Bethlehem, PA Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

Bethlehem's lead-hazard regime is unusually muscular for a city of 76,000 because the Bethlehem Bureau of Health is one of only six accredited city or county health departments in Pennsylvania (with Allegheny, Philadelphia, Allentown, Erie and Wilkes-Barre), operating under the Pennsylvania Local Health Administration Law (Act 315 of 1996), 35 P.S. Sections 444 et seq. Article 1167 (Lead Poison Control) of the Codified Ordinances, passed by Ordinance 3554 on June 1, 1993, gives the Bureau direct enforcement authority. Section 1167.01(a) names the Bureau of Health as the 'enforcement authority.' Section 1167.01(h) defines a 'lead-based coating requiring abatement' as any paint, varnish, glaze, putty or plaster with lead at 0.5% by weight or greater, or at least 1.0 mg/cm2 as measured by x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Section 1167.02 lets the Bureau enter and inspect on probable cause - including a report of an elevated blood lead level (the CDC reference is currently 3.5 micrograms/dL for a venous sample) for any child under six who resides or recently resided in the dwelling. Section 1167.03 declares any lead source above the 0.5% / 1.0 mg/cm2 threshold a health hazard if it is on a flaking, peeling, exposed or chewable surface, or in dust, soil or water at the premises. Section 1167.04 requires posting of a 'THIS DWELLING UNIT CONTAINS DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF LEAD PAINT AND IS UNFIT FOR HABITATION BY PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN UNDER SIX (6) YEARS OF AGE' notice on all entrances. Section 1167.05 lets the Bureau examine all children under six who reside or recently resided in the dwelling. Section 1167.06 requires the owner to submit a written abatement plan within 7 days and complete abatement within 14 days after plan approval (3 days for emergencies); the owner bears the cost. Section 1167.07 prohibits evicting tenants to avoid the order. Bethlehem's regime layers on top of federal lead law: the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR Part 745) and the Lead Disclosure Rule (24 CFR Part 35) for pre-1978 housing, and on top of the Pennsylvania Lead Certification Act of 1995 (35 P.S. Sections 5901 et seq.) requiring lead inspectors, risk assessors and abatement contractors to be Pennsylvania-certified.