Residents, health advocates urge Lansdale to adopt ‘lead‑safe’ rules after presentation to council

At its Aug. 20 business meeting, Lansdale Borough Council heard from residents and public‑health advocates urging the borough to consider a “lead‑safe” ordinance requiring certification of rental properties and other at‑risk buildings.

Carolyn McGritty Durstein, a Lansdale resident, introduced the presenters and said they sought borough action to reduce childhood lead exposure. Rosemarie Holt, health policy consultant for Children First and the Lead Free Promise Project, told council that lead exposure remains a persistent public‑health problem and described how local testing and housing stock put Lansdale children at risk.

Holt said a blood lead reference level of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter is used for identifying children with elevated results. She said Pennsylvania records about 11,500 children testing positive annually; Montgomery County has about 400, and Lansdale averaged 41 children testing positive from 2018–2022, according to Montgomery County Health Department data cited in the presentation. Holt said only about 20% of children under 6 statewide are tested and that Montgomery County’s testing rate is closer to 16%.

Holt said housing built before 1978 is the primary source of lead‑based paint hazards and that about 94% of Lansdale housing units were built before 1978. She described two certification approaches used elsewhere in Pennsylvania: “lead‑free,” which requires a certified inspector to find no lead‑based paint by EPA/HUD standards, and “lead‑safe,” which requires remediation of deteriorated paint and retesting on a multiyear schedule (Holt noted a three‑year retest interval used in some borough ordinances).

Kara, who identified herself as a Lansdale parent, described her child’s high lead level and the family’s experience obtaining testing and case management. Kara said private‑insurance children in Pennsylvania may be tested only once, unlike children on medical assistance who are routinely retested, and described how a single flaking spot in her home led to repeated exposure and long‑term developmental effects for her child. “My child is living with consequences,” she said.

Borough Solicitor William Hitchens told council he helped draft Norristown’s lead ordinance and said he could share a copy and practical rollout lessons with Lansdale staff. Council members signaled interest in further study: Councilman Rich DiGregorio Jr. asked that the item be placed on a committee agenda, and Councilwoman Bolins said she had already noted outreach to the county director and would pursue staff follow‑up.

No formal ordinance or resolution was introduced or adopted at the meeting. Council members directed staff and committee chairs to include discussion of a possible lead‑safe ordinance on an upcoming work session agenda, and the solicitor offered to provide a draft ordinance and implementation guidance from Norristown’s experience.

Supporters at the meeting urged the borough to require certification of rental units, childcare centers and properties at transfer, to raise awareness among buyers and renters, and to expand testing so more affected children are identified and treated.

Council did not take a formal vote on the matter at the Aug. 20 meeting; presenters said next steps would include staff coordination, a committee review and a future council discussion.