In their most recent round of testing, county inspectors found unsafe levels of lead dust in two spots on the gym floor at the Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center. But, officials said, the risk to children who attend biweekly indoor play program could be mitigated through an intensive cleaning program by center staff.

The issue of lead paint contamination at the former armory at 487 Broadway arose in January when a concerned parent arranged her own unauthorized lead testing at the facility’s gym which hosts a wintertime play program for pre-school age children. (The program ended as scheduled last week and is not scheduled to resume until December). Those tests showed high levels of lead in paint on the walls of the 19th century-vintage building and the presence of toxic lead dust on hardwood floors and gym mats. A follow-up test by county lead inspectors in February confirmed the presence of lead paint. The most recent round of testing by the county earlier this month turned up two spots — one next to a wall and a second near the main entranceway — where lead dust levels were slightly above the 10 parts per million which, per EPA rules, trigger mandatory abatement.

On March 27, Ulster County Department of Health Director of Environmental Services Tim Rose and lead paint risk assessment specialist Jim Rodden briefed members of the Kingston Common Council’s Public Safety Committee on the findings. Both men said that given the amount of lead paint in the center, they were surprised that the tests didn’t show more contaminated spots, something they attributed to center staff’s cleaning protocols.

But, Rodden said, any amount of lead in a place frequented by children was cause for concern. Lead is a known contaminant which, according to the EPA, can cause cognitive issues and have other harmful effects on young children.

“Frankly there is no safe level of lead. It’s toxic,” said Rodden. “Unfortunately, we live in a lead-contaminated world.”

Mayor Steve Noble has said that the lead paint at the Murphy Center had been a known issue for years, but one that could be addressed through cleaning and regular maintenance. Rodden, meanwhile, said that while lead levels could be managed by maintenance staff, a permanent fix would require full remediation of all lead paint in the center. Lead paint has already been removed from the facility’s kitchen as part of a 2023 renovation project. Money from the city’s pandemic relief funds has been set aside for lead paint remediation as part of a larger overhaul of the center scheduled for next year.

“You can put 100 layers of new, modern, lead-safe latex paint over 150-year-old lead-based enamel paint and that base layer is still going to be an issue,” said Rodden. “Unless it is really removed, it’s still there and it requires constant maintenance.”