Two weeks after Vancouver Public Schools announced the discovery of lead paint and mold at Hough Elementary School, crews are spending the weekend giving the campus a deep-cleaning.
Test results, however, are yet to be released. Vancouver Public Schools is working with civil engineering firm PBS Engineering and Environmental to test and clean the campus at a total cost of $31,000.
District spokeswoman Pat Nuzzo said the firm uses lead action levels set in 2012 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The district is currently working with Clark County Public Health to determine if those are the most current standards.
Either way, the district is taking steps to mitigate children’s exposure to the toxic heavy metal.
Vancouver Public Schools sent a letter to parents on May 17 announcing the discovery of chipping lead-based paint in windowsills, as well as mold on the campus at 1900 Daniels St.
Hough Elementary School was built in 1941 and remodeled in the mid-1990s.
Lead-based paint and its dust are commonly found in buildings and homes constructed before 1978, the year the federal government banned lead-based paint.
Dr. Alan Melnick, Public Health director and Clark County health officer, said elementary-age students are at relatively low risk of exposure to lead because they’re less likely to put toys, paint chips or their hands in their mouths after touching lead contaminated objects.
Chronic lead exposure can damage a child’s developing brain, leading to learning and behavioral disabilities.
