Adair County, IA Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Who it covers
- Premises where an EBL child resides or commonly visits
- Lead-based paint
- 1.0 mg/cm2 by XRF, or more than 0.5% by weight
- Correction deadline
- Not to exceed 30 days from certified notice delivery
- Sale and possession
- Banned for residential painting use
- Penalty
- Simple misdemeanor, fine up to $200, each day separate
- Appeal
- Board of Health within 10 days
Summary
Adair County Ordinance No. 11 is a lead program, not a sale-time disclosure rule. It applies to premises where an elevated blood lead child resides or commonly visits, bans possessing or selling lead-based paint for residential use, and requires owners to correct hazards within 30 days of a certified-mail notice from the Health Officer.
Section 3: ... Scope and Applicability A. This ordinance shall affect only those premises in which an EBL child resides or commonly visits. All owners shall comply with the provisions of this ordinance and of the rules, resolutions, and order adopted pursuant to this ordinance. Section 4: Use or Sale of Lead-Based Paint A. No person shall possess, sell, expose for sale, deliver, or give away any lead-based paint intended for painting or covering any surface on the interior or exterior of a residential dwelling. ... Section ... 8: Hazard Reduction A. When the Health Officer determines that a lead hazard is present in a premises where an EBL child lives, frequently visits, or has recently resided, he/she shall, in accordance with Section 6C, issue a written notice within one (1) week to the owner, operator, and/or occupant, per certified mail to eliminate the hazard with suggested remedial/maintenance actions to be completed in a time period not to exceed thirty (30) days from date of delivery of the certified notice.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 11, the Adair County Lead Ordinance, was passed November 12, 1997 and is enforced by the Health Officer, defined as the Environmental Officer or an authorized representative of the Adair County Board of Health. Section 3 limits its reach to premises in which an EBL child resides or commonly visits. An EBL child is one with a single venous blood lead level above 20 micrograms per deciliter or at least two levels of 15 to 19.
Lead-based paint is paint with 1.0 milligrams of lead per square centimeter or more by XRF analyzer, or more than five-tenths of one percent lead by weight. Section 4 bans possessing, selling, exposing for sale, delivering or giving away lead-based paint intended for painting any surface of a residential dwelling. Section 5 sends lead paint waste to hazardous waste rules and bars reusing or recycling renovation waste for residential purposes.
Section 6 inspections combine a visual assessment with a lead-content determination by XRF analyzer or laboratory chemical analysis; swabs are not an acceptable method. Written findings go to the owner and affected occupants within one week. If entry is refused, Section 7 has the Health Officer seek a warrant from a county magistrate for an inspection between sunrise and sunset.
Section 8 requires a written notice by certified mail within one week, with remedial actions to be completed within a time period not to exceed 30 days from delivery, though the Health Officer can grant more time. A vacated dwelling cannot be let to anyone else until the notice is complied with. On accessible, impact or friction surfaces, all lead-based paint must be removed to the substrate, the component replaced, or the surface permanently covered; repainting without removal is not an approved method. The Health Officer then reinspects and issues a written lead-safe notice.
Section 11 applies the ordinance throughout Adair County, including cities and towns, unless a city or town has adopted its own lead ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Ordinance No. 11A, passed December 15, 1999, rewrote Section 14: a violation is a simple misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $200, and each day is a separate offense. If an owner fails to correct a hazard, the Board of Health can have it corrected and recover the cost by suit or through the County Treasurer's tax books. Section 9 bars retaliation against tenants. Orders can be appealed to the Board of Health within 10 days, then to District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Adair County require a lead paint disclosure when selling a home?
How long does an owner have to fix a lead hazard?
How is lead paint tested under the ordinance?
Can I appeal a Health Officer order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Adair County
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