Public health officials plan to knock on the doors of homes in the East Trenton neighborhood to offer testing for children, after three parks and a city school there tested positive for high lead levels recently.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora announced in January that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found lead in Grant intermediate school and in April, three parks: Sony (also spelled Sonny) Vereen Playground, Breunig Avenue Park, and Grant Avenue Playground.
The EPA is coordinating cleanup, and the city wants to test the 600 students at Grant. So far, though, only 118 of them have been tested. Last week, the city’s health division and the mayor announced the door-to-door plan.
The testing is free.
Gusciora said the city was running into logistical issues for testing the students, from language barriers, to the requirement that a parent/guardian needs to be present for the test, which is a blood draw. So they city is working with the school district, and Isles, a city organization that specializes in lead issues, to try to get to all affected students.
“This is a great opportunity to test a sample of Trenton kids and see how pervasive elevated levels are in small children,” the mayor said.
If a child’s test comes back with elevated levels, the city will then inspect the child’s home, and grant money exists to have lead removed or abated, the mayor said. Lead in homes is commonly in paint on walls and pipes.
“It’s also an opportunity to turn the tables...and get the lead out of Trenton once and for all,” Gusciora said.
Any child in the city, no matter the neighborhood, can be tested by contacting the city’s Health division, which has a bureau dedicated to lead, and is located at 218 N. Broad Street in the city, or by phone at 609-989-3242, ext. 103. The Health division’s website can be found by clicking here.
The lead in East Trenton - which is in the North Ward - is likely from decades of pottery production in the neighborhood, once called Coalport, which was known worldwide for its output from many factories.
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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com
