replicate Analyses
Fail QC Criteria
/
Yes
Composite Samples for
^Confirmation Analysis,
/ Lead Levels at Action
Level
\ +/-10%
1 46 APPENDIX D
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APPENDIX 2: SITE
Site Name:,
Address:
Date:
Building Type:.
Condition:
Lot Condition:
Yard Uses:
Sample ID
Location
PPM-Lead
Comments
Distance
APPENDIX D 1 47
-------
APPENDIX 3
INITIAL DEMONSTRATION
OF CAPABILITY FOR LEAD
IN SOIL BY NITON XRF
ppm—lead
IDC1
IDC2
IDC3
IDC4
IDC5
IDC6
IDC7
IDC8
IDC9
IDC10
IDC11
1123
1144
1127
1225
1076
1036
1095
1235
1208
1228
1140
True Value 1162
Average
r 1148.8
Concentration
% True Value 98.9
Standard Deviation 67.2
%RSD 5.9
Criteria: %RSD<30%
%TV<±30%
1 4B APPENDIX D
-------
APPENDIX 4
MINIMUM DETECTION LIMIT STUDY
OF LEAD IN SOIL BY FIELD PORTABLE XRF
MDLl
MDL2
MDL3
MDL4
MDL5
MDL6
MDL7
MDL8
MDL9
MDL10
"Rue Value
Avg. Cone.
% True Value
Standard Deviation
MDL
%RSD
H.P. 600703
5/12/98
PPM-Lead
190
151
170
177
188
196
170
138
138
128
129
164.6
127.6
24.3
68.7
14.8
H.P. 600703
2/29/00
PPM-Lead
170
209
179
161
220
164
137
129
177.1
137.3
28.7
90.3
16.2
LCS 0996
2/29/00
PPM-Lead
235
246
303
242
320
254
250
224
264.3
118.0
33.2
104.3
12.6
NIST 2586
2/29/00
PPM-Lead
365
357
398
355
423
392
422
432
387.4
89.7
29.1
91.4
7.5
Criteria: %RSD<30%
%TV<±30%
APPENDIX D 1 49
-------
APPENDIX 5
ACCURACY DATA (1998) FOR LEAD IN SOIL BY FPXRF
NIST2710 NIST2711 LCS 0996 HP 69073 Cleve-1
5427
5632
5651
5587
5657
5372
5516
5769
True Value 5532
Average Concentration 5576.4
% Recovered 100.8
Standard Deviation 122.5
RSD 2.2
1123
1144
1127
1225
1076
1036
1095
1235
1208
1228
1140
1162
1148.8
98.9
64.1
5.6
268
283
269
280
291
202
383
343
224
289.9
129.4
50.3
17.4
204
190
151
170
177
188
196
170
138
138
128
203
129
171.1
132.6
25.6
15.0
426
554
526
440
488
490
456
494
456
441
433
477.1
110.2
38.8
8.1
1 5D APPENDIX D
-------
APPENDIX 5
CDNT.
ACCURACY DATA (2000) FOR LEAD IN SOIL BY FPXRF
NIST2710 NIST2711 NIST 2586 LCS 0996 HP 690703 Lot 217
5580
5780
5590
5970
5490
5610
5530
5780
5460
5750
1070
1140
1190
1290
1110
1070
1160
1170
1090
1140
365
357
398
355
423
392
422
397
388
408
235
246
303
242
320
254
250
275
391
277
170
209
179
161
220
164
137
242
232
146
241
220
230
159
144
135
211
175
173
126
True Value
5532
1162
432
224
129
101
Average
Concentration
% Recovered
Standard
Deviation
RSD
5654.0
102.2
152.4
2.7
1143.0
98.4
62.8
5.5
390.5
90.4
23.4
6.0
279.3
124.7
45.5
16.3
186.0
144.2
35.1
18.9
181.4
179.6
39.4
21.7
APPENDIX D 151
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APPENDIX 6 CONFIRMATION SAMPLE RESULTS
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
>
Niton v. ICP
as of 8/19/99
R-squared = 0.926
y intercept = 168.4
2000 4000 6000
ICP (ppm - Lead)
8000
10000
1 52 APPENDIX D
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