Angie's List
Campaign for Lead
Safety Awareness

Realty Times

Portland--10/22/2007

Writer Phoebe Chongchua talks with Josh Owens about lead safety precautions to take around the house when preparing for a renovation job. She also previews the upcoming Portland Angie's List Lead Safety Tour event.
Gohttp://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20071022_leadpaint.htm

WCCO-TV

Minneapolis--10/13/2007

Reporter Maya Nishikawa covers the Angie's List Lead Safety Tour event in Minneapolis and talks with local experts about their involvement with the tour and how to keep kids safe from lead poisoning.
Gohttp://wcco.com/health/local_story_286191744.html

WBBM-TV (CBS 2)

Chicago--10/13/2007

Rafael Romo stops by the Angie's List Lead Safety Tour event in Chicago to talk with concerned parents about lead safety and their children.
Gohttp://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=36351@wbbm.dayport.com

KARE-TV

Minneapolis--10/11/2007

In this innovative web cam interview, Diana and Pat talk with Angie's List Lead Safety Tour coordinator Josh Owens about the Lead Safety Tour event in Minneapolis and tips for reducing lead exposure in your home.
Gohttp://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?sid=267156&aid=55416

Asheville Citizen-Times

Asheville --10/07/2007

The Asheville Citizen-Times published Angie's letter to the editor about lead safety issues in and around your home and an update on the Angie's List Lead Safety Tour.
Gohttp://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071007/OPINION02/71005041/1040/OPINION

KTVI-TV (STLMoms)

St. Louis --10/05/2007

Kevin and John talk with Kevin Gray from Angie's List about the St. Louis Angie's List Lead Safety Tour event and general tips when remodeling an older house.
Gohttp://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4553438&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.5.1

KYW-TV

Philadelphia--10/06/2007

Jim Donovan from CBS3 in Philadelphia stops by the Angie's List Lead Safety Tour. He covers the basics of lead safety and talks with Josh Owens from Angie's List about the tour and what to look for when hiring a contractor.
Gohttp://cbs3.com/video/?id=46723@kyw.dayport.com

WNDY-TV

Indianapolis--9/22/2007

Reporter Phil Sanchez stops by the Indianapolis Angie's List Lead Safety Tour event to cover blood lead testing and contractor training in the city. Angie also talks about the company's involvement in Lead Safety and quick tips when hiring a contractor.
Gohttp://leadsafety/media/WNDYLeadTour22Sep.wmv

KRON-TV

San Francisco--9/22/2007

Whitney Vogel talks with the morning anchors at KRON to preview the Angie's List Lead Safety Tour in the Bay Area. Whitney talks at length about lead safety issues, why Angie's List decided to get involved, and what to do if you couldn't make it out to the event.
Gohttp://leadsafety/media/KRONSFLeadTour22Sep.wmv

WISH-TV (Daybreak)

Indianapolis--9/21/2007

Angie talks Joy Dumandan on WISH's morning show to preview the Indianapolis Angie's List Lead Safety Tour event. Angie reviews lead safe practices and encourages everyone who cannot attend to contact their local health departments for more information on lead safety.
Gohttp://leadsafety/media/WISHDaybreakIndyleadtour21Sep.wmv

KTRK-TV (Consumer Blog)

Houston--9/24/2007

KTRK's web producer Mike McGuff posts an informative interview with Angie about the dangers of lead paint in the Houston area.
Gohttp://www.angieslist.com/AngiesList/Visitor/PressDetail.aspx?i=1017

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Bay Area--9/23/2007

Carolyn Jones writes about the Angie's List Lead Safety Tour stop in the San Francisco Bay Area Saturday, September 22. Carolyn interviews contractors, families, and shares great information about every-day lead safety.
Gohttp://www.angieslist.com/AngiesList/Visitor/PressDetail.aspx?i=1016

KGO-TV (View from the Bay)

San Francisco Bay Area--9/17/2007

Angie talks with Lisa Quinn at a house built in 1930 about lead poisoning prevention. In this informative piece, Angie talks about what to look for around the house to keep your family safe and healthy. Read more here:
Gohttp://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=viewfrombay&id=5660207

KTVU-TV

San Francisco Bay Area--9/17/2007

Angie talks about the dangers of lead-based paint and the findings of an Angie's List survey that showed a third of contractors surveyed gave bad information about how to safely deal with lead-based paint.
Gohttp://leadsafety/media/KTVUSanFran17Sept07.wmv

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Bay Area--9/17/07

Kate Williamson conducts a short interview with Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle about his experience with lead-based paint, what to look for before remodeling, and how lead-based paint affects even renters.
Gohttp://www.examiner.com/a-938996~The_3_minute_interview_with_Bill_Oesterle.html

Inside Indiana Business

Indianapolis, IN--9/18/2007

Inside Indiana Business picks up the Indianapolis Angie's List Lead Safety Tour news release and reviews details about the Circle-City event. Read more here:
Gohttp://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=25490

Democrat & Chronicle

Rochester, NY--9/18/2007

Ernst Lamothe, Jr. writes about a Rochester woman who, for 10 years has served young children at her home-based preschool and full-time child care organization, but who recently found that her facility tested positive for lead paint. Angie's List and local contractors stepped in to help, removing the lead-based paint from the facility for free, along with replacing the roof and gutters, work valued at $5,000. The project was one of the 2007 wishes granted by the Angie?s List Wishmakers program. Read more here:
Gohttp://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/NEWS01/709180315/1002/NEWS

WROC-TV

Rochester, NY--9/17/2007

WROC-TV covers the story of a Rochester woman who, for 10 years has served young children at her home-based preschool and full-time child care organization, but who recently found that her facility tested positive for lead paint. Angie's List and local contractors stepped in to help, removing the lead-based paint from the facility for free, along with replacing the roof and gutters, work valued at $5,000. The project was one of the 2007 wishes granted by the Angie?s List Wishmakers program. Read more here:
Gohttp://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=12700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cheryl Reed 317-396-9134

Angie's List to offer National Lead Safety Tour

Experts to check children's blood lead levels, train contractors and DIYers

Angie's List and teams of experts will criss-cross the nation in the next eight weeks to offer lead testing and safety training to help homeowners avoid situations that could irreversibly harm their children. The Angie's List Lead Safety Tour will also offer training to help contractors safely work around lead-based paint.

Angie's List, the national consumer organization that helps homeowners find reliable help in more than 280 categories of service, including painting and remodeling, is offering the training and testing free to the public. Experts will discuss the dangers that toxic levels of lead pose and will offer:

  • • Blood-lead level testing for children.
  • • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved training for contractors who work with lead-based paint
  • • Informal seminar for homeowners about what they need to know when hiring a contractor who will disturb lead-based paint
  • • Tutorial for do-it-yourselfers who might disturb lead-based paint

 

  Visit http://leadsafety.angieslist.com for details on the tour schedule.

 

The tour was developed in response to an Angie's List investigation into contractors' lead-safe work practices. During the investigation, Angie's List staff contacted nearly 200 companies whose employees regularly disturb lead paint during the course of their work. Responders from one-third of the companies, even when prompted with specific questions about lead-based paint, gave advice that could put people, especially young children, in danger. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage to young children.

 

Federal housing officials estimate that 24 million American homes contain dangerous levels of lead-based paint, which was commonly used prior to 1978 when it was banned from use. When working on homes built before 1978, contractors are required by federal law to notify owners and tenants that they may be disturbing lead-based paint. The law also requires them to provide homeowners with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's pamphlet, "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home."

 

A nationwide poll of Angie's List members found that 51 percent live in a home built prior to 1978. Of those members, 75 percent said their contractor failed to warn them about the possible dangers of lead-based paint, and 85 percent never received the pamphlet.

 

"We find the results of this investigation alarming," said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List. "We are concerned that our members are being given incorrect information about lead-based paint. The goal of this tour is to bring together experts who can educate the public about the hazards associated with lead."

 

Because lead-based paint is present in so many homes, it poses danger for every income-level. Angie's List CEO, Bill Oesterle, was rehabbing an older home in Indianapolis when his then two-year-old daughter suffered the effects of lead poisoning.

 

"My family learned firsthand how damaging lead poisoning can be to young children," Oesterle said. "It is important to me that Angie's List helps educate the public and contractors about this issue so that other families can avoid exposing their children to this toxin. This is an avoidable situation, and education is truly our greatest weapon."

 

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Angie's List is where consumers turn to get the real scoop on local contractors and companies in more than 280 different categories. Currently, more than 500,000 consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie's List to help them find the right contractor or company for the job they need done. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the Angie's List magazine, which includes articles on home improvement and maintenance, consumer trends and scam alerts; a monthly newsletter with even more information and coupons; and they can utilize the Angie's List complaint resolution service. Get more information and consumer tips at www.angieslist.com.

For more information about lead paint go to http://www.epa.gov/lead/