Cambridge launches lead hazard reduction program

CAMBRIDGE — During the four hour Oct. 26 Cambridge City council meeting, Housing Programs Manager Ed Crosby, delivered a quarterly presentation mandated under a housing and urban development agreement, coinciding with National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week where he announced the Lead Hazard Reduction Program.

Crosby provided in-depth details regarding high lead levels and the city’s response. He began by highlighting that children in Dorchester County show high blood-lead levels compared to the rest of Maryland, describing local figures as “real high.”

He stressed the critical need for all parents to have their children tested, noting that lead poisoning causes irreversible, lifelong negative impacts on child health and development.

“The whole thing about the lead poison prevention is really all behind making sure that everyone has their children tested for lead, because there’s high lead blood levels here, particularly in Dorchester, throughout the state, but Dorchester’s numbers are real high,” Crosby said.

The program conducts periodic workshops for property owners and residents focused on lead reduction strategies and managing lead paint hazards. A workshop originally planned for Lead Poison Prevention Week was postponed due to scheduling conflicts and rescheduled to take place Nov. 19-20.

The free two-day visual lead inspection training program at Chesapeake College qualifies as a lifelong education program through the Cambridge campus. The course accommodates 10-20 residents. The city covers all training costs for participants, though it does not provide an attendee stipend.

An inspection supervisor and up to two additional city staff members will also attend the course to ensure proper internal oversight.

Passing the test certifies individuals to perform visual lead testing. The city intends to connect graduates with local contractors and property management companies to help them secure jobs, and will assist interested graduates in pursuing full, three-day regular inspector certification.

Staff plan to go door-to-door to raise awareness and distribute course applications, prioritizing the historic Pine Street neighborhood. The Lead Hazard Reduction Program’s council of advisors held its first in-person meeting on the Friday preceding the council meeting and established a recurring quarterly meeting schedule.