1 FACT SHEETHOME & GARDEN

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

What does the Home & Garden program do?

The Home & Garden Program has two parts - home renovations support, and garden and yard soil testing, advice and support. The program is aimed at keeping people’s home environments healthy and safe. The program operates out of the Community Program Office at 1319 Bay Avenue in Trail.

What support can I get for Home Renovation?

Any homeowner or tenant doing work on their home in Trail or Rivervale can get free health and safety equipment, supplies and information. Owners and tenants of pre-1976 homes anywhere in Greater Trail can get the same support. These supports include the free use of HEPA-filtered and shop vacuums, free respirators, disposable coveralls and plastic sheeting.

All Greater Trail homeowners, tenants, and building contractors can get free health and safety information and advice on how to conduct safe renovations. We can help show you how to protect yourself, your workers, and household residents from dust during construction and when transporting and disposing of waste materials. This is important because home renovations, demolitions and construction stir up a lot of dust, which may contain lead and other metals. Safe disposal of waste materials is important because there may be lead and other metals in soil, dust, paint chips, and painted materials.

We are in the midst of renovations and I am loving that we have a community that cares enough… that I can get respirators and a shop vac to use for free, just to make sure that my family is healthy.

Home & Garden Program

– Wayne Kelly, Trail KBS Radio Show Host

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

What is being proposed for this program?

The supports – the free equipment, supplies, and advice - are proposed to stay the same. New features are more program promotion, more education, and a better system for making sure contractors and home renovators use the services. The goal is to have all home renovators use the program.

The Home Renovation Support Program will be publicized more widely to the community, and especially to contractors. A training and awareness program will be developed so owners and contractors are aware of proper dust control and materials disposal. The program will link with local building permit departments to make sure that people applying for building permits are directed to the program and given information on safety precautions.

What is available for Garden & Yard Soil?

The Garden & Yard Soil program offers information and advice to all Trail area residents. Staff in the Community Program Office are there to answer your questions about metals in soil. Also, soil testing and possible covering or replacement of soil is available on a priority basis for people living in Trail and Rivervale. The purpose of this program is to minimize health risks from people’s contact with metals in soil. Priority goes to families with young children and pregnant women, as well as people living in areas with the highest metal levels in their soil.

This program is proposed to continue as is. Here’s what the program offers:

Services for Families with Young ChildrenThere are two ways that families with young children get into this program. The public health nurse at Interior Health may refer a family, or they can request to have their soil tested.

Families with children under 5 and pregnant women can request soil testing for their vegetable gardens or whole yards. Testing is done across the yard, especially in bare soil, sandboxes, vegetable gardens and flower gardens. If the lead levels in the soil are over 1000 ppm (parts per million), the family is in line to have vegetable garden soil replaced, if they want. Also, if they need better ground cover in their yard, they may qualify to have free sod and clean topsoil delivered. They would need to do the work and pay the cost of installing it, but the cost of materials would be covered. If the lead level is over 5000 ppm, the family is in line to have soil replaced in the entire yard. The

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

program pays the costs of replacing soil and installing ground cover. Top priority for replacing soil goes to families where children have elevated blood lead levels.

Vegetable Gardens Anyone in Trail or Rivervale can request soil testing for their vegetable garden. If the lead level in the soil is over 1000 ppm (parts per million), they are in line for soil replacement in order of priority, if they want their soil replaced. Again, families with young children are the top priority.

Whole Yards Families1 with children under 5 can apply for yard soil testing, as described above. Also, starting in 2008, Trail has had a “pilot program” to pinpoint and replace soil on sites with the highest metal levels. Each year, soil is tested in a selected city block of about 15-20 properties where metal levels are known to be high. If test results show lead levels above 5000 ppm (parts per million), those yards are in line for soil replacement. This pilot program is proposed to run for five years, ending in 2013. At that time, the program will be evaluated and changes may be proposed.

Requests from Outside Trail and RivervaleRequests for soil testing from other parts of Greater Trail are considered on a case-by-case basis. Soil testing is done by priority and the levels of smelter metals in soil are likely to be lower outside Trail or Rivervale. Advice and information are available to everyone.

What do I need to know about soil?

In the Trail area, soil has higher than normal levels of several metals, including lead. This was mainly caused by past smelter emissions, especially from before the 1970s. Metals stay in the soil, and the levels are still rising though by very small amounts. The highest levels found by testing are in Trail and Rivervale.

In the Trail area, the main health risks from lead come from surface dust, and are a particular issue with young children. The most important risks around soil have to do with young children - playing in the dirt, and putting it, outdoor toys, or dirty fingers in their mouths. Tracking dirt into the house is also an issue. Children absorb lead much more readily than adults. Also, their developing brains are most at risk to the harmful effects of lead. If you have young children, please read the Family Health Fact Sheet.

1 Daycares and grandparents with grandchildren under 5 living with them, or in their regular care, can also request testing.

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

The second issue is dust coming from bare soil as well as general handling of soil. If you have a lot of bare soil in your yard, you may want to consider covering those areas. Asphalt, crushed rock, and concrete are good permanent ground covers. Grass, bark mulch, fences and gravel are better than bare soil but they need to be maintained. Sandboxes or grass make good play areas. In yards where lead levels in soil are particularly high (over 5000 ppm) and especially where there are young children, soil removal and replacement may be offered to provide reliable protection.

A third issue is the effect of metals on garden vegetables and fruits. Studies have been done in Trail comparing the levels of metals in homegrown and store bought produce. Overall, the levels are a bit higher for homegrown produce but there are also important benefits of growing and eating homegrown produce. There are things you can do to minimize metal levels. Always wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them. You can also choose what to grow. The fruit parts of plants (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, beans etc.) absorb very little metal from soil. Root vegetables also absorb very little but you need to peel them before eating. With peeled veggies, the metal levels are about the same as store-bought. Leafy greens absorb more metal – and washing them gets rid of some, but not all of it. If you are concerned, please call the Community Program Office and request soil testing for your vegetable garden.

What does it mean to live in an area where soil tests high, around 5000 ppm?

If the soil is covered, the risk is negligible. Soil won’t leap out of the ground and contaminate you. If you follow good hygiene practices, like washing hands, keeping dust and dirt out of the house, and covering bare soil, you help minimize risks. THE Program focuses on how best to reduce risks, especially to young children.

10 Top Tips for a Safe Garden & Home

1. Make sure children wash their hands after playing outside, and before eating.

2. Wash your hands before eating, or when you finish gardening, yard work, or home projects.

3. Don’t eat or touch your mouth when gardening or working with soil or dust.

4. Cover up areas of bare soil in your yard. Cover the sandbox when not in use. Hose the driveway and other paved areas regularly. Keep all grass areas in good condition.

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

5. Leave outside shoes at the door. Place a mat at your door.

6. Isolate areas under renovation in the home, with plastic sheeting. Leave work clothes in the work area.

7. Vacuum and clean work areas each day before and after working on home renovations.

8. Store home renovation waste materials in safe containers that can be covered & transported.

9. Wear coveralls when working with soil, doing home renovations, and dusty jobs.

10. Wash dirty clothing separately from the regular household laundry.

How can I get more information?

For information on the Home and Garden Program, contact the Community Program Office at 1319 Bay Avenue or 250-368-3256. For general information on THE Program, visit the THEC website at http://thep.ca/.

Digging up your yard? If you’re excavating, be sure to contact the Home Renovation Program for guidance on avoiding lead exposure. We’re also a source of free safety supplies and we lend safety equipment. 250-368-3256.

Trail Area Health & Environment Program 2010

Where do program activities take place?

Fact Sheets available:

Family Health Home & Garden Property Development

Air Quality Parks & Wildlands How the Health & Environment Program works