During the course of asbestos abatement projects, contractors often encounter other hazardous materials such as PCB's, mercury vapor bulbs and, most recently, lead-based paint. Over the last several years, CST Environmental has seen a marked increase in the number of lead abatement projects. Due to increased public awareness of the toxic effects of lead poisoning, or "plumbism", in children, CST has joined a fast-growing industry which offers new business opportunities to contractors who are already experienced with removal techniques for hazardous materials.

Lead is a soft, malleable, ductile, bluish-white, dense, metallic element extracted chiefly from galena (a mineral ore) and used in containers, pipes, solder, bullets, radiation shielding, paints, and gasoline.

Lead was used as a major ingredient in many kinds of paint prior to World War II and into the 1950's, until other pigmentations were developed. After that, the use of lead in paints continues, less as a pigment and more as a drying accelerator In 1971, the Federal government enacted the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. 4822 (d)(2)(A)) to regulate the use of lead-based paint in housing, but the issue still remains a significant problem in older homes. A recent report by the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) estimates that some 42 million homes contain lead-based paint; approximately 12 million children live in these homes.

Lead-based paint can also be found in buildings that have exposed structural steel members and decking. The lead paint used to protect the steel from the deteriorating effects of coastal environments can be found inside or outside the structures. As expected, the paint eventually begins to delaminate from its substrate, but because these buildings are typically industrial, commercial, or government facilities, the regulatory agencies governing the use of lead based paints are less involved

While adults may suffer some ill-effects due to excessive lead in their blood, the high-risk groups for exposure to lead are fetuses, infants, and children under seven years of age. Since the fetus is at risk from high blood-lead levels in the mother, pregnant women and women of child-bearing age must also be aware of the hazard of excessive lead exposure.

Excessive blood-lead levels in children can seriously damage the brain and central nervous system. Lead poisoning can cause attention-span deficits, impaired hearing, reading and learning disabilities, delayed cognitive development, reduced IQ scores, mental retardation, seizures, convulsions, coma and even death. In adults, high blood-lead levels may cause high blood pressure or anemia

In the 1970's, the principal danger to children was believed to be lead-based paint chips resulting from peeling paint. Research in the 1980's, however, indicates that lead dust is more of a concern. The minute particles created by sanding, grinding, and scraping techniques are easily absorbed by the body. Lead dust can also be generated by simply opening and closing windows coated with lead-based paint. The dust is especially hazardous to young children because they play on floors and engage in a significant amount of hand-to-mouth activity

The problem with lead-based paints is not limited to building interiors. For many years, exterior paints were designed to “chalk”, or lose some of the surface paint due to exposure to the elements and ultraviolet rays in order to maintain a fresh-painted appearance. The lead pigments, however, wash away in the process and accumulate in the soil around the house. The lead-contaminated soil poses a hazard to children who may play in or around it, and the soil can then be tracked into the home.

On March 6, 1990, OSHA implemented the Final Rule on Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (29 CFR Part 1910) which covers the following hazardous waste operations

CST's lead abatement workers likely to be exposed to permissible exposure limits have been provided with 40 hours of instruction in Hazardous Waste Operations plus three days of field experience under the direct supervision of a trained, experienced supervisor. Other workers who are unlikely to be exposed to PEL's receive 24 hours of instruction and one day of field experience. Management and supervisors also receive eight hours of specialized training on topics related to a health and safety program. Annually, workers and supervisors receive eight hours of refresher training on respective subjects