[MassHistPres] Deleading

[slater at alum.rpi.edu]

  >I would caution anyone who cares about the long-term
>viability of historic
>neighborhoods from taking a flip attitude towards deleading as a public
>health issue. Lead poisoning is a documented public health hazard that
>affects children at their most sensitive developmental ages. The
possible
>impacts are significant. The merits of how the regulations require it
be
>done aside, the fact is that some kids get lead poisoning much more
easily
>than others. Once blood lead levels reach a certain point the state
>requires that an owner test the house and have lead abatement done.
Since
>a historic house will hopefully last for hundreds of years and have
many
>future families in it, its in all of our interests to encourage
>appropriate lead abatement of these homes.

How can a local Historical Commission prevent lead-based issues from
becoming a blank check when it comes to exterior modifications,
primarily when cost becomes involved?

I have seen homeowners successfully argue that the lead hardship coupled
with the cost trumps historic appearance. Basically, when you're being
forced by "the government" to delead, being forced by another branch of
"the government" to spend more to do it is onerous.

This has resulted in window replacement (hard to argue against a $150
replacement vinyl window when the cost of proper abatement is perhaps
$300-500 per window) and even vinyl siding (cost to put siding over
peeling lead paint is a lot less than the cost of abating the lead
paint). 

In Springfield, we have gotten past the "energy efficiency" replacement
window crowd by portraying the replacement of functional original
windows as a voluntary expense. Basically, if you want to replace your
perfectly fine windows, simply meet the appropriateness guidelines
(which we relaxed to include double-paned glass and non-wooden windows
which faithfully replicate the originals)

However, I don't think that would work very well with someone who is
being forced to abate the lead in their house. 

Ralph Slate
Springfield, MA 
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