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A Guide to Lead–Based Paint in the Home Page 3

This is page 3 of "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home", an EPA publication. Go to Page 1 or Page 2.


Other Sources of Lead

  • Drinking water. Your home might have plumbing with lead or lead solder. Call your local health department or supplier to find out about testing your water. You cannot see, smell or taste lead and boiling your water will not get rid of the lead. If you think your plumbing might have lead in it:
    • Use only cold water for drinking and cooking.
    • Run water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking it, especially if you have not used your water for a few hours.
  • The job. If you work with lead, you could bring it home on our clothes. Shower and change clothes before coming home. Launder your work clothes separately from the rest of your family's clothes.
  • Old painted toys and furniture.
  • Food and liquids stored in lead crystal or lead–glazed pottery or porcelain.
  • Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into the air.
  • Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery or stained glass or refinishing furniture.
  • Folk remedies that contain lead, such as "greta" and "azarcon" used to treat an upset stomach.

For More Information

  • The National Lead Information Center
    Call 1–800–424–LEAD 9424–5323) to learn how to protect children from lead poisoning and for other information on lead hazards. To access lead information via the internet, visit www.epa.gov/lead and www.hud.gov/offices/lead/. For the hearing impaired, call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and ask for the National Lead Information Center a 1–800–424–LEAD.
  • EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline
    Call 1–800–426–4791 for information about lead in drinking water.
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Hotline
    To request information on lead in consumer products or to report an insafe consumer product or a product–related injury call 1–800–638–2772 or visit CPSC's website at: www.cpsc.gov.
  • Health and Environmental Agencies
    Some cities, states and tribes have their own rules for lead–based paint activities. Check with your local agency to see which laws apply to you. Most agencies can also provide information on finding a lead abatement firm in your area and on possible sources of financial aid for reducing lead hazards. Receive up–to–date address and phone information for your local contacts on the internet at www.epa.gov/lead or contact the National Lead Information Center at 1–800–424–LEAD.

EPA Regional Offices

  • Region 1
    (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 1
    Suite 1100 (CPT)
    One congress Street
    Boston, MA 02114–2023
    1 (888) 372–7341
  • Region 2
    (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 2
    2890 Woodbridge Avenue
    Building 209, Mail Stop 225
    Edison, NJ 08837–3679
    (732) 321–6671
  • Region 3
    (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 3 (3WC33)
    1650 Arch Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19103
    (215) 814–5000
  • Region 4
    (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 4
    61 Forsyth Street, SW
    Atlanta, GA 30303
    (404) 562–8998
  • Region 5
    (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 5 (DT–8J)
    77 West Jackson Boulevard
    Chicago, IL 60604–3666
    (312) 886–6003
  • Region 6
    (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 6
    1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor
    Dallas, TX 75202–2733
    (214) 665–7577
  • Region 7
    (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 7
    (ARTD–RALI)
    901 N. 5th Street
    Kansas City, KS 66101
    (913) 551–7020
  • Region 8
    (Colorado, Nontana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 8
    999 18th Street, Suite 500
    Denver, CO 80202–2466
    (303) 312–6021
  • Region 9
    (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 9
    75 Hawthorne Street
    San Francisco, CA 94105
    (415) 947–4164
  • Region 10
    (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
    Regional Lead Contact
    U.S. EPA Region 10
    Toxic Section WCM–128
    1200 Sixth Avenue
    Seattle, WA 98101–1128
    (206) 553–1985

Consumer Product Safety Commission

  • Eastern Reginal Center
    Consumer Product Safety Commission
    201 Varick Street, Room 903
    New York, NY 10014
    (212) 620–4120
  • Central Regional Center
    Consumer Product Safety Commission
    230 South Dearborn Street, Room 2944
    Chicago, IL 60604
    (312) 353–8260
  • Western Regional Center
    Consumer Product Safety Commission
    1301 Clay Street, Suite 610–N
    Oakland, CA 94612
    (510) 637–4050

HUD Lead Office

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
    Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
    451 Seventh Street, SW, P–3206
    Washington, DC 20410
    (202) 755–1785

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