Environment
Getting the lead out of public housing units in La Crosse
La Crosse’s City Hall is getting an interior makeover this year, partly to remove any hazardous asbestos which has been there since the building opened 50 years ago.
A similar effort to remove dangerous building materials is planned for public housing units in La Crosse, such as the senior high-rises.
City Housing Authority director Steve Schauf says the aim is to get rid of any lead paint which would have been used before the late 70’s.
“We had testing done on our family units, especially with children under 6, that were done back in 1993, and nothing was found in those,” said Schauf.
The buildings to be inspected include Stoffel Court, Stokke Towers, Sauber Manor, Becker Plaza, and the Forest Park building. All were put up before a lead paint ban took effect in 1978.
Schauf says since children can live in those city buildings, the city wants to remove any lead that could be found in the dwellings.