York Arena lead based paint halts restoration work

Restoration work inside the York Arena in Fredericton has come to a halt due to the lead content in some of the old paint.

WorkSafe NB confirmed in an email that a worker had filed a complaint.

"At this point, one worker has directly reported symptoms as a result of the lead exposure at the York Arena," wrote Beverly Stears, acting director of communications for WorkSafeNB.

In a second statement Stears wrote:

"On May 27, WorkSafeNB began an investigation. Confirmation of potential lead exposure to workers and to which workers is part of this investigation. At this point, we continue to await test results to identify if exposures did occur."

According to the vice president of SpringHill Construction Limited, one of the companies working in the building, some workers are being tested for lead poisoning.

"There are a few guys that are being tested for lead poisoning," said Brent Anderson."But to my knowledge none of my workers are off the job."

Anderson went on to say that he did not know of any of his workers that were missing work, bed-ridden or sick, in relation to the York Arena case.

"We haven't been in that building for months," said Anderson.

The city of Fredericton says the discovery of lead-based paint was a complete surprise.

"The original drawings that we had just said 'fire-retardant paint,' said city project supervisor James Blanchard.

"There hadn't been an indication of a lead base. We didn't have an further indication of that. We do try to do due diligence. As soon as it was brought up as a potential we certainly had it tested. That's the only way to know for sure."

Blanchard said a layer of paint found in the arena, specifically steel beams, was a major source of the paint that tested positive for lead.

"The orange paint tested highly positive for lead," said Blanchard."The blue paint had some, but it's impossible to tell if that was just from the paint that it was covering."

According to Blanchard, workers began removing the material with the lead-based paint Mondayand hopes to have all material harbouring the toxic paint removed with two weeks.