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□ utreach Barriers and Strategies 
The Minneapolis/St. Paul area has the largest Somali immigrant population in the United 
States. Many of these residents are fearful of government and are largely illiterate. In addition to 
reaching them through community-based organizations and with translated material distributed 
in public health clinics, the program is also using local Somali-language cable TV and radio sta¬ 
tions. Minneapolis is using donated advertising space to place informational posters in bus stop 
shelters within targeted neighborhoods. Minneapolis finds that free remnant (unsold) transit 
advertising space is often available in low-income neighborhoods. 
The city of Minneapolis printed a Guide to Setting Up a Lead Center that explains in clear and 
simple terms the steps involved in setting up and operating a lead center. It covers everything 
from identifying suitable locations, approaching local store owners, educating store staff (who 
play a major outreach role), running the HEPA vacuum rental program, disposing of hazardous 
waste, understanding liability issues, and more. Local retailers, such as hardware stores, paint 
stores, and gardening centers, as well as neighborhood churches and community centers, can 
use this guide to establish and run a lead center inside of their establishments and to implement 
the HEPA vacuum loaner program. The city has educated and trained hardware store personnel 
and has established Neighborhood Lead Centers in several locations. Minneapolis successfully 
recruits these business owners by showing them how they can benefit and how their knowledge 
about lead dust can serve as a marketing tool. 
The lead centers display bilingual brochures and videos about lead poisoning and the treatment 
of lead dust. They also manage rentals of HEPA vacuums. Nine lead centers are currently oper¬ 
ating in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, with several more in the planning stages. In addition to 
the actual HEPA vacuums, the centers are supplied with all necessary equipment and accessories 
such as vacuum filters, wet wipes, disposable gloves, and disposable bags. Minneapolis provides 
each center with standard rental agreement forms, vacuum equipment, supply checklists, 
reorder forms, and standard lead center policy notices for posting. It also provides information 
and training for retail store employees on lead-safe work practices and the HEPA loaner pro¬ 
gram, which the employees, in turn, pass on to their customers. Additionally, the program pro¬ 
vides tips on identifying, approaching, and recruiting potential retail partners, as well as tips on 
program publicity, media relations, and general program outreach. 
Minneapolis also recognizes the important interactive role lead inspectors play. Not only are 
they technical experts and program enforcers, but they also are program ambassadors. Because 
interpersonal skills are so vital, the city is adding requirements to its job description for lead 
inspectors, such as human relations communication and group facilitation skills, as well as 
an ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds and to resolve disputes. 
Lead Clean-up and Prevention 
To give residents the tools and information needed to clean up lead dust and debris, 
Minneapolis s Lead Hazard Control Program developed a brochure that succinctly describes the 
important steps for cleaning lead dust. 
Minneapolis lends the HEPA vacuums free of charge but residents pay a $10 filter replacement 
fee. Lead centers might request a deposit to cover the replacement cost of the vacuum cleaner 
($175). The deposit can be used to offset the cost of damaged or lost equipment or accessories, 
and is refunded upon the safe return of the equipment. Customers can borrow the machines for 
9 □ 
Appendix C 
