Lead problems raise concerns whether old mills in CT can be safely reused for housing

Ginny Monk
·4 min read
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that lead discovered at a Putnam apartment complex poses an “imminent and substantial endangerment to tenants” and has issued an order requiring the company to take immediate steps to remedy the problem.

The EPA has been investigating the Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam for months following reports of toxic levels of lead. The agency is mandating that the owner, Historic Cargill Falls Mill, LLC, take steps such as relocating tenants and setting a schedule for remediation.

“This order will ensure the most immediate protection EPA can offer for the children and families who live in this complex,” said David W. Cash, the EPA’s New England regional administrator, in a Thursday press release. “No one should have to experience the dangers from exposure to lead-based paint, especially in this decade. We have environmental laws for a reason, and that’s to protect people’s health. This order demonstrates our commitment to keeping children and families safe and healthy."

Katy Slininger, a resident of Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam, is part of her building's tenant union. She has been on rent strike for six months in response to lead and mold in the apartment complex.
Katy Slininger, a resident of Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam, is part of her building's tenant union. She has been on rent strike for six months in response to lead and mold in the apartment complex.

The phone line at the apartment complex wasn’t operational Thursday and owner Leanne Parker’s attorney declined to comment.

Residents at Cargill Falls Mill formed a tenant union last year and have been asking for improved conditions. They recently went on a rent strike over the issues with lead, mold and other conditions at the complex. In a statement issued Thursday, union members said they welcomed the federal intervention.

“Over the last few years, our tenants have suffered acute health issues, injury, and significant financial loss as a result of landlord neglect and retaliation,” the Cargill Tenants Union’s statement said. “Toxic levels of lead, present in shocking amounts throughout the recently-converted mill, have put our children, pregnant members, and tenants with disabilities at risk. When local enforcement and accountability mechanisms failed, our grassroots organizing exposed the public health emergency.”

Early in 2023, the local health department found lead paint in some common areas and several units with lead dust. Families took their children to get tested, and some of the youngest had elevated levels of lead in their systems.

The Northeast District Department of Health issued orders to abate the lead for the child-occupied units and some common areas. The local department has jurisdiction for areas where children under 6 years old live.

After initial inspections, the state’s Department of Housing issued $72,000 to conduct a more thorough lead inspection. The state contracted with private company GeoQuest for the second round of inspections. GeoQuest found 68 of the 71 apartments tested had lead paint. The company also found lead in many common areas.

Twenty-four places in the building had levels of lead dust higher than what federal regulations allow. Tenants have said the complex’s owner hasn’t done enough to ensure the lead has been remediated and there are issues with mold, water leakage and pests.

The EPA is now issuing the order to perform lead abatement work in all of the apartments that have lead-based paint or lead dust that hasn’t been abated.

The agency’s press release says that all units with lead-based paint or dust hazards will be addressed.

Under the order, the apartment owner will be required to hire a licensed and insured lead abatement contractor to perform abatements of 50 units and develop a schedule for the abatements. They’ll also have to arrange and pay for tenants to be relocated until the units are free of lead hazards.

Cargill Falls will also have to identify any other units or areas with lead hazards that hadn’t been previously found and conduct lead assessments for all units for the next five years. They’ll also be mandated to post signs on the property to let people know that the federal agency has determined the property has “solid and/or hazardous wastes that may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health,” according to the press release.

The Cargill Tenants Union’s statement said lead abatement is the first step.

“Further demands by the Cargill Tenants Union, including addressing structural issues and chronic mold conditions, must be met with similar urgency,” the statement said. “Several tenants are still facing eviction over refusal to pay rent while living in toxic lead conditions; we demand the immediate dismissal of all eviction cases, considering the imminent dangers confirmed by the EPA.”

The EPA’s announcement comes after Connecticut Attorney General William Tong launched an inquiry at the property.

The renovation at the historic mill was once touted as a way to preserve history and add to the state’s housing stock. Early on, the director of development for the project told a local paper that it was the oldest mill in the country — one building dated back to the 1730s.

Officials have recently looked for more ways to renovate old mills in Connecticut and turn them into housing. Many are concentrated in downtowns and are going unused. Tenants at the Putnam apartments have questioned whether this can be done safely.

Ginny Monk is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org). Copyright 2024 © The Connecticut Mirror.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: EPA orders lead cleanup at Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam, Connecticut