26:2Q-1. Findings, declarations

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

Lead poisoning is the most prevalent environmental health problem facing children in New Jersey today; the Department of Health estimates that over 177,000 children under the age of five in New Jersey are at high risk of lead poisoning, and the effects of lead poisoning in children include learning disabilities, mental retardation, behavioral disorders, hyper-irritability, lack of coordination, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, convulsions, permanent brain damage and death; even low levels of lead exposure can cause subtle neurological changes, reduced concentration and attentiveness, reduced I.Q. scores, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities; these problems persist and can adversely affect the child's chances for success in school and life; lead poisoning is caused by environmental exposure to lead and the most significant sources are lead-based paint in older housing and lead-laden dust and soil; and the Department of Health estimates that approximately 65% of New Jersey's housing stock may contain lead-based paint, representing a potential public health hazard of alarming magnitude.

The Legislature further finds and declares that:

Persons performing lead evaluation and lead abatement work must receive appropriate training and certification to ensure that lead evaluations and abatements are reliable, thorough, and safe; persons performing lead evaluation, without proper training, may fail to detect lead-contaminated surfaces; an abatement work plan that is based on an improper evaluation will be inadequate to rid a dwelling of a lead hazard; persons performing lead abatement, without proper training, may cause the contamination of an entire home with dangerous levels of lead; and a certification program for lead abatement is essential to ensure the safety of the occupants and the safety of the workers and is also necessary to protect consumers from fraud, abuse, and shoddy work practices.

L.1993,c.288,s.1.