Inform, Entertain, Inspire
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

As Pandemic Begins To Wane, South Bend City Leaders Refocus On Lead Contamination

Gemma DiCarlo / WVPE Public Radio

The COVID-19 pandemic has understandably drawn focus away from other public health issues over the last year. But, as the pandemic begins to wane, South Bend city and neighborhood leaders are re-focusing on efforts to combat lead contamination.

 

Over 80 percent of the housing in South Bend was built before 1978, when the federal goverment banned lead-based paint.

 

St. Joseph County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Mark Fox said the residual paint in those homes can present a host of health risks, especially for children.

 

“Lead is a naturally occuring metal that is also a potent neurotoxin, and so it poses particular risk for the developing brains and nervous systems of young children,” he said.

Fox said all children in the county should be tested for lead by age three, either through a healthcare provider or the health department’s clinics and community events, which he said they hope to resume post-pandemic. 

 

The city also offers grants to help landlords and homeowners remove lead paint from their homes for free. To qualify, the housing unit must be within city limits and built before 1978, and the owner or tenant's income must be at least 80 percent below the area median. Priority will be given to homes with a child under 6 or a pregnant woman.

 

Councilwoman Rachel Tomas Morgan said both council members and neighborhood leaders are ready to answer questions and help with the application process.

 

“To families with young children, and to landlords who rent to young families, let us help you get the lead out of your houses once and for all,” she said.

 

For more information on lead exposure and remediation, you can visit the city's website.

 

Contact Gemma atgdicarlo@wvpe.orgor follow her on Twitter at@gemma_dicarlo.

 

If you appreciate this kind of journalism on your local NPR station, please support it by donatinghere. 

Gemma DiCarlo came to Indiana by way of Athens, Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2020 with a degree in Journalism and certificates in New Media and Sustainability. She has radio experience from her time as associate producer of Athens News Matters, the flagship public affairs program at WUGA-FM.