Lead was detected in the paint chips that were falling from a television tower in Woodberry, affirming residents’ concerns, according to an email from the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Inspectors from the department’s solid waste and lead poisoning prevention programs tested the chips in the area known as TV Hill on Wednesday.

Woodberry residents noticed the paint chips falling from the tower on Hooper Avenue about two weeks ago. They have been on high alert after a resident used an at-home lead test on a chip and the result was positive. The tower has broadcasted WJZ-TV, WBAL-TV and WMAR-TV since 1959.

The paint chips have been seen throughout the neighborhood, traveling across the Jones Falls waterway and onto Union Collective. Residents raised concerns on the possibility of lead contamination in the soil and water.

Contractors from Skyline Painting, a Nebraska-based company, were power-washing the tower and were going to begin repainting it. Residents said they also saw workers grinding paint off of the tower.

State inspectors instructed the contractors to collect paint samples from the tower for testing of hazardous waste. The officials also told contractors to place all chips in a closed container for proper handling.

Contractors were also seen vacuuming some of the surrounding areas of the neighborhood, including by Scribbles Child Care, a day care center behind the tower.

After Wednesday’s inspection, the city issued a cease-and-desist order to all power-washing activities. The state is working on “appropriate enforcement actions” related to “hazardous waste generation, lead abatement accreditation and lead safe work practices” at the tower.

clara.longo@thebaltimorebanner.com

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Woodberry residents concerned about lead in chips falling from tower