More than 100 older homes could benefit from Westmoreland County lead removal program

Apr. 27—A few new doors and some paint might not seem like much, but it's been a huge comfort for Michelle Trenk to know her Jeannette home is now free of lead-based paint.

Her family isn't exposed to the toxic metal any longer, thanks to Westmoreland County's new grant-­funded lead removal program.

"It's a relief," she said.

Extra perks that came with the program resulted in the family's wooden front porch being replaced and a nagging water-related roof and chimney issue being fixed for what is hopefully the final time.

"That was a blessing on top of everything," Trenk said.

Westmoreland County community development and planning officials are hoping to help dozens more residents with lead-based paint hazards with a $3.4 million federal grant. Homes built before 1978 where a child younger than 6 either lives or visits at least six hours on a weekly basis, or at least 60 hours a year, would qualify as long as the household meets income guidelines. A single adult can have an income of as much as $53,100 and two people in a household can make up to $60,700 to qualify.

The focus is on Jeannette and 11 other communities: Allegheny Township, Avonmore, Export, Greensburg, Hyde Park, Laurel Mountain, Monessen, New Kensington, Scottdale, Southwest Greensburg and Sutersville. But any home in the county can be addressed. Seventeen projects have been approved by the county commissioners so far.

"We're doing jobs in Irwin, Greensburg, New Kensington, Vandergrift, Ligonier," housing specialist Rick Mills said. "We've done a pretty good cross-section in the county."

Thirteen more homes are on a waiting list. Officials believe enough funding remains for about 100 more projects.

A separate $550,000 Pennsylvania Department of Health grant would address the same issues, but in households where income levels are over the federal grant guidelines.

'Every room, nook and cranny'

Lead exposure in children can have detrimental effects on their health, including learning and behavior issues and damage to the brain and nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They can ingest lead-based paint chips or particles in a home or soil.

Getting approval for the work can be a monthlong process, during which a risk assessor conducts up to 300 tests inside and outside of an eligible home and then makes recommendations based on what is found. That could be replacing a window, door or siding. The work is done by contractors who have specialized training and certifications.

The county also is using $400,000 from the grant to address health issues in homes where lead-based paint is being remediated, said Janet Parker, deputy director of the county's planning and development department. Those issues could include mold, locks and fire alarms, and in Trenk's case, the porch, roof and chimney issues.

Sandy Grsetic got new gutters and the exterior of her Vandergrift home repainted through the healthy homes funding. Crews already were there to replace her lead-contaminated front door and do some lead paint remediation.

She didn't know there was lead paint at her house but thought it was a possibility because it was built in the 1950s.

"It just made the home safer for my grandchildren," she said. "They did a very thorough job of checking every room, nook and cranny."

'Building a program'

It's the first time the county is embarking on a lead abatement program, but officials hope it can continue in the future.

"We're building a program that's going to be around for a long time," said Jason Rigone, director of the county's planning division.

The funding for lead abatement and healthy homes issues is being augmented by more state money through the federal American Rescue Plan that is meant to address home repairs. If a household qualifies for that help, there will be additional resources available for general home rehabilitation, Rigone said. While officials work on the guidelines for that program, they said it will offer more opportunities for additional repairs in homes where lead paint has been identified.

"We want to support families that have young children and try to improve the lives of those households," he said. "Given the age of the county housing stock, there's a need for funding."

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .