Lewiston to Get More Than $3M for Lead Abatement

Maine Public | By Associated Press

Published June 27, 2017 at 6:04 AM EDT

LEWISTON, Maine - One of Maine's largest cities will be receiving more than $3 million for lead abatement projects.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, says Lewiston will receive $3 million in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration money and $400,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental money. She says the city will be able to use the funds to address lead hazards in 220 housing units.

Collins says the work will help provide safer homes for low- and very low-income families with children. Lead remains a public health problem in New England due to the region's older housing stock than most of the rest of the country.

Unsafe levels of lead exposure can cause a host of symptoms in children, including kidney failure, learning disabilities and abdominal pain.