Lead in the News

Cleveland can learn from the work of activists and policy makers  around the Country

April 2024

Around Cleveland

• April 12, 2024. Cleveland coalition seeks agency to help families displaced by lead hazards. "After a six-month delay, the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition (LSCC) has issued a new request to find a group or agency to help families displaced by lead poisoning. The administrator would be responsible for tracking and monitoring families who have been forced to move due to lead hazards and would pilot the creation of a safety net of temporary and permanent affordable housing options for families that need to relocate from a hazardous home. The coalition, a partnership of nonprofits and local government officials working to reduce the number of children exposed to lead in their homes, tried in 2022 to find an administrator to focus on displacement but only had a single applicant to lead the effort, and that person was not qualified to run the pilot program, according to a coalition spokesperson."

Around Ohio

April 14, 2024. Richland Source. Couple restoring historic home finds lead in an unexpected place: “'Our kids were getting poisoned by our home.' ” Jordon and Talon Baker weren’t sure if they wanted to stay in Mansfield when they got married eight years ago. The young couple joked that if they did stay in their hometown, they wanted to live somewhere special. 'I always wanted a Victorian on Park Avenue,' Talon said. 'That was the thing — if we’re going to stay here long-term, let’s try to get one of those.' The Bakers made that dream a reality four years ago. They purchased their home at 317 Park Avenue West when their oldest child Ophelia was a baby.

Around Us.

• Apr 9, 2024. The Buffalo News. Buffalo's lead paint inspection program is unsustainable, commissioner says. "Three years ago when Buffalo launched a Proactive Rental Inspections program, it was the city’s latest attempt to solve a lead poisoning problem that has plagued Buffalo’s old housing stock for decades. Mayor Byron W. Brown said it would help the city identify lead paint contamination and correct the problem 'before it can hurt residents.' But Brown’s commissioner of permits and inspection services now says the inspection program lacks the funding to be sustainable and the PRI ordinance should be revised. Commissioner Catherine Amdur said in a report she filed with the Common Council that funding is a problem because landlords are not charged fees for the city inspections; the inspections are more time-consuming than expected; and the ordinance places E100 & Counting Event Hopes to Increase Childhood Lead Testing

• April 9, 2024 Urban CNY.com 100 Black Men of Syracuse present…..100 and Counting,” a childhood lead testing event "Peace of mind can mean so much when you know if your child is safe from lead poisoning. And, only a blood test can tell how much lead is in a child’s body. To achieve that peace of mind, parents can sign up their children now for free blood tests that will be conducted during '100 and Counting,' a childhood lead testing event scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 at the Syracuse Community Health’s new facilities at 930 So. Salina St. 100 Black Men of Syracuse is hosting the event, intended to get children as young as 1 and 2 years old in some of Syracuse’s most impacted neighborhoods for lead poisoning screened and tested for elevated levels of the toxic metal in their blood. Children older than 2 and up to 6 years old residing in Onondaga County who have never been tested are also eligible to be screened and tested. Staff from the Onondaga County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will conduct the screenings and tests and, if necessary, assist with follow-up with the families’ physicians. Additionally, attendees, including those without children in their households but residing in aging homes prevalent in Syracuse, will receive tips on protecting themselves and their families by attending the event’s workshops, demonstrations and presentations provided by our partners."

• April 15, 2024. Alaska Public Media Public health officials revamp efforts to protect Alaskans against lead poisoning. State epidemiologists say Alaskans can be exposed to lead through many jobs and hobbies including mining, fishing and hunting. And while they recommend that all children are screened for lead exposure, only about 12% of kids in Alaska are tested, which is lower than the national average of 18%. So the state is re-launching a working group to coordinate public health efforts around lead exposure and the Anchorage Health Department is starting a lead testing clinic, so families can get connected with help if their kids test high. The clinic will test people for lead Wednesdays at the Anchorage Health Department, with a sliding scale fee from free to $40.

Why is there so much Lead in American Food?

• Apr 1, 2024. Vox. Why is there so much lead in American food? "What contaminated applesauce reveals about how lead exposure happens. Lead keeps showing up where it’s not supposed to be. In 2024, one of the most potent neurotoxins known to humanity persists all over the world as a public health threat. For the second time in six months, lead contamination in food products has put public health authorities on high alert in the wealthiest nation in the world. Last fall, contaminated cinnamon-applesauce pouches caused dozens of lead poisoning cases across the US, eventually prompting recalls in November. And in March, the federal government announced that some ground cinnamon products also contained slightly elevated levels of lead and advised customers not to buy them."  

• April 9, 2024. CNN. Consumer Reports says Lunchables ‘should not be allowed on menu’ for schools, petitions USDA for removal. "As natural elements, heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are in the soil in which crops are grown and thus can’t be avoided. Some crop fields and regions, however, contain more toxic levels than others, partly due to the overuse of metal-containing pesticides and ongoing industrial pollution. There is no safe level of lead for children, however, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead bio-accumulates in the body, which means it stays and builds up over time, so ongoing exposure, even at extremely low levels, can become toxic. Children, especially infants, are particularly vulnerable because a smaller dose of lead can have a larger health effect on them compared with adults." Original WAPO article paywalled. View it here

• April 11, 2024. NBC News. FDA head calls on Congress to pass mandatory testing for lead in food. "The head of the Food and Drug Administration urged Congress on Thursday to pass legislation mandating that food manufacturers test for lead in products imported to the United States. Dr. Robert Califf’s comment was in response to a question from Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, during a hearing that touched on the FDA's response to issues including lead-contaminated cinnamon applesauce pouches, which have sickened hundreds of children." More here: FDA head pushes for mandated lead testing by food manufacturers

Lead and adult heart disease risk

Apr 8 2024 American College of Cardiology Edetate disodium-based chelation ineffective for heart attack patients with diabetes. "People with diabetes who had suffered a heart attack derived no clinical benefit from edetate disodium-based chelation, a therapy that draws lead and other toxic metals linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke out of the body, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session. The TACT2 study was designed to replicate the results of a previous trial, TACT, which reported in 2012 that chelation reduced subsequent cardiovascular events after a heart attack. However, the TACT2 results did not reveal any difference in the composite primary outcome of death from any cause, heart attack, stroke, coronary revascularization or hospitalization for unstable angina among people who received weekly edetate disodium-based infusions compared with those who received a placebo." More here: Chelation therapy does not improve outcomes after heart attack. CLASH asks: Hey you docs! The connection between childhood  lead exposure and heart disease is pretty well established and the use of chelation as a medical treatment for children with high Elevated Blood Lead levels is pretty standard. Does this study point towards further investigation?

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  Apr. 08, 2024. Cleveland.com. Cleveland has finally listened to activists about the need to fix its lead-safe housing process. "Responding to your March 27 editorial on changes to Cleveland’s lead-safe program (”Children’s well-being is at stake in Cleveland’s lead-safe refresh, version 3.0″): The city of Cleveland finally listened to the advice of community members who have been begging for the lead-safe housing process to change. The bottleneck caused landlords and renters to become disengaged. It’s good to know that the program will now be modeled after the weatherization program. Taking the burden away from this daunting process will help to save defenseless babies who have no shield of protection against the life-altering neurotoxin that robs them of the joys of youth. It is our hope that the special section in the city’s Building and Housing Department will continue to be transformational in their efforts to put residents first, particularly our most vulnerable. This new process is one giant step in the right direction. Let’s keep moving forward. Yvonka M. Hall, Cleveland. Yvonka M. Hall is president of Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) and holds a master’s of public administration degree.

• April 05, 2024. Medscape. Lead Has Not Gone Away — What Should Pediatric Clinicians Do? Here are some tasty tidbits from the article:

  • 1. Noah Buncher, DO, is a primary care pediatrician in South Philadelphia at Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania and the former director of a lead clinic in Boston that provides care for children with lead poisoning. He follows guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics that define an elevated BLL as ≥ 3.5 µg/dL. The guidelines recommend screening children for lead exposures during well child visits starting at age 6 months up to 6 years and obtaining a BLL if risks for lead exposure are present. Note CDC standards of treatment are here.

    2. Buncher starts with a basic environmental history that covers items like the age, condition, zip code of home, parental occupations, or hobbies that might result in exposing family members to lead, and if another child in the home has a history of elevated BLLs. 

    3. Time is an issue: 'But a careful history for potential lead exposures can be time-consuming. There's a lot to cover in a routine well child visit,' Buncher said. 'We have maybe 15-20 minutes to cover a lot.'

    4. Clinics also vary on whether lead screening questions are put into workflows in the electronic medical record. Although parents can complete a written questionnaire about possible lead exposures, they may have difficulty answering questions about the age of their home or not know whether their occupation is high risk.

    5. Transportation to a clinic is often a barrier for families, and sometimes patients must travel to a separate lab to be tested for lead. 

    6. Buncher also pointed to the patchwork of local and state requirements that can lead to confusion among providers. Massachusetts, where he formerly practiced, has a universal requirement to test all children at ages 1, 2, and 3 years. But in Pennsylvania, screening laws vary from county to county. 'Pennsylvania should implement universal screening recommendations for all kids under 6 regardless of what county you live in,' 

    7. BunAlan Woolf, MD, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Center at Boston Children's Hospital, has a few ideas about how providers can step up their lead game, including partnering with their local health department. cher said."

    8. At the clinic-wide level, Woolf recommends the use of blood lead testing as a quality improvement measure. For example, Akron Children's Hospital developed a quality improvement initiative using a clinical decision support tool to raise screening rates in their network of 30 clinics. One year after beginning the project, lead screenings during 12-month well visits increased from 71% to 96%. 

CLASH's study of barriers to child lead testing support many of these findings. The CLASH report should be released later this summer.

Around Cleveland

Tell Cleveland where to spend Federal Funds to make Cleveland lead safe. Signal Cleveland reports "The city has been collecting feedback since March as part of a requirement to secure the federal dollars to fund housing and related programs in Cleveland. The programs are focused on providing affordable housing and development opportunities to low-income communities. So far, zero residents have commented on how the money should be spent, said city administrator Joy Anderson. Residents have two ways to share their thoughts about how housing and related programs should be funded across the city over the next year: 

• Give public comment in-person on April 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Cleveland City Hall, Room 320 or...

• Submit written feedback to janderson2@clevelandohio.gov or deliver it to Cleveland City Hall, Department of Community Development, 601 Lakeside Avenue, 44114

In case you need ideas about how the city could promote lead safety visit CLASH 2024 priorities and page down to Advocacy goals.

Around Ohio

Apr. 5, 2024. WTVG. Junction Coalition to host lead education event. "The Junction Coalition is hosting a lead education event for the community this weekend. According to organizers, the event aims to educate families on the dangers of lead exposure and provide them with resources to get help. Attendees will learn about what the Junction Coalition and their partners are doing to combat lead poisoning and will have the opportunity to sign up for the Junction Coalition’s “419 Lead Out Program” to help families get the help they need."

Around Us

• The Lead-Free Promise Project will be at the Pennsylvania Capitol on Monday, May 6th — and we need your help! Join us for an action-packed day of meeting with legislators to help spread our mission of finally getting the lead out of PA homes and stop poisoning our children. We will also be hosting a press conference at 10:00 AM to encourage legislators to pass Senate Bill 514, the Childhood Blood Lead Test Act. Never been to the Capitol or had a legislative meeting before? No worries! We will be hosting a training session to go over all your questions. We look forward to seeing you then! TO RSVP CLICK HERE! (tell'm CLASH sent you)

• April 1st 2024. Lead could be present in many homes across Central Pennsylvania, one expert says. "We could be around lead and not even know about it. Lead can be found in paint, flooring, makeup, or even your front yard. A lead expert says in Central Pennsylvania it’s especially common in homes due to when they were built. Cot'y Farmer, a Harrisburg grandmother, discovered lead is still an issue Harrisburg. A test this year showed her two-year-old granddaughter had elevated lead levels of 4.7."

• April 1, 2024, Lead in the drinking water is still a problem in the U.S. — especially in Chicago. "In Chicago, about 400,000 homes still get their tap water through lead service lines — pipes that connect individual homes to the main water line. And nearly 70% of young children are getting exposed to lead from their home tap water, according to recent estimates published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study also finds that Black and Hispanic neighborhoods are more likely to have lead exposure, but less likely to be tested for lead."

• Apr 03, 2024  WKBW. 'It’s scary and stressful’: Specialized court to address backlog of lead-related housing violations in Buffalo. "Buffalo City Court has a backlog of hundreds of cases surrounding lead safety violations. Wednesday, the court announced a specialized 'Lead Court' will tackle those cases quicker. Buffalo resident Jackie Martinez spent years fearing for her and her family’s health. She fought with a landlord to fix lead contamination within an apartment she signed to live at in 2019. Jackie Martinez first shared her story with 7 Problem Solvers in 2022. '[Tests] were all positive for lead, the health department came in,' Martinez said. 'It’s scary, scary and stressful… It was a very long process, [and we] got nowhere with it.' ” More here: Erie County & Buffalo City Court announce specialized 'lead court' to address housing violations. 

• Apr. 4, 2024. WILX. The state is helping families remove lead from their homes, free of charge."The state’s health department has a message for Mid-Michigan -- anyone living in a home built in the 1970′s needs to get it tested for lead, especially if they have children six and under. The City of Lansing said it’s helping families make sure they are living in lead safe homes. The number one source of lead poisoning in Michigan is lead-based paint in older homes, like the ones built before 1978. 'I got my house tested for lead and a lot of lead was found inside of my home.' Shamika Deberry said she didn’t know there was lead in the pipes and paint in her home until her five-year-old daughter tested positive for lead during a routine check-up.' "

• April 5, 2024. NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER via AOL. City Hall: EPA lead inspection sweep in city, info sessions on lead poisoning planned. "In May 2023, city aldermen and former mayor Joyce Craig created a commission to examine and address the problem of childhood lead poisoning in Manchester. In New Hampshire, the Conservation Law Foundation reports that 'nowhere is lead poisoning more prevalent than in Manchester, where every year approximately 100 children are diagnosed with elevated levels of lead in their blood.' The Lead Exposure Prevention Commission will develop recommendations for a long-term strategy to prevent childhood lead poisoning in the Queen City; promote efforts to prevent lead exposure in residences, particularly for minors living in rental units; and review existing ordinances to determine if and how they should be amended to prevent incidents of childhood lead poisoning." This story is a follow up to the EPA announcement from last week.

Lead and Drag Racers

June 23, 2023. Motorbiscuit. Oregon Drag Strip Accused of Poisoning Children From Lead in Race Fuel. "After a study of lead emissions coming from a local Oregon drag strip, it was determined that children adjacent to the track had cognitive decline. Here's what the study showed and what's happened since. Portland International Raceway is accused of affecting children’s health because of lead emissions from racing fuel. Residents adjacent to the track say low test scores of children living downwind of the track prove that lead emissions are affecting their cognitive development. And now other drag strips nationwide are the focus of investigations over their use of leaded racing fuel. According to an investigation by the Guardian, the cause for cumulative lead exposure in nearby children is racing at PIR. Lead was phased out of gasoline decades ago and was ultimately banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1996. But it is still in the fuel of drag racers as there is an “off-road” exemption. Some racing organizations, like NASCAR, no longer use leaded fuel." Keep reading...all interesting. Worthy of further investigation.

Lead risks to immigrant communities

APRIL 02, 2024. Sacramento Bee.  Hemorrhoid ointment containing lead fatally poisoned woman in Sacramento, health officials say "Sacramento County health officials on Tuesday warned consumers after a local woman purchased a hemorrhoid ointment from Vietnam on social media and died from lead poisoning. The woman in Sacramento developed severe lead poisoning after using the hemorrhoid ointment from Vietnam, called “Cao Boi Tri Cay Thau Dau,” according to a Sacramento County news release. She purchased the ointment on Facebook, and it was mailed to the United States by a relative in Vietnam."  More Here: California woman's fatal poisoning from hemorrhoid cream highlights lead risks

Mar. 28, 2024. cleveland.com. Cleveland’s Mayor Justin Bibb attributes crime reduction, more police applicants to his safety initiatives.  CLASH Noticed No mention of lead, but praise for Residents First legislation.  There was a strong defense of CMSD's "tough choices" but no mention of lead hazards or lead testing in schools. One quote did catch our eye when we read it in Cleveland Scene "That's not an excuse," Bibb said, concluding his speech. "It's a reminder that change doesn't happen overnight. But I'm not going to tell you to be patient. Instead, I ask you to stay engaged, demand better, and be proud of the progress we are making together.” Stay engaged, demand better and be proud of the progress we're making together.' THAT'S CLASH!

Around Cleveland

Mar. 27, 2024. cleveland.com. Children’s well-being is at stake in Cleveland’s lead-safe refresh, version 3.0: editorial. "The good news is that Cleveland is still trying valiantly to recalibrate its approach to making Cleveland rentals lead-safe by 2028 -- this time by creating a special section in the city’s Housing and Building Department that will take a case-management approach to helping noncompliant small landlords navigate the bureaucracy, financial and other challenges. The bad news is that all signs point to cratering landlord compliance, especially among smaller landlords. Meanwhile, hundreds of Cleveland children continue to test annually at elevated lead levels in their blood -- 316 last year, compared with 257 in 2022, cleveland.com’s Courtney Astolfi reports, although the higher number could reflect more robust testing. Actually the higher number reflects a mid-year adjustment of the action level from 5 micrograms/deciliter to the "new" CDC standard of 3.5 micrograms. A CLASH adage is "the more you look, the more you find."

Around Us

• March 25, 2024. Chicago Defender. A Full Court Press to Get the Lead Out. "Now, thanks to community organizers, advocacy groups, the federal government, and even some private companies, we’re seeing a major push to eliminate the lingering threat of lead. It is thanks to the hard work of activists like Gabriel Gray. Gray is an organizer with Pittsburgh United, a local advocacy group that works on clean water and housing issues. She came to this work during her own city’s water crisis." This is an opEd by Ben Jealous of the Sierra Club that ran in many papers around the country.

• March 25, 2024. Free lead renovation training offered in Schuyler County. "Schuyler County Public Health’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program has announced a Lead Renovator Training session scheduled for April 25, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Human Services Complex in Montour Falls. The training, funded by Cornell University’s Industrial Labor Relations School, aims to certify area professionals in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Renovation Repair and Paint Initial Certification without any cost to participants. This initiative seeks to enhance lead-safe renovation practices in the community."

• MARCH 26, 2024. WFYI. Testing for lead in kids' bones reveals evidence of long-term damage a blood test might miss. "Last month, kindergarteners and first graders at the Genius School were tested for lead as part of a collaborative project between the Indianapolis NAACP, Purdue University and the Marion County Public Health Department. While none of them had blood lead levels high enough to trigger the state to take action, they did have high levels in their bones. Purdue assistant professor Aaron Specht said lead only stays in the blood for a few weeks, but can build up in the bones and remain there for years. 'So 90 percent is in the bone and about 1 percent is in the blood. So when you do a blood test, you're not actually getting that total-body dose of what someone's been impacted with,' he said. Specht said the bone test is painless and quick. Purdue uses a handheld device to scan a child's shinbone, which sends X-ray signals indicating different elements like lead." More here. 

• March 27, 2024. WisPolitics. Get The Lead Out Coalition: Reiterates the need for lead lateral removal be public funded. "Get The Lead Out Coalition (GTLO) is pleased that, nationwide, lead laterals are finally being viewed as a risk to our public health. Locally, we are glad to be past the early days of this coalition when our warnings about lead-contaminated drinking water were downplayed by elected officials and bureaucrats. We are hopefully well beyond the days of a dysfunctional health department with a revolving door in its leadership and staffing positions. Our coalition is  particularly heartened that this chronic issue has been spotlighted locally by two presidential-level visits in recent years."

• March 28, 2024 Press Release. EPA starts lead inspection sweep in the greater Manchester New Hampshire area to prevent childhood lead poisoning. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) initiative to prevent childhood lead poisoning in communities with a higher risk of lead exposure is coming to the greater Manchester, New Hampshire area. Lead is particularly harmful to children because they are more vulnerable to its effects, which include damage to the brain and nervous system. The aim of the EPA's lead paint initiative is to reduce childhood lead exposure through increased awareness and improved compliance with federal lead paint requirements, in particular the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) and Lead Disclosure Rules. As part of the lead paint initiative in Manchester, inspectors will evaluate compliance with the Toxic Substances Control Act's lead paint RRP Rule, which is applicable to renovation job sites involving housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978. Field staff will also be checking to confirm that landlords, including property management and real estate companies, are providing prospective tenants or buyers with proper lead disclosure about the presence of lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards. Lead disclosures are required, under Section 1018 of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, before the lease or sale of most housing built before 1978. These efforts will be supported by an increased focus on education, outreach, and compliance assistance in the greater Manchester area and beyond to ensure that regulated parties and the public are aware of the federal lead-based paint requirements." see update above.

• March 28, 2024. aol.com. York City must address its lead exposure crisis | opinion."Per the York City [Pa] Health Department, in some York City census tracts, half of the kids have lead poisoning. It doesn’t have to be this way. Maryland has much stricter standards for lead and those make a real difference. York kids deserve better. Do we want to reduce the number of murders in York City, improve academic performance in York City schools and reduce behavioral issues? Here’s one way to do that: Address the lead paint crisis in York."

Lead and Crime

March 21, 2024. MLK50.org Would removing lead from homes reduce the crime rate? " ‘Crime occurs when people are unwell’: Here’s how experts say the toxin affects children’s brains, public safetyOn a May 2023 episode of his podcast, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen asked renowned criminal justice economist Jennifer Doleac for her top suggestions for improving public safety. Doleac gave an unconventional answer: Protect young kids from lead. Exposure to lead … when you’re really young, it changes your brain development. Fifteen years later, we’re going to see much higher rates of juvenile delinquency (and) suspension from school,' Doleac said. 'If it were up to me — if I had a magic wand — I would spend a whole lot of money on getting lead out of the environment.' ”  CLASH has updated our webpage on lead and crime using some of the links in this article-check it out.

Lead in Cookware: a problem for immigrant families

This week Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the Lead in Cookware Act, which will ban the toxic from any products used to cook food. This is particularly a problem with cookware produced overseas and used in immigrant households. Below are some links to the coverage of this news from the State of Washington. CLASH consultant Dr. Maria Jose Talayero Schettino opens her presentation on lead and crime with several slides showing the cookware she ate from as a child in her native Mexico and when she later treated lead poisoned children as a pediatrician in Mexico City before coming to GW University to get her PhD in Public Health. 

• Washington state will become first state to ban lead in cookware

• Washington becomes first state to ban lead in cookware

• First-in-nation ban on lead in cookware signed by Washington state’s governor

You can read more about the impacts of lead among immigrant households at CLASH's webpage. https://www.clashcle.org/resources/resources-for-families/resources-for-immigrant-communities

March 2024

Around Cleveland

Mar. 18, 2024. cleveland.com. Lagging compliance with Cleveland’s lead-safe law prompts changes from City Hall. "Cleveland is “re-tooling” its approach to the city’s 2019 landmark lead-safety law because few landlords are complying. The announcement comes alongside new data that shows first-time lead-safe certifications during the last three months of 2023 dropped to just 345 -- the lowest level yet since early 2021. The drop caps off a year-and-a-half-long pattern of declines in the number of landlords complying with the law by registering their pre-1978 rental homes as lead-safe. During a City Council committee hearing on Monday, Emily Collins, senior strategist for Mayor Justin Bibb, acknowledged that Cleveland’s lead initiative has hit “a bit of a stall.” She said the city is “re-tooling” several aspects of its enforcement efforts to hopefully increase compliance." thanks Andre for sharing.

Around Ohio

Mar. 20, 2024. Spectrum News. State allocates $5.8 million more toward lead prevention and mitigation projects "In an effort to protect more Ohioans from toxic lead, the state is allocated an addition $5.8 million toward grant funding through the Lead Safe Ohio program, according to a press release from the state. The release notes that this brings the program total to $90 million, with efforts across 76 state counties."

Around Us

• March 18, 2024 WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Rep. Ryan calls on telecom companies to clean up toxic lead cables. "New York Congressman Pat Ryan joined cleanup crews in Cornwall Saturday to call on telecom companies like Verizon and AT&T to disclose and clean up toxic, lead-sheathed cables across the country. Ryan met with members of the Cornwall Cleanup Crew along a busy stretch of Quaker Avenue. Angelo Schembari, a volunteer and local arborist, says the crew has covered this particular area multiple times — it’s a frequent site of illegal dumping and litter — but their latest find is likely decades old: a fallen wire wrapped in a white, lead coating. 'The white is oxidation, and that’s how it leeches into the soil,' says Schembari. 'Lead does not oxidize in the air very quickly, which is the reason why [telecom companies] used it. But put it in soil or water, and it leeches very quickly.' "

• March 20th 2024. CNY Central. Syracuse landlord to pay $175k settlement for repeated lead safety law violations. "Another Syracuse landlord has agreed to settle with the New York Attorney General’s Office regarding lead-based paint poisoning. Todd Hobbs and his companies, TLH Holdings, LLC and TLH Properties, LLC will have to pay $175,000 as part of his settlement with Attorney General Letitia James. In July 2023, AG James, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh filed a lawsuit against Hobbs and his companies alleging that he repeatedly violated lead safety laws at more than a dozen rental properties around Syracuse." More here

• Mar 19, 2024. WWLP. Medical students advocate the prevention of lead poisoning. "Students enrolled in the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health Program, known as the PURCH Program at UMass Chan Medical School Baystate, traveled to the State House to advocate for legislation related to health outcomes."

• MARCH 21, 2024 WRLF. NYS To Implement Lead Paint Rental Registry In 14701, Other High Risk Areas. "New York State is working on implementing a lead paint rental registry for high risk areas. Chautauqua County Public Health Director Lacey Wilson said the registry is not meant to hurt property owners, but help them, 'It’s actually meant to support local property owners. There’s a lot of funding opportunities and things that will flow down to us. But this is more so a way to reign in what we informally talk about as predatory property ownership and predatory rental property ownership.' ”

• March 22, 2024. Norwich Bulletin. Lead problems raise concerns whether old mills in CT can be safely reused for housing. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that lead discovered at a Putnam apartment complex poses an “imminent and substantial endangerment to tenants” and has issued an order requiring the company to take immediate steps to remedy the problem. The EPA has been investigating the Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam for months following reports of toxic levels of lead. The agency is mandating that the owner, Historic Cargill Falls Mill, LLC, take steps such as relocating tenants and setting a schedule for remediation. 'This order will ensure the most immediate protection EPA can offer for the children and families who live in this complex,' said David W. Cash, the EPA’s New England regional administrator, in a Thursday press release. 'No one should have to experience the dangers from exposure to lead-based paint, especially in this decade. We have environmental laws for a reason, and that’s to protect people’s health. This order demonstrates our commitment to keeping children and families safe and healthy.' "

• March 22, 2024. Press Release. FIU experts tapped for study of possible links between childhood lead exposure and psychiatric diseases. "Many of the people impacted were children — some of the most vulnerable when exposed, says Tomás R. Guilarte, a lead expert, neurotoxicologist and dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. Guilarte—renowned for revealing the effects of low-level lead exposure on the central nervous system during brain development— aims to understand the lasting impacts of childhood lead exposure and discover methods to reverse its harm. Recently, his team was awarded a $2.7 million grant by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to support these efforts."

Lead Pipe News Week

• March 18, 2024. Johns Hopkins. Study Estimates Nearly 70 Percent of Children Under Six in Chicago May Be Exposed to Lead-Contaminated Tap Water, "Researchers analyzed results from nearly 40,000 households participating in a voluntary tap-water test program run by the city. A new analysis led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimates that 68 percent of Chicago children under age six live in households with tap water containing detectable levels of lead. For their analysis, the researchers used machine learning, an artificial intelligence technique, to gauge likely levels of lead in tap water in households across Chicago, based on an existing dataset that includes results from 38,385 tap water tests taken from 2016 to 2023. The tests were from households that had registered for a free self-administered testing service for lead exposure." Related: Top 10 cities with the most lead pipes.

• Mar 20, 2024. Chicago Sun Times. Chicago, take the lead on replacing lead pipes. "Nearly 70% of those 5 or younger in Chicago — 68% — had lead in the tap water they drank at home, according to recent research by Johns Hopkins and Stanford universities. The city needs to pick up the pace for a quicker timeline than the 40 years it’s been given to replace lead pipes."

• Mar 20, 2024. Gothamist NJ finds unexpected lead in more Newark residential water lines "New Jersey officials said they’ve found lead components in more Newark residential water lines — the second batch of such discoveries after officials thought they’d completely eliminated lead lines from service to the city’s homes. State Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said Wednesday that so far, inspectors have found lead components in 12 water service lines at residences that were supposed to have been replaced beginning in 2019. That follows the announcement in February that lead components had been found in lines leading to three homes up to that point. It’s still unclear how widespread the remaining lead problem is. Officials said they’re continuing to investigate."

• March 18, 2024. Las Vegas Sun. OPINION: Red states shrug off measures to prevent lead poisoning "Led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, they’ve taken aim at a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency to order the removal of some 9 million lead water lines across the country. The rule conforms with an action plan Biden issued in 2021 aimed at replacing 100% of the lead water lines serving homes in the U.S. In a comment letter to the EPA, Kobach and his colleagues call the proposed rule 'unworkable, underfunded, and unnecessary.” They also say the benefits 'may be ... entirely speculative.' They suggest it’s an infringement of states’ rights, which is an argument that has seldom been heard since the Civil War. The Kobach cabal, which encompasses the attorneys general of Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, further asserted that private homeowners would 'bear the brunt of the costs.' With one exception, all these claims are false."

The politics of local lead safety policies: a little late, but worth the read.

October 13, 2023. Milwaukee FOX6 News. Milwaukee city budget; lead abatement fix could cost billions. "You might be living with lead exposure in your home and not know it. In Milwaukee alone, it is estimated there are thousands of homes that are affected – and the fix could cost billions. Across the city, the Milwaukee Health Department is playing a game of whack-a-mole. A child gets lead poisoning that triggers a process to get rid of the lead from the family's home. Then another child gets lead poisoning – and that process happens again and again. 'We are seeing a spike, due to less children being tested during pandemic,' said Tyler Weber, City of Milwaukee Environmental Health Deputy Commissioner. So far in 2023, lead was found in 15,243 kids under age 6. Eighty percent of those come from rental units. City officials estimated there are about 200,000 units built in 1978 or earlier that are of concern with having lead paint. Just to make them lead-safe (not lead-free) costs about $40,000 a pop. If you do the math, to take care of it all would be in the billions of dollars." This story is a little old but exactly the dilemma that Cleveland faced in 2019 when CLASH mounted a citizen's initiative. Now the issue is making the plan work.

Around CLASH

• CLASH has recommended that Cleveland needs to provide relocation assistance for tenants in risky housing. This week we learned that Columbus is tackling this issue, though not specifically about lead safety. March 12, 2023. Columbus Dispatch Columbus nuisance property team adds social worker, attorney to help displaced residents "The Columbus Zone Initiative — a city program focused on eliminating nuisance properties — is hiring new staff and rebranding to become the Property Action Team. The Property Action Team consists of five city lawyers, each assigned to one of police division's patrol zones. Last year, Columbus police added a sixth patrol zone, so the team is hiring a sixth lawyer to go with it, Klein said. The team is also hiring a full-time social worker to help residents displaced or affected by nuisance properties. The social worker will join the team's existing cohort of social work interns from Ohio State University." CLASH says this is a step in the right direction.

Around Cleveland

• Health, Human Services and the Arts Committee will meet Monday, March 18, 2024 9:30 AM Mercedes Cotner Committee Room 217. In addition to discussion of legislation, there will be an update on lead safety efforts. The meeting will be live broadcast. 

• March 15, 2024 Ideastream Public Media Cleveland seeks feedback on plan to help landlords become lead-safe. "The City of Cleveland wants feedback on a new plan to help small landlords meet lead safety requirements as the city reports low compliance rates, especially among small landlords. [     ] Now, Cleveland officials are hoping a new hands-on approach will help small landlords, who are slower to comply and report confusion with the requirements, said Emily Collins, a senior advisor in the mayor's office. [   ] Under the new proposal, the city would provide landlords a free lead risk assessment, delay prosecution when property owners are working towards compliance and help with some of the work in preparing units for exams, as well as other forms of support. [   ]  The public may send comments and questions on the new guidance to Emily Collins at ecollins@clevelandohio.gov by 5 p.m. on April 26, 2024.

• March 15, 2024. Signal Cleveland. Cleveland is not on pace to meet its lead safe goals. Here’s what officials plan to do about that. "At Thursday’s Lead Safe Advisory Board meeting, officials from the Department of Building and Housing, the Department of Community Development and the Health Department presented new strategies to increase engagement and technical support for landlords when navigating the city’s application process for lead-safe compliance."

Around Us

• Mar 10, 2024 Lancaster Online;. Manheim Borough to begin process to repeal rental property ordinance "After nearly an hour-and-a-half of discussion and in a 4-2 vote, council agreed to begin the process to repeal an ordinance requiring landlords to obtain a lead-safety certification as part of the rental inspection."

• March 12, 2024. Sierra Club NJ. Trenton Tackles the Lead Problem With Cost Aid "Four years ago, Trenton began replacing lead service lines. The city exceeded the safe standard of 15 parts per billion, and the state Department of Environmental Protection was issuing fines for missing deadlines to replace city lead service lines with copper.  The city complained that it was understaffed to address water issues.  Funding has been delayed. The city still needs $150 million to locate and replace 37,000 lead water service lines. However, a $9 million state grant and a $15 million dollar loan will allow Trenton to get started. Replacing street access lines, generally the homeowner’s  responsibility, can cost up to $5,000 per home, but Trenton is making it happen for a flat cost of $1,000 per home. For those with limited incomes, the work can be done for free. Recently, the EPA met with parents after tests showed lead at contaminated grassy play areas at a Trenton school. Several pottery factories existed in the area in the 1900s, and these were a major contributor to the lead residue. Cleanup has been initiated."

• 13-MAR-2024 NEWS RELEASE Federal housing programs protect residents from lead exposure. "Americans already living in housing supported by federal housing assistance programs have significantly lower blood lead levels than counterparts who would later join these programs, according to new research led by environmental health scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Tufts Medical Center. The findings appear in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives."

• Mar 14, 2024 lancasterfarming.com  Preventing Lead Poisoning in Old Homes Hinges on Awareness and Management. "Marisol Maldonado has worked within the lead health industry for 20 years. In that time, she has never seen a house built before 1978 that did not have lead-based paint, unless it had been previously gutted. Lead-based paint is durable, which is why it was a popular go-to. But, it’s dangerous, specifically to children under the age of 6."

• March 14, 2024. UpNorthnews. This mom’s story shows the urgency of solving Wisconsin’s lead problem "Now that her family is in a better place—both literally and figuratively—Branch has made it her mission to educate others on the dangers of lead poisoning. She humbly describes herself as a community activist, but really, she’s the co-founder of the  Coalition on Lead Emergency (CORE), an organization that highlights the urgency of removing lead from communities like Milwaukee, where an estimated 200,000 housing units have paint made with lead."

• March 15, 2024 WisPolitics.com. Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC): Calls for independent investigation of SDC Weatherization Program "In the wake of the Social Development Commission (SDC) announcement that it will be suspending its Weatherization Program, FLAC, a community frontline group, is calling for independent investigation to be conducted immediately to determine the harm done to the Milwaukee community. 'It is important to have the most transparent review of this matter possible', said Robert Miranda, Spokesperson for FLAC. 'We have no confidence in the investigating process now being utilized and controlled by SDC.' FLAC and Get The Lead Out Coalition (GTLO) provided a witness and evidence to city leaders of incomplete and shabby lead abatement work two months ago at a meeting in City Hall that was done by contractor hired by SDC."

• MARCH 15, 2024. Minnesota Reformer. Negligent landlord must forgive past-due rent in settlement with AG "HavenBrook Homes, one of the state’s largest corporate landlords, must forgive tenants’ past-due rent and pay $2.2 million to the state, most of which will be distributed to former tenants who suffered from delayed repairs, lead poisoning or were illegally evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorney General Keith Ellision announced the settlement Friday. Ellison’s office sued HavenBrook Homes and related companies — including the hedge fund that owns HavenBrook and its property management company — in 2022 for failing to provide adequate living conditions, misrepresenting its property maintenance and repair practices and for violating laws regarding lead paint removal."

• March 15, 2024. hoodline. Senator Gustafson Proposes Stricter Lead Regulation Bill to Protect Minnesota WorkersSenator Gustafson Proposes Stricter Lead Regulation Bill to Protect Minnesota Workers. "In an effort to combat the health risks associated with lead exposure at work, Senator Heather Gustafson has put forward a new legislative proposal."

Flint Still in the News

• March 14, 2024. Detroit Free Press Judge finds city of Flint in contempt for slow action on replacing lead water lines. "A federal judge has found the city of Flint in contempt of court for missing deadlines for lead water line replacement and related work in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis. U.S. District Judge David Lawson found the city in civil contempt for violating a February 2023 court order. The order arose from a 2017 settlement of the lawsuit under which the city pledged to replace lead pipes that carry drinking water. The city had agreed to replace the pipes by early 2020, but still has not completed that work, according to a news release Wednesday from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Also, homeowners are waiting, in some cases for years, for the city to repair property damage such as damaged curbs, sidewalks and lawns caused by the lead line replacement, the NRDC said."

• March 14, 2024.Science News Explores. Health problems persist in Flint 10 years after water poisoning. "A switch in water source tainted the Michigan city’s drinking water with toxic lead" Part history, part long term consequences.

• March 13, 2024 Washington Post How the Flint water crisis set schoolchildren back "School-age children affected by the water crisis in Flint, Mich., nearly a decade ago suffered significant and lasting academic setbacks, according to a study released Wednesday, showing the disaster’s profound impact on a generation of children." More here

Lead in Processed Food (last week's articles were paywalled)

• 3/7/2024. Ars Technica. Don’t use these six cinnamon products, FDA warns after concerning lead tests "The FDA is putting manufacturers on notice to do more to keep contaminants out. Six different ground cinnamon products sold at retailers including Save A Lot, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar contain elevated levels of lead and should be recalled and thrown away immediately, the US Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday."

• March 6, 2024 FDA. FDA Alert Concerning Certain Cinnamon Products Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead. "The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy these ground cinnamon products.  The FDA has recommended that the firms voluntarily recall these products, with the exception of the MTCI cinnamon. The FDA has been unable to reach MTCI to share our findings and request that the company initiate a recall. The FDA will update this notice with the communications from firms that voluntarily agree to recall as we receive them."

Around Cleveland

Mar 14, 2024 1:00 pm The Lead Safe Advisory Board Meetings are held at City Hall, Room 509 and run from 1 pm to about 2:30 pm. The meetings are open to the public to attend or to view. 

https://cityclevelandoh.webex.com/cityclevelandoh/j.php?MTID=m8aba6dce9b8faeda4d01a2b71ed3d690

Meeting number: 2304 828 4388 Password: w8Pyp429RVV

Around Ohio

February 29, 2024. Morning Journal Lorain County commissioners approve consultant for countywide lead abatement program. "Lorain County commissioners unanimously passed legislation at a meeting Feb. 27 to hire a consulting group to complete a county-wide lead abatement project. The commissioners initially balked at paying Kleinfelder Inc. $672,000 to administer Lorain County’s Lead Safe Ohio Grant, which it received in January. Lorain County received the $1,892,000 grant to complete lead safe renovation projects, lead abatement projects and related supportive measures for sites that meet the eligibility criteria throughout the county over the next two years, officials have said.County Administrator Jeff Armbruster was hesitant to spend money on the consultant, so the commissioners tabled legislation for a month, said Commission Vice President David Moore. In recent years, the commissioners hired several consultants with a hefty price tag and the board is attempting to cut back on the cost of hiring consultants when possible, the commissioners have said. The commission had no choice to hire the consultant for the lead abatement program because it is a stipulation of the grant, Moore said." Did we read this right? The consultant gets 35% of the grant? Nice work if you can get it.

Around Us

• March 5, 2024. Providence Journal 'Simply unacceptable': Neronha puts spotlight on governor's scale-back of lead safety law "Taking aim at lead poisoning, Rhode Island lawmakers last year required landlords to prove the apartments they rent are lead-safe in a public statewide registry of all rental properties. But now, with the launch date of the registry approaching, Gov. Dan McKee wants to delay implementation and scale back the information landlords must make public. The relaxation of lead registry rules, which McKee proposed in his budget for next year, faces heavy criticism from Attorney General Peter Neronha, who pushed for the creation of the registry last year and has been a frequent critic of the governor."

• March 7, 2024. The Conversation. Lead from old paint and pipes is still a harmful and deadly hazard in millions of US homes. "Even in cases where universal screening programs exist, the data obtained can be insufficient. This is because blood tests capture only recent exposure, and universal testing oftentimes mandates only one test of children within a six-year window. This fragmented system, combined with research indicating that many doctors deviate from lead testing guidelines, allows exposures to go undetected until irreversible neurological damage has been done. We are hopeful that as research like ours draws more attention to the gravity of this issue, universal, standardized screening will become the norm across the U.S. This would save many children – and generations to come – from ongoing and preventable exposures." (CLASH emphasis added)

• Here's the FDA report: FDA Alert Concerning Certain Cinnamon Products Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead. There's a graph that shows the retail outlet and brand name of the product.

Everybody has one.

MARCH 08, 2024. Kansas City Star. Pete Buttigieg attacks Kris Kobach for calling benefits of lead pipe rules ‘speculative’  "U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and other Democrats attacked Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on Friday after he suggested the benefits of federal regulations on lead pipes were 'speculative.' The Republican state attorney general on Thursday night criticized a line in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address touting the removal of lead pipes across the country as a victory. 'Biden wants to replace lead pipes. He failed to mention that the unfunded mandate sets an almost impossible timeline, will cost billions, infringe on the rights of the States and their residents – all for benefits that may be entirely speculative,' Kobach said in a post to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter." 

Around Us

• February 26, 2024. Providence Journal. RI sued a landlord over unsafe housing. Months later, the problems haven't been fixed. "Reclaim RI, a progressive advocacy group that helped organize the Pioneer tenants last year, issued a statement of frustration after the filing appeared. 'Tenants from across Rhode Island stood up together to demand safe and dignified living conditions from Pioneer Investments,' said Shana Crandell, a tenant organizer with Reclaim. 'The attorney general responded with a clear message that slumlords will no longer operate with impunity in our state. And yet eight months later, Pioneer continues to expose tenants to lead hazards and dangerous code violations.' "

• February 26, 2024. Morristown Minute. Online Portal Opens for Landlords and Tenants to Address Lead Hazards. "The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has officially opened the application portal for its Lead Remediation and Grant Program (LRAP), a vital initiative aimed at combating lead-based hazards in homes built before 1978. This move enables both landlords and tenants to seek online assistance for removing dangerous lead-based paint from their residences, marking a significant step in the state's ongoing efforts to safeguard public health."

• February 27, 2024. St. Louis Public Radio. Missouri schools may find out if their drinking water contains lead. Here's what's being done "The statewide effort to clean up drinking water was prompted by a 2022 Missouri law, and more than $27 million has been set aside to fix the problems. School districts across Missouri are currently testing drinking water in their buildings for lead contamination — and some have already found it. A 2022 Missouri law requires schools to test drinking fountains, sinks and kitchen water sources for lead contamination. Districts have to complete that testing and report their findings publicly by next school year." 

• February 29, 2024. Press Release. Attorney General Neronha issues statement on proposed revisions to lead rental registry bill. "The current situation, where 1,300 children in Rhode Island are lead poisoned each year in Rhode Island, when nearly 20% of Providence students test positive for lead, is simply unacceptable. We have the power to end childhood lead poisoning in our state. Other states have done it. And it can be done quickly and inexpensively. But it requires the will to do so. We need to do it now. Not next year, but now. Anything less than that should be seen as a failure.”

• March 1, 2024. press release. Firearm ownership is correlated with elevated lead levels in children, study finds. "Childhood lead exposure, primarily from paint and water, is a significant health concern in the United States, but a new study has identified a surprising additional source of lead exposure that may disproportionately harm children: firearms. A team led by researchers at Brown University found an association between household firearm ownership and elevated lead levels in children’s blood in 44 states, even when controlling for other major lead exposure sources. Lead exposure from firearms is far less explored than from recognized sources like water or lead-based paint, but may be equally dangerous for children’s health, said Christian Hoover, a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology at Brown’s School of Public Health, who is the lead author of the study published in the Journal of Pediatrics."

This week in the Tainted Applesauce story

Feb 27, 2024. NYT. Lead-Tainted Applesauce Sailed Through Gaps in Food-Safety System. "Hundreds of American children were poisoned last year. Records show how, time and again, the contamination went unnoticed." More here 

EPA and HUD Renew Memorandum of Understanding re: enforcement

"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced two complementary agreements to further their “whole of government” approach to strengthen these agencies’ shared work in ensuring that children, especially those at high risk, are not exposed to human health risks from lead hazards. These two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) support commitments made in the Lead and Paint Action Plan, EPA’s Strategic Plan, HUD’s Strategic Plan, and HHS’s Strategic Plan, which seek to reduce lead exposures locally with a focus on underserved communities and promote environmental justice through a whole of government approach. One MOU expands, updates, and reaffirms a 1997 agreement between EPA and HUD to coordinate their enforcement efforts addressing lead-based paint hazards in housing." Read it here and follow the links.

February 2024

round Cleveland

Feb. 05, 2024. cleveland.com Cleveland City Council adopts new blight-fighting tools, with some changes to Mayor Bibb’s plan. "Cleveland City Council on Monday passed its version of Mayor Justin Bibb’s “Residents First” housing code enforcement overhaul, which maintains much of Bibb’s original plan, but includes some compromises." 

• RF requires rental properties to certify lead safe clearance before being issued a certificate  of occupancy and permits civil tickets (like parking tickets) for non compliance. 

• "Bibb’s proposed 2024 budget doesn’t explicitly provide for the new staff members, but Martin O’Toole and finance Chief Ahmed Abonamah told cleveland.com they still intend to fill those needed positions." Staffing up at Building and Housing is key to the success of Residents First. Council Budget hearings begin later this month.

• February 6, 2024. Signal Cleveland. Cleveland housing prosecutions dipped in 2023, court says. "The city’s building and housing director says prosecutions fell because staff were busy conducting a citywide survey of housing conditions." This is an example of B&H being understaffed for enforcement while being preoccupied with conducting studies.

• Other CLASH recommendations were not addressed, but they will be topics for discussion with Building and Housing and City Council throughout 2024. 

  • Here's an example of how ohio's civil nuisance law could be used to address the backlog of 400+ lead poisoned homes. These are the properties where the city has not been able to bring the LLs into court. Civil nuisance suits will bring the properties into court.

Around Us (Cleveland's not alone in addressing lead. We can learn from other cities and states)

• FEB 5, 2024. Center for American Progress. How Federal Investments in Safe Drinking Water Infrastructure Are Improving Public Health. "Pennsylvania and Wisconsin offer lessons for how states can remove lead service lines and protect community health by maximizing the unprecedented opportunity provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act." 

• February 7, 2024. Press Release. New Legislation Requires Lead Testing for Young Children. "In Washtenaw County, pediatricians, family medicine providers, and others who treat children can provide testing. Washtenaw County Health Department offers free blood lead testing for children up to 6 years old with Medicaid or who are uninsured. Please call 734-544-6700 to schedule an appointment with the Health Department. 'We know that no amount of lead in blood is safe for children,' says Jane Nickert, RN, MSN, MSA, nursing director with Washtenaw County Health Department. 'Early diagnosis and intervention are incredibly important, and too few children are tested.' "

• Feb. 9, 2024. WFSB. Tenants rally after lead found in apartments. "Tenants at the Lofts at Cargill Falls Mill apartments in Putnam are rallying this weekend. Toxic levels of lead have been found in their units. Work has been done to get things safe, but tenants said it’s still not up to par. Eyewitness News first told you about the problems tenants are facing about a year ago. Now, this weekend, they are organizing their second rally, amidst their second rent strike. 'All that discoloration just got tested and there is mold in there again!' Katy Slininger’s 4-year-old son sleeps just feet away from moisture and mold in the walls that could make him sick. 'As a parent my stomach totally dropped. For weeks it felt like there was poison in the walls and you just don’t know where is safe for your kid,; said Slininger."

• Feb. 08, 2024. Syracuse.com. Syracuse-area landlord takes an unusual deal: He’ll fix lead paint before he can sell homes. "A Syracuse-area landlord has agreed to pay for lead paint cleanup at 22 low-income properties under the watch of an independent monitor, while also paying $5,000 apiece to 16 children suffering from lead poisoning. William D’Angelo, 76, of Liverpool, promised to foot the bill for $230,000 in cleanup and $80,000 in payments to the families of poisoned children, the state Attorney General’s Office announced in court Thursday. The deal marks a new strategy for the AG’s office in pursuing Syracuse’s worst lead-paint landlords. Instead of forcing the offending landlord out of business, the state actually went to court to keep D’Angelo as the landlord until he completed necessary repairs at his expense."

• Feb. 8, 2024. Medical expert weighs in on lead levels in Missouri schools, "State-mandated tests reveal dangerous levels of lead in public schools across Missouri. But if it’s been the water for a while, why haven’t we seen more cases of lead poisoning over the years, and what should parents be looking for? 'I don’t know what to watch for,' concerned parent Alyshia Eyanson said. 'That’s not something that I’ve been educated on.' After passing a new law requiring all public schools to test their water for lead, many have revealed dangerously high levels. Many parents are asking if they should be worried about their children. Medical experts say don’t panic now. Just look out for some key symptoms."

• Feb 09, 2024. New Jersey News 12. Parents meet with Trenton health officials about lead contamination; city will test children onsite. "The Environmental Protection Agency, Trenton and state health departments, Trenton city officials and Trenton school leaders met with parents for the first time on Friday since sharing that the soil at Ulysses S. Grant Intermediate School is contaminated with lead. A meeting in the school’s gymnasium allowed parents to learn more about what steps are being taken since potential exposure may have occurred to the student body. According to Mayor Reed Gusciora, the contaminated soil will be excavated over the next six months. Current students will be tested for lead poisoning for the next couple of weeks, free of charge, after school." More here

This week's Fruit Pouch News

• February 6, 2024. FDA Current Update. "Ecuadorian officials in Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) have reported that Carlos Aguilera of Ecuador, the processor of the ground cinnamon supplied by Negasmart to Austrofoods and later used in recalled apple cinnamon products, is the likely source of contamination and is not in operation at this time. Additionally, according to ARCSA, the unprocessed cinnamon sticks used in recalled products were sourced from Sri Lanka and were sampled by ARCSA and found to have no lead contamination. ARCSA’s investigation and legal proceedings to determine ultimate responsibility for the contamination are still ongoing. The FDA has limited authority over foreign ingredient suppliers who do not directly ship product to the U.S. This is because their food undergoes further manufacturing/processing prior to export. Thus, the FDA cannot take direct action with Negasmart or Carlos Aguilera." More here

• February 10, 2024. WaPo. Rudy’s Law would require baby food testing for toxic heavy metals in Md. "Rudy Callahan had dozed off by the time Maryland lawmakers took up the bill bearing his name, a proposal that would set state requirements on baby food testing that are stricter than the Food and Drug Administration’s. The chubby-cheeked redhead, now 17 months old, was among hundreds of people who reported lead poisoning to federal agencies after eating apple puree pouches with contaminated cinnamon. His family traveled to the Annapolis State House from their home in Calvert County this week to focus public attention on what experts described in testimony as a vulnerability in product safety."  If this story is paywalled, Ask CLASH for help . 

States take the lead on lead

• 02/06/24. The Hill. 13 blue states say EPA should strengthen proposal to remove lead water pipes "Attorneys general from 13 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C., are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen a proposal that seeks to limit Americans’ exposure to lead service lines. The EPA last year proposed that nearly all lead pipes that carry water be replaced in 10 years because lead exposure can damage children’s brains and nervous systems. The attorneys general wrote in comments on that rule this week that they are “concerned that the Proposed Rule does too little to protect public health generally and specifically to address the disparate impacts of lead-contaminated drinking water on underserved communities.”

• FEBRUARY 05, 2024. Press Release. ICYMI: SENATOR MARKEY HOSTS ROUNDTABLE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ON THREAT OF LEAD CONTAMINATION FROM DEGRADING TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLES, FINDS UNSAFE LEVELS OF LEAD AFTER TESTING CABLES TODAY IN CHICOPEE "Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety and a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today conducted a site visit and hosted a roundtable event in Chicopee, Massachusetts, along with state and local elected officials, public health leaders, and occupational safety and environmental experts, on the environmental, public health, and occupational safety concerns posed by lead-sheathed telecommunications cables. Site testing today in Chicopee revealed unsafe levels of lead in soil under hanging lead-covered phone lines that telecommunications companies installed across the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many of which remain in communities such as Chicopee today."

Around Cleveland

• Community Housing Solutions Recommended Award Amount: $2,000,000 Community Housing Solutions will be awarded $2,000,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The organization will perform healthy homes assessments in 180 units. Community Housing Solutions will be working with other medical and social service providers. Contact Person: Pam Schuellerman, (216) 231-5815 and pams@commhousingsolutions.org.

• January 29, 2024. Signal Cleveland reports on a Council caucus meeting on 1/22/24. Nancy Mendez and Michele King from Starting Point updated Cleveland City Council members on a pilot program to combat lead risks at daycares.  The nonprofit’s Lead Safe Child Care Program aims to evaluate 30 daycare facilities for lead safety and assist with needed repairs over 18 months, according to the presentation. Licensed Cleveland daycares built before 1978, including ones that operate from homes, can apply. About 300 homes and centers are eligible. The program is funded by the Cleveland Clinic and is done in partnership with the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition. Wait! The "interest form" at the Lead Safe Child Care Program isn't working yet.

• Residents First is expected to be adopted on Monday night's Council meeting. A persistent question from Council members to Director Sally Martin O'Toole has been--do you have the capacity to take on another new program. In testimony last week Housing Court Judge Mona Scott raised the issue of fewer housing cases brought to her court in 2023 as compared to previous years. Nick Castele from Signal Cleveland picks up the story from there. "The Bibb administration pitches its “Residents First” legislation as a new set of tools for holding landlords – particularly those based out of town – accountable. Council sounds generally on board with the overhaul, while also asking whether the city has enough building inspectors to pull it off. Sally Martin O’Toole, the building and housing director, said there’s a reason prosecutions fell last year: Her department was conducting a citywide survey of property conditions. 'We were quite busy, and that explains the judge’s concern about the drop,' she said. 'There won’t be a drop this year.' ”

Around Ohio

• February 3, 2024. Canton Repository. Republic Steel facing new fine over water pollution at Canton, Lorain plants. The end of this story has info on the lead remediation program for households near the shuttered Steel Plant in Canton. In case this story goes paywalled, here's an excerpt. "A map of the designated areas is available at cantonhealth.org. The city advised anyone with questions about the program to call Air Pollution Control Director Terri Dzienis at 330-438-4640." 

• JAN 31, 2024. TribToday. TNP seeks applicants for lead removal program. "WARREN — Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership is seeking applicants to take advantage of funds made available for lead remediation through the state’s Lead Safe Ohio program. In December, TNP received $1.8 million from the Ohio Department of Development for lead abatement. Mikenna McClurg, landbank housing coordinator with TNP, said the organization has until March 31 to have at least half of the funding from the Lead Safe Ohio program under contract, and it must have another 40% allocated by May 31." 

• Feb 3, 2024. Dayton Daily News. Ohio kids have lead in blood 2x national rate: What role do lead pipes play? "Though hundreds of area children have been found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood in recent years, local health departments responding to lead poisoning cases do not routinely test drinking water as a potential source. State officials say this is because the most common culprit in lead poisoning for children is lead-based paint. Statewide, Ohio children have elevated levels of lead in their blood at more than two times the national rate, according to a 2021 study By JAMA Pediatrics."

Around Us

• February 1, 2024. NYT. A Lead Scare Strikes Stanley Tumblers, but You Don’t Need to Worry. "There is some lead in the sealing material used in the cup, the company says. But experts say it’s inaccessible to people drinking from one, and caution that at-home lead tests are unreliable.'There are many health effects associated with lead exposure, such as reproductive toxicity, cardiovascular disease,' said Maria Jose Talayero, a public health researcher at George Washington University. 'And the one that I study the most is the damage to the nervous system, which results in a variety of neurological effects. She added, But it’s a fact that other cups and other manufacturers do not use lead, so why have it in there in the first place?' ” FYI: Dr. Maria Jose Talayero Schettino is the  lead author on the latest study of the Lead-Crime hypothesis. Dr. Maria was CLASH's guest at two events on October 27 and 28th. You can get a preview of her study on Vimeo. Her study is found at The association between lead exposure and crime: A systematic review.

• Feb. 03, 2024. cleveland.com. No more lead aprons for dental X-rays; new guidelines nix protection even for pregnant women. "The American Dental Association has released updated recommendations stating that lead aprons aren't needed when patients get dental X-rays. The next time you visit the dentist, you may not have to put on that heavy, uncomfortable lead apron before having X-rays taken.The use of lead abdominal aprons, or thyroid collars, on patients during dental X-rays is no longer recommended, according to the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. The new recommendations were published Friday in the Journal of the American Dental Association." Approaching zero means removing lead from the manufacturing and waste supply chains. Imagine lead aprons, Stanley cups, lead acid batteries, fishing sinkers and lead bullets shipped off to another galaxy. 

• January 29, 2024. Norwood News. UPDATE Eight Bronx Building Owners Fined for Non-Compliance with Lead Paint Regulations. "Eight Bronx building owners, including two in Norwood, one in Bedford Park, one in Kingsbridge, and one in Fordham Manor, are among ten owners who were collectively fined over $150,000 by NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) for failing to comply with lead-based paint regulations, HPD officials said on Jan. 16. City officials said ten properties owned by Ezriel Weinberger and affiliates incurred penalties on 790 housing units, 99 of which had open, lead-based, paint violations. HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. said, 'Today’s announcement will resonate with all New Yorkers. We all know that lead exposure is toxic and can especially affect young children and set back or permanently damage their development.' He added, 'We also know that responsible property owners make sure their buildings are lead safe and lead free.  That’s why I’m glad we’re holding this irresponsible owner to account.'

• January 29, 2024. Planet Detroit. Proposed legislation could help detect lead exposure sooner in Michigan children. "Lead protection measures may be especially critical in Detroit, where 90% of homes were built before 1980. Public health advocates say a package of bills moving through the state House could protect children and adults from lead exposure by building on recent laws mandating universal lead testing and requiring drinking water filters for all schools and childcare centers. 'As a package, these lead bills will continue to move the needle on preventing lead poisoning in Michigan,' Mary Sue Schottenfels, a consultant for the Detroit Lead Parent Advisory Group and Ecology Center, said in a statement." Our neighbors to the north have been on a legislative war on lead poisoning since Michigan adopted a citizens redistricting plan. 

• August 2022.  City of Detroit. UNDERSTANDING THE RENTAL LANDSCAPE: A PROFILE ANALYSIS OF DETROIT LANDLORDS TO INFORM LEAD-SAFE HOUSING POLICY More innovation from Michigan. Pretty soon Cleveland will be replacing them as "poorest" metro area in the US.

• Feb. 01, 2024. Spectrum Local News. Photovoice project puts faces on lead poisoning in upstate N.Y. "Lead is the silent roommate you might not know you have, and children are most susceptible to being poisoned. What does the impact of lead poisoning look like? The Cortland Health Department – and health departments across the state – are working on the issue every day. It asked people who were impacted firsthand to describe their experiences. One upstate health department wants to shift its focus from responding to lead poisoning to preventing. Lead poisoning can be more harmful for kids than adults Poisoning can lead to issues with growth, hearing and speech, according to the CDC.  It is comprised of photos from people impacted by lead poisoning, along with a short caption to accompany it. "Real faces, real people behind how lead affects the whole family," said Suzanne Osterhoudt, supervising public health nurse. Illustrating the issues faced by people in the community, like keeping kids away from a peeling window, or lead dust covering a home. In all photos, children were poisoned by lead."

• February 2, 2024 WLNE, Health experts and policy makers meet to tackle child lead poisoning issue "In 2023, a total of 1,571 children were lead poisoned in Rhode Island. An all day summit was held at Rhode Island College where officials and public health and policy experts gathered to talk about lead poisoning in children and the efforts they are making to help with the issue. The attorney general’s office filed 22 lawsuits and obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties from landlords who have failed to fully address serious lead violations in properties where children were poisoned by lead. 'You deserve to live in a home that is lead-free, that you know is lead-free,' Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said." WoW, too bad Ohio doesn't have an AG.

• February 2, 2024. Providence Journal. Multiple children were poisoned by lead in a Providence apartment. Now, the AG is suing. "Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Friday that his office has sued yet another Rhode Island landlord for violating state lead laws, marking his 22nd lead-enforcement action. The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 5 against landlord Amanda Weinberger, accuses her of causing multiple children to suffer lead poisoning at a Providence property on Smith Street. 'One lead-poisoned child is one too many, and noncompliant landlords have faced, and will continue to face, the consequences of their neglect,' Neronha said in a statement. 'With our new hard-fought lead safety compliance laws on the books, our office and our partners in government are even better equipped to remedy this major public-health issue, which can often be accomplished quickly and inexpensively by landlords.' "

• Feb 3, 2024. Eagle Times News. Airborne lead paint closes preschool. "Meriden, N.H. — The staff preschool at Kimball Union Academy has closed its doors due to airborne lead-based paint, which has local resident Jesse Mederios asking hard questions. Medeiros said his second child attends the preschool, and she’s gone to school there for three years. His first child also attended the preschool for three years. The official closure announcement happened on Wednesday, Jan. 31, and Medeiros said students were sent home early while they closed the building. 'The school gave us a handout. I’m not sure if they did their own testing. They just said, ‘Hey, there are high levels of lead, and we are closing early, and here’s a handout that says we think it’s all around the windows and doors,' he said."

This week in fruit pouches 

January 29, 2024. USA TODAY.  Recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches were never tested for lead, FDA reports. "The recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches contaminated with lead that sickened hundreds of children were not tested for the heavy metals at the manufacturing plant, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation finds. An FDA document, first obtained by CBS News, details an inspection of the Austrofood factory in Ecuador that happened at the beginning of December. The inspection found that "numerous rough edges, chipped, and pitted areas" on a stainless-steel conveyor belt led to metal pieces breaking off and ending up in the final product."  wake up call, FDA.

• Jan 31, 2024, Forbes. Parents Of Lead-Exposed Children Sue WanaBana And Dollar Tree Over Contaminated Apple Cinnamon Food Pouches

January 2024

• Jan 23, 2024. WEWS. Cleveland lead safety advocates call on city hall for greater lead soil testing efforts "Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing, or CLASH, applauds the new lower federal lead soil safety standard established by the federal EPA last week but is hoping the City of Cleveland will take further action. CLASH pointed to more than 200 soil tests it made last summer in a non-scientific study, showing that 50% of the properties tested were above the new lowered standard of lead soil contamination of 200 parts per million. 

• January 26, 2024 Press Release. "Residents First is a dramatic proposal to Transform Cleveland’s Rental Housing stock. Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) supports Residents First with the following recommendations.

• Un Plan Audaz para Transformar la Vivienda de Alquiler en Cleveland y Garantizar la Seguridad para Todos. Gracias, Vida Latina.

Around Cleveland 

• January 23, 2024 Signal Cleveland Cleveland targets out-of-town investors with tougher housing code overhaul. "Cleveland City Council on Tuesday welcomed many of the housing code changes Mayor Justin Bibb is proposing to force out-of-town investors to maintain their rental properties. The sweeping legislation – dubbed 'Residents First' by the administration – would require landlords to identify a local agent in Cuyahoga County who is legally responsible for their properties. The legal changes would also streamline the process of citing property owners for code violations."

• Jan. 26, 2024. cleveland.com. Point-of-sale inspections for vacant homes? Cleveland’s crackdown on blight might hit snag with controversial proposal. " An ambitious plan aimed at improving Cleveland’s housing stock through a major overhaul of code enforcement was largely praised by City Council during its first public hearing this week."

Around Ohio

• Jan. 19, 2024. WTVG. Ohio EPA meets with village of Luckey officials regarding public water source. "The meeting stems from the village’s plans to draw water from a quarry next to a contaminated site. The EPA contacted officials with the village after 13 Action News reported on concerns citizens were having about the plans. Friday’s meeting was a chance for officials to talk about the plans and for the EPA to offer guidance." FWIW the Army Corps of Engineers FAQ hedges on the question of why not remove the lead that could contaminate the ground water. "not my job" See section H: Groundwater questions.

Around Us

• 11 Jan 2024. Journal of the American Heart Association. The Contribution of Declines in Blood Lead Levels to Reductions in Blood Pressure Levels: Longitudinal Evidence in the Strong Heart Family Study. "Declines in blood lead levels in American Indian adults, even when small (0.1–1.0 μg/dL), were associated with reductions in systolic blood pressure. These findings suggest the need to further study the cardiovascular impacts of reducing lead exposures and the importance of lead exposure prevention." thanks PatriciaB for sharing

• January 25, 2024. Press Release. EPA takes action against Connecticut contractor for failing to follow lead-safe work practices when renovating. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reached a settlement with a Connecticut-based residential contractor for violations of the federal lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule. As a result of the settlement, Bellamy Home Improvement dba Harmony Home Improvement, based in South Windsor, Conn., agreed to pay a penalty of $34,818 and certify compliance with the federal lead-based paint RRP Rule. 'When renovators fail to follow lead-based paint rules, it puts children and families at risk,' said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. 'It is of the utmost importance that companies ensure that their workers have the proper lead safety training in order to prevent exposure during home renovations – as there is no safe level of exposure to lead. Lead safe renovations are especially important in areas that have been historically overburdened by environmental pollution, and we'll continue to work to get the lead out of these communities and hold violators accountable.' "

• Jan 25, 2024. KSHB Kansas City mom saw home as path to a better life; it gave her sons lead poisoning instead. "When Heather Ross moved into a rental home in the Blue Hills neighborhood of south Kansas City, Missouri, in October 2020 to escape domestic violence, she described it as the moment she thought she found her freedom.The feeling later faded when her two young sons tested positive for lead poisoning."

• Jan 25, 2024. KSHD Promising results': K-State PhD students work in KC to pioneer cost-effective way of reducing lead in soil. "Researchers and PhD students with Kansas State University are using Kansas City as a model to pioneer a cost-effective and efficient way of reducing lead's presence in soil through the use of environmentally safe chemicals." CLASH has been looking into lead remediaition from soil.

• January 25, 2024. WisPolitics. Robert Miranda: Federal Lead and Copper Rule has failed to protect us from lead-in-water since its inception. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the final stages of releasing a revamped Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The agency’s recently released proposed revisions have raised concern that the so-called “improved” LCR will continue to lack crucial information about effective precautions people can take to protect themselves from needless exposures to lead in water from lead service lines and in-home lead-bearing plumbing. In 2015, the community frontline groups Freshwater For Life Action Coalition (FLAC) and Get The Lead Out Coalition (GTLO) initiated a campaign to address the hazards that lead service lines presented to the health of Milwaukee residents. There were organizations that addressed matters of concern related to water such as our source water Lake Michigan, the rivers around the city, creeks and streams, etc. It was our organizations – not our water utility – who put the focus on lead in water."

• Jan. 24, 2024. NBC. Do Stanley cups contain lead or pose a risk of lead poisoning? Experts weigh in "Recently, multiple social media users have posted about concerns that drinking from Stanley mugs poses a lead exposure risk. But is that true? Here’s what to know."

• January 26, 2024 PBS Wisconsin. Dr. Beth Neary on blood lead levels tests for young children. "Wisconsin Environmental Health Network Co-President and retired pediatrician Dr. Beth Neary explains why physicians recommend that all 1 and 2-year-old children be tested for their blood lead levels."

• January 26, 2024. Montana Public Radio. EPA says it will do more cleanup of lead-contaminated yards in East Helena. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will do additional cleanup of residential yards in East Helena that have been contaminated by lead. The EPA’s new decision lowers the amount of lead in soil required to trigger a cleanup. In a statement, the agency said a 'better understanding' of the health effects of lead exposure motivated the update. The agency has already replaced soil in hundreds of yards contaminated by a lead smelting plant that operated in the town for over a century. Officials at the East Helena and Butte superfund sites said they are assessing new national guidance that could further lower residential cleanup requirements in both communities."

This week in Fruit Pouch Poisoning

• January 24, 2024. CBS News. Factory never tested applesauce packets that were recalled due to lead poisonings, FDA finds. "The manufacturer behind now-recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches failed to ever test its product for heavy metals, the Food and Drug Administration found in a recent inspection, among several shortfalls by the plant now linked to hundreds of lead poisonings nationwide. 

• Jan 22, 2024. Atlanta Journal Constitution. Months after applesauce recall, Georgia sees more cases of lead poisoning. "Dr. Hugo Scornik, a pediatrician in Conyers who previously led the Georgia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said he thinks awareness of the poisoning is likely the biggest factor in leading to more cases to arise so long after the recall was announced." If the Fruit Pouch scare results in more children coming in for testing...all the better.

Around Cleveland

• Jan. 17, 2024. Spectrum News. Cleveland officials plan to crack down on lead safety enforcement. "In 2019, the Cleveland city council passed legislation that requires landlords to get their properties “lead safe certified” every two years, but data from the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition shows a shrinking number of properties are participating. In an effort to increase compliance, the mayor’s office and city council are working to overhaul the city’s housing code with what they called a “resident’s first” approach. Part of that overhaul includes issuing civil fines and tickets to landlords who don’t certify their properties. 'And so now, two-and-a-half years into implementing the law, we’re at this pivot point where we need to do more,' City Council Member Rebecca Maurer said. 'But we also need to recognize that we’ve done a lot.'

Around Ohio

Lots of local stories about Ohio CHIP grants for lead clean up. Funny to see all these rural r's line up to take credit for big guv'mt money.

Around Us

• January 15, 2024.  CBS New York. Harlem landlord fined $150,000 for nearly 100 lead paint violations at properties. "A Harlem landlord with nearly 100 lead paint violations has been fined tens of thousands of dollars as New York City cracks down on lead hazards. The city wants it to be a warning to other landlords. [  ] The city said this is one of at least 10 properties owned by Ezriel Weinberger where inspectors marked lead paint violations over the last few years. Inspectors said the violations range from recordkeeping issues to failing to remove lead paint before a new tenant moves in. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development said the landlord recently had to pay $15,000 fines for each building and that other landlords should take notice." 

• January 15, 2024 ABC24  'Chronically exposed' | Activists in South Memphis share safety concerns regarding lead pipes. " 'There have been requests for several years even before these federal mandates around lead service line replacement.' [   ] With activists saying the problem and consequences of inaction have been laid out by decades of research stark terms, these Memphians have been mobilizing. On a cold but sunlit Saturday morning, the group Black Millennials for Flint brought together various stakeholders, community members and concerned citizens to help get the word out to residents who still have lead public service lines leading to their home. These activists wanted the community to know about free testing and remediation through full service line replacement, which MLGW received money to carry out through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act."

• Jan 16, 2024, Semafor. USAID to spend millions to counter lead poisoning. "In Davos, Samantha Power, the administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, will announce new steps to reduce lead exposure among children, including a $4 million investment in programs in countries like India and South Africa, according to an announcement shared first with Semafor. Additionally, Power will announce that USAID is joining the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, a joint initiative from the World Health Organization and United Nations that advocates for lead paint laws. Other U.S. government agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency, are members of the group, but USAID says it will be the first bilateral development agency to join." More here.

• JANUARY 17, 2024. Wisconsin Public Radio. Research finds early exposure to lead pipes shortens lifespan "Men exposed to contaminated drinking water from lead pipes didn’t live as long as those who lived in cities that had water systems built with other materials. New research finds that early exposure to lead pipes can reduce an American man’s lifespan by an average of almost three months. Those are the findings from a paper co-authored by a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The results are part of a broader body of research examining conditions in childhood that may affect the longevity of Americans. Jason Fletcher, a professor with the university’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, said researchers compared U.S. Census records of men living in cities that had lead pipes to those living in cities that used non-lead materials in the early 20th century. Fletcher said they then linked the names and addresses of those individuals to their death records from 1975 to 2005. Fletcher said the paper did not examine women because of difficulties with linking data due to name changes when women married."

• January 18, 2024 Press release. DHS Recommends Blood Lead Tests for All Children. "Tests now encouraged for children ages 1 and 2, and those aged 3-5 who have not been previously tested. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommends universal blood lead testing for children living in Wisconsin. Universal testing means all children should receive a blood lead test at ages 1 and 2 as well as any child between ages 3 and 5 who has not had a previous test. Children under 6 residing in the city of Milwaukee require additional testing per local health department guidelines." Here's more.

• JANUARY 18, 2024. Michigan Advance. House committee hears testimony on lead abatement bills. "Legislation would lower threshold for blood lead levels in children, tighten up renovation rules. A package of bills to better protect children and others from lead contamination got their first hearing on Thursday in front of a state House committee. The bills, which would lower the threshold by which the blood lead level in children would be considered as elevated, while also amending requirements related to lead abatement and mitigation for certain buildings or activities, including renovations, came before the House Health Policy Committee, chaired by state Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo), a practicing physical therapist."

• Jan 19, 2024. St. Louis Riverfront Times. Brew Tulum Sues Landlords Over Lead Contamination That Led to Closure. "The now-shuttered eatery says its landlords failed to perform a 'proper remediation'. The owners of the now-shuttered Central West End restaurant Brew Tulum have sued their landlords and the site's property manager over the lead contamination they found on site, saying their landlord's negligence caused them to sustain 'serious injury and damages.' The RFT first broke the news last year that Laura McNamara and Alberto Juarez had closed the eatery in September after finding evidence of lead contamination on site in their Delmar Maker District space. The contamination was discovered after their young son tested positive for exposure during a routine health screening — and after they ruled out the presence of lead at their home, began to eye the commercial space that housed their year-old eatery. Testing later confirmed lead's presence on site — and that the couple had even higher levels of lead than their son."

• January 19, 2024. Daily Journal (Indiana) Program helps child care providers create healthy spaces. A new program is helping child care centers in Johnson County create safer environments for children at no cost to the centers. Healthy Spaces Happy Children was launched by Improving Kids Environment, a part of the Hoosier Environmental Council, and focuses on advancing programs and public policies to reduce environmental threats to children’s health. IKE’s top priorities are environmental triggers of asthma and reducing childhood lead poisoning. Child care centers in Marion and Johnson counties are eligible to apply and receive free assistance through the program. IKE will provide free technical assistance and resources to help child care centers receive information and resources for free. The main goal of the program is to create asthma-friendly spaces and reduce the risk of lead exposure in children, said Katya Drake, environmental health associate with HEC.

EPA News, local and regional fallout

• January 17, 2024. Press Release. Biden-Harris Administration Strengthens Safeguards to Protect Families and Children from Lead in Contaminated Soil at Residential Sites "Utilizing updated, best available science, EPA lowers screening levels for the first time in 30 years. [   ] EPA is lowering the screening level for lead in soil at residential properties from 400 parts per million (ppm) to 200 ppm. At residential properties with multiple sources of lead exposure, EPA will generally use 100 ppm as the screening level. Screening levels are not cleanup standards. While this update will help EPA site teams make site-specific cleanup decisions to protect nearby communities, EPA makes cleanup decisions specific to each site, using site-specific factors, including risk factors and community input that can vary from site to site. [   ]  While the guidance goes into effect immediately, EPA welcomes feedback from the public that may be considered in any future updates to the guidance. Please submit written feedback on the guidance in the public docket (Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OLEM-2023-0664) for 60 days from January 17, 2024, to March 17, 2024. Thanks to ShannonW at EPA for sharing this info.  

• Jan. 17, 2024. cleveland.com U.S. EPA lowers screening levels for lead in soil around homes. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is lowering the screening levels for lead-contaminated soil in residential areas, which means more of them could end up being remediated under the Superfund law and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act." FWIW, CLASH's testing of areas around the I Schumann Explosion Site last year routinely exceeded 200PPM. Too bad Ohio EPA didn't do any soil testing in the area after the explosion.

• Jan 17, 2024. Omaha World Herald. Impact in Omaha unclear as the EPA lowers screening level for lead contamination in soil. "As a result of lowering screening levels, the agency expects to investigate more residential properties for potential cleanup under both the federal Superfund law and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The move, based on updated science, is intended to protect communities from lead poisoning, particularly disadvantaged communities that face multiple sources of lead exposure, the agency said. 'Every family and child, regardless of their ZIP code, deserves to live without worrying about the life-long health effects from exposure to lead pollution,' EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. 'Today’s action ensures that EPA uses the latest, best-available science to protect children living and playing near sites contaminated by lead in soil.'  [   ]  Exactly what the action will mean for locations such as Omaha’s lead Superfund site, however, will be determined on a site-by-site basis in the coming months, said Kellen Ashford, a spokesman for the EPA’s regional office in Kansas City, Kansas. EPA teams will work with stakeholders in local communities to investigate whether the new screening levels will lead to new site-specific guidance, he said. Additional information will be provided to local communities as it becomes available. Omaha was once a major hub for lead refining and recycling. The EPA estimates that more than 200,000 tons of lead were emitted into the air, with some of that settling on yards in east Omaha."

• Jan 17, 2024. Montana Standard. EPA lowers lead screening level nationally; Butte implications not yet clear. "The cliché would be 'cautiously optimistic.' People long critical of the EPA’s action levels for lead in soils in Butte reserved full judgment Wednesday about the implications of the federal agency’s dropping the national screening level for lead in soil at residential properties from 400 parts per million (ppm) to 200 ppm. The action level is where the rubber meets the road for communities like Butte whose mining history left a legacy of metals contamination. The EPA acknowledges that 'screening levels are not the same as cleanup or action levels. An exceedance of a screening level indicates the need for additional evaluation, potentially including a site-specific risk assessment.' Dr. Seth Cornell, a Butte physician and member of the Butte-Silver Bow board of health, wasn’t quite ready to celebrate Wednesday. 'The crucial passage in the press release is ‘screening levels are not cleanup standards,’ Cornell said. “This would seem to imply that a change in screening levels may not necessarily translate to a change in cleanup standards. I hope this is not the case.'"

WTF? Is this the next fad?

January 20, 2024. Yahoo.com. This common cat litter ingredient can help keep dangerous lead from poisoning people’s yards: ‘It’s 20 minutes of work’ Zeolite, a super-absorbent mineral common in cat litter, can also sop up lead contamination in your backyard." Here's the rest of the story. Anyone want to do some research?

Around Cleveland-The missing link?  

A copy of the December report of the Lead Safe Auditor turned up this week on a Cleveland City Council link. The CWRU website that hosts Cleveland's Lead Safe Advisory Board information has not been updated since the December 14th meeting, although Signal Cleveland published a PowerPoint presentation of the December report. A quick review of the newly discovered 19 page report seemed to echo the findings of the September Auditors Report, which set off a flurry of news stories when it was made public in late October. Takeaway? "It has been reported in prior quarters, as in this one, that compliance for rentals not on the registry has been minimal, providing factual evidence that further efforts must be made to bring those property owners into the certification process and achieve the stated goals."

Around Ohio

January 13, 2024. Morning Journal. Lorain County receives $45K grant to remove toxic lead from houses. "The Ohio Department of Development announced Jan. 11 that $1.6 million in grants to help remove toxic lead from 82 low- and moderate-income households in 25 communities across the state, including Lorain County, according to a news release. Lorain County will receive a $45,000 grant. The funding comes from Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) — Lead Abatement Program (LAP) money allocated through the Lead Safe Ohio program, which is investing a total of nearly $100 million to support lead mitigation and prevention projects, the release said. [   ] This is in addition to the $84 million in awards announced on Dec. 14, the release said." More here.

Around Us

• January 7, 2024. MLYT News. Washington not meeting Medicaid lead testing requirements for kids, audit finds. "Washington is failing to meet Medicaid lead testing requirements for kids, even for children most at risk for exposure to the dangerous neurotoxin. That’s according to a recent state audit, which found that less than a third of children on Medicaid born from 2014 to 2016 were tested for lead before they turned 6 years old."

• Jan 10, 2024.heConversation via Milwaukee Independent STUDY FINDS SECONDHAND SMOKE COULD SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO HIGHER LEAD LEVELS FOUND IN YOUTH "Secondhand smoke may be an important but overlooked source of chronic lead exposure in kids and adolescents. That is the key finding of our recent study, published in the journal BMC Public Health. We analyzed national data on blood lead levels and secondhand smoke exposure in 2,815 U.S. children and teenagers ages 6 to 19 from 2015 to 2018. We looked at levels of lead and a nicotine metabolite, a substance known as cotinine produced in the body’s chemical process that forms when tobacco smoke is inhaled. Levels of cotinine indicate exposure to tobacco smoke. We found that the average blood lead levels in the intermediate and high tobacco smoke exposure groups were 18% and 29% higher, respectively, than those in the group with the lowest tobacco smoke exposure."

• January 11, 2024. Indianapolis Recorder. Lead poisoning affecting literacy rates in Indianapolis. "A new report by the Paramount Health Data Project shows that lead poisoning in Indianapolis schools is affecting children’s literacy rates. For the last five years, the organization conducted a longitudinal study across three schools in Indianapolis – Ascent Collegiate School, Brilliant Central School and Catalyst School."  Here's a link to the report.

• January 11, 2024. Press Release. Attorney General Neronha issues guidance to Rhode Island landlords about new lead poisoning prevention laws. "The “rental registry” law...establishes a statewide rental registry to be established and managed by the Rhode Island Department of Health and mandates that all landlords register their rental units by October 1, 2024. Additionally, landlords who rent properties built before 1978 are required to file lead conformance certificates – which are already required by law – through the registry. The “escrow” law allows tenants to petition the court to pay their rent into an escrow account when their unit is not compliant with lead hazard risk reduction laws, including lacking a required lead-safe certificate, or when there are otherwise unaddressed lead hazards in their homes. This law is now in effect. The “treble damages” law allows tenants affected by lead poisoning to recover up to three times their actual monetary damages if their landlord has violated lead safety laws. This law is now in effect. Finally, R.I. Gen. Law § 42-128.1-8 was amended to require that landlords of owner-occupied units obtain lead certificates for their pre-1978 rental units, regardless of the number of units in the building, beginning on January 1, 2024. Landlords were caught by surprise.

Fruit pouch news of the week

Investigation of Elevated Lead & Chromium Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches (November 2023) "CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health is conducting case finding efforts in collaboration with state and local health departments. CDC’s case definition for state partners includes a blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL or higher measured within 3 months after consuming a recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis brand fruit puree product after November 2022. As of January 5, CDC has received reports of 86 confirmed cases, 209 probable cases, and 26 suspected cases for a total of 321 cases from 38 different states through their reporting structure." Lots of stories, not much news.

Around Cleveland

• Jan. 05, 2024. cleveland.com Cleveland granted millions to replace lead-tainted windows and doors. "The city of Cleveland has won a $4.9 million state grant to tackle one of the most pervasive sources of lead poisoning among children: old windows and doors tainted with lead paint. Cleveland will use the money in hopes of boosting compliance with its 2019 lead-safe law, which faced growing hurdles in 2023 as a majority of landlords continued to ignore city requirements to certify their pre-1978 rental homes as lead-safe. The city will use the money to provide grants to Cleveland landlords to help them cover the cost of new windows and doors. 'We want to proactively replace the components that are poisoning the children the most,' Building and Housing Director Sally Martin O’Toole told City Council during a December meeting. 

  • Smart move Sally! Free repairs could be a clue for the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition. Last week Lead Auditor and LSCC Steering Committee member Rob Fischer said  "To bridge this gap, lead safe advocates are offering incentives such as low-interest loans and grants. But at the moment, few landlords are taking advantage of them, and progress on the lead safety initiative has been slow." What if LSCC dips into their war chest to make "no strings attached" grants to owners of pre-1978 properties so landlords can get a "free" lead risk assessment.  Making it simple could make it easier to get participation.  

  • Once owners know the scope of the work to be done, they can start making plans for remediation. Tenants would benefit too because owners are required to disclose "known lead hazards" to their tenant. Codified Ordinance 240.06 (2). Then "at risk" households can make informed decisions too.

• January 5, 2023. Signal Cleveland reports that Councilman Mike Polensek told Mayor Bibb in an email: "The Ward 8 council member warned he’d repeat his complaints about building inspections at the city’s budget hearings in February. 'I can’t wait until the budget hearings for I am going to let loose on someone over this lack of response to building and housing complaints from my office and my constituents,' he wrote. 'I plan to make 2024 an interesting year for sure.' "

• January 5, 2024. Signal Cleveland. Here’s how to tell Ohio lawmakers about Cleveland housing concerns. "In Northeast Ohio, residents face challenges such as high exposure to lead paint, lack of housing for renters who make lower wages, and deep racial disparities that overwhelmingly affect Black residents."

Around Ohio

• December 31, 2023. Cincinnati Enquirer. The EPA wants all lead pipes replaced in 10 years. What that means in Greater Cincinnati. "The EPA says there are 9.2 million lead pipes in the United States. Exposure to lead in children, even at low levels, can lead to numerous health defects, including impaired hearing, learning disabilities, shorter stature and more. Replacing the pipes will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in the Greater Cincinnati region. Here's what you need to know. How many homes in the Greater Cincinnati area have lead pipes? None of Greater Cincinnati Water Works' lines are made of lead, according to the Cincinnati Water Works website. However, plenty of water pipes connecting from homeowners' property lines to their residence are made of lead, especially in older homes."

• December 19, 2023 WCMH via MSN. While Ohio fights lead in drinking water, schools remain out of the loop.  "When it comes to lead in school drinking water, Ohio has no regulatory requirements or state laws. However, the state is working to keep Ohioans safe from lead exposure in other ways. Gov. Mike DeWine announced millions of dollars will go to cleaning up lead in older homes, shelters, and daycares: $84 million is going to the Lead Safe Ohio project and Franklin County will be getting more than $5 million to address lead in older homes, shelters, and daycares. However, this money is not specifically targeting K-12 schools and a policy group said while this grant is a good step, more needs to be done. 'We evaluated the efforts that each state is taking or failing to take to stop this heavy toxic metal from getting into the water that our kids drink and unfortunately, we found that Ohio is still sitting at the back of the class,' Environment Ohio and Environment America Clean Water Director John Rumpler said." more here

• JAN 1, 2024  Tribune Chronicle. $1.8M to address toxic lead issues."Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership has received $1.8 million from the Ohio Department of Development for lead abatement." Nice summary of a multiphase plan.

• January 2, 2024. WLIO. Allen County is seeing an increase of children testing positive for lead poisoning, "Health Commissioner Brandon Fischer recently testified in front of the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Housing when they were in Lima last month. He focused on the number of children that had been treated for lead poisoning. In 2023, they had 25 kids under the age of 6 years old who were reported to have tested positive, which is more than triple the number in 2022 or 2021. The cause is thought to be the aging housing stock in the region with lead paint remaining in these homes which is deteriorating and being ingested by children through the dust." The more you look, the more you find.

Around Us

• JANUARY 2, 2024. Minnesota Reformer. Judge orders property management company to address lead paint. "One of the biggest corporate landlords in Minnesota must find and remediate lead paint in its properties, a Ramsey County district judge ordered on Dec. 22. The ruling is a win for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, which sued HavenBrook Homes and related companies in 2022 for failing to provide adequate living conditions, misrepresenting its property maintenance and repair practices and for violating laws regarding lead paint removal. HavenBrook Homes is owned by New York hedge fund Pretium Partners. Its property management company, Progress Residential Management Services, does not have adequate safety protocols to protect its tenants from lead-based paint, Ramsey County District Court Judge Mark Ireland wrote in a Dec. 22 order."

• Jan 6, 24. It's Going Down, Rent Strike: Putnam Tenants’ Struggle Over New England Brownfield Housing. "On December 29, 2022, tenants at 52-58 Pomfret Street (“The Lofts at Cargill Falls Mill”) received a letter from the Northeast District Department of Health (NDDH) detailing toxic levels of lead in a family’s apartment. Their two-year-old child had been severely lead poisoned. Parents in the buildings with children under the age of six were told to schedule lead inspections and blood tests for lead levels. On January 3, 2023 (after a long holiday weekend), tenants began requesting lead inspections from the NDDH."

This week in tainted applesauce

January 5, 2024. Associated Press via ABC.  Lead-tainted applesauce pouches also contained another possible toxic substance: FDAU.S. health officials say that recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches tied to lead poisoning in U.S. kids contained chromium, a chemical element that can be toxic "Recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches that were tied to lead poisoning in hundreds of U.S. children contained an additional contaminant, federal health officials said Friday. Besides lead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said investigators detected “a high level” of the chemical element chromium, which can be toxic, in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and in cinnamon collected from the Ecuador factory where the pouches were manufactured.`` Here's the latest CDC update

December 2023

• December 18, 2023. Signal Cleveland. Cleveland’s lead safe application rate continues to drop. "The Lead Safe Auditor’s December report to the Lead Safe Advisory Board stated that applications for lead safe certification are down for the fifth quarter in a row, meaning application numbers have been declining for over a year. From July through September, application numbers came in at 355. To achieve full compliance by 2028, application rates would need to increase to about 2,600 applications per quarter. The auditor’s report also stated that 627 properties have renewed their certifications this year while 467 certificates have expired. The report said the trend suggests “ambivalence” from owners when it comes to maintaining compliance. A new enforcement system. Cleveland’s Department of Building and Housing Director Sally Martin O’Toole said the Residents First legislation, if passed by Cleveland City Council, will make it easier to enforce compliance with the lead safe ordinance. O’Toole said the city has begun fining landlords who don’t comply with the lead safe law. She said the city has issued 150 misdemeanor tickets and is hiring two prosecutors to focus on lead safe enforcement. The Residents First legislation will allow the city to issue civil fines, which O’Toole said is an easier and faster approach than seeking criminal charges." CLASH's position: Enforcement is the pathway to voluntary compliance.
  
  

• Dec. 21, 2023, WTVG. Dec. 31 is the deadline to register for the City of Toledo’s lead line replacement system. "According to the city, all customer-owned lead lines in Toledo will be replaced for free using American Rescue Plan Act funding. Residents can look at a map to determine the likelihood of their building or home containing lead pipes. If they are unsure whether their pipes are made of lead, they can schedule an inspection with the Water Department using an online form or call Engage Toledo at (419) 936-2020. The inspection only takes about 5-10 minutes according to Mike King, a construction tech for the City of Toledo Water Department, who has done around 100 lead pipe inspections. 'Whether it be city-owned or private, it’s something that can affect anybody no matter where you live,; King said."

• December 18, 2023. WHMI.com MDHHS Takes Steps to Prevent Household Lead Exposure. "The state of Michigan is continuing to lead the way in its efforts to prevent lead exposure...and is announcing a new strategy to protect families. As part of the state's effort, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is touting its 'Get Ahead of Lead' statewide strategy to identify and take steps to prevent lead exposure from household plumbing. To Get Ahead of Lead, MDHHS recommends Michigan households use a certified lead-reducing drinking water filter...particularly if your home has lead or galvanized plumbing or a lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence."

• DECEMBER 18, 2023. WFYI - IPB News. EPA to clean up last of soil at USS Lead in East Chicago. Will residents nearby be safe? "The West Calumet Housing Complex was demolished in 2018. A new sign has been posted on the wire fence surrounding the vacant land for Industrial Development Advantage, LLC. The company hopes to build a logistics and distribution warehouse there. The federal government aims to finish cleaning up lead and arsenic contaminated soil in residential areas of the USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago by summer of next year. The company doing the work hopes to build a logistics and distribution warehouse where the West Calumet Housing Complex once stood. Residents worry Industrial Development Advantage, LLC could spread that pollution around the neighborhood and recontaminate yards. IDA started digging up polluted soil earlier this month and aims to start hauling it away to a permitted landfill by the end of December. The company is supposed to keep dust under control and brush the soil off of truck tires before they leave — though it doesn’t have a washing station for tires. IDA set up air monitors around the site and the Environmental Protection Agency said, so far, they haven’t shown cause for concern. But that data hasn’t been made available to residents yet — and the EPA has given few updates on the site since May."

• December 21, 2023. Providence Journal.  Dan Denvir helped to spotlight a landlord's dilapidated properties. Then the AG sued. "Denvir hopes 2024 will be another year of organizing against landlord neglect in the state. While Dan Denvir hosts a left-wing podcast for the New York political magazine Jacobin, his place on this list was cemented by his work with the local progressive group Reclaim RI, which helped generate widespread awareness of poor housing conditions created by Pioneer Investments LLC. Dan Denvir, an organizer with progressive activist group Reclaim RI, has helped tenants fight to improve their living conditions. Denvir and Reclaim RI were instrumental in pressuring landlord Anurag Sureka to pay attention to tenant complaints over deplorable conditions, including lead hazards. (The Providence Journal documented various issues, including reporting on lead-poisoned children.) In June, Attorney General Peter Neronha filed suit against Pioneer and Sureka. 'This coming year we are looking forward to helping tenants of other major slumlords in RI organize and win the safe, affordable and dignified housing that all people deserve,' Denvir said.

About those railroad bridges

• On December 18th, Cleveland's public records center responded to CLASH's September 19th request for copies of code violation notices filed by the Cleveland Law Department. The Public Records took 3 months to determine that our request was not specific enough. Really? Meanwhile...

• Dec. 19, 2023. cleveland.com Sherrod Brown raps Norfolk Southern over dilapidated rail bridge. CLEVELAND, Ohio - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is asking the railroad company responsible for a train derailment in East Palestine earlier this year to repair a rail bridge in Cleveland following numerous complaints of falling concrete and cast iron. Brown on Monday sent Norfolk Southern president and CEO Alan Shaw a letter that describes the company’s previous efforts to fix the Lake Avenue bridge as 'insufficient' and urges it to work with his office and Cleveland City Councilperson Jenny Spencer 'to resolve this long-standing problem for the Cleveland community that your company caused.' 'Despite an initial cleanup by Norfolk Southern, neighborhood residents have reported to my office that mud still streams down the walls and onto the sidewalk, dirty water drips from above and pieces of concrete continue to fall onto the roadway,” the Cleveland Democrat wrote. “The community and I expect Norfolk Southern to address these issues and repair the bridge’s historic cast iron façade without delay.'”

This week in Applesauce food packets

• Dec. 21, 2023, U.S. News & World Report, Over 200 Lead Poisoning Cases Now Linked to Tainted Fruit Puree Pouches, "At least 205 cases of lead poisoning linked to contaminated fruit puree pouches have now been reported in the United States, federal health officials report. That's up from 125 cases in the last weekly tally, with 33 states now reporting poisonings, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention said in its latest update."

• DEC 10, 2023. Vindy.com. Valley toils to abide by tough new lead rules. "Most U.S. cities would have to replace lead water pipes within 10 years under strict new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency as the Biden administration moves to reduce lead in drinking water and prevent public health crises like the ones in Flint, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. [   ] It is the strongest overhaul of lead rules in more than three decades and will cost billions of dollars. Pulling it off will require overcoming enormous practical and financial obstacles. Here in the Mahoning Valley, several municipalities already are working to tackle the problem."

• Dec 12, 2023. Canton Repository. Ohio AG and Republic Steel settle air pollution violation dispute. "Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Republic Steel have come to an agreement regarding air pollution violations the state says the company has been facing. The mill in Canton, which was idled earlier this year and is being permanently shut down, caused concern for residents due to its emissions. 'The emissions left black dust scattered across homes and neighborhoods, posing an unacceptable and unhealthy nuisance," Yost said. "The required comprehensive cleanup effort combined with this settlement, is a crucial step toward the long-term well-being of northeastern Ohio." Republic Steel has agreed to pay the city of Canton $300,000 to fund a residential house-cleaning program. Additionally, the company will pay $60,000 to the Ohio EPA for air monitoring. Should the company not comply with the agreement, it could face a list of penalties." More details here.

• Dec. 14, 2023  WTVG. DeWine announces millions in grants to protect Ohio families from lead. "Governor Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that millions of dollars in grants will be used to protect Ohio families from toxic lead exposure. According to DeWine’s office, the Lead Safe Ohio program will allocate $84 million to support lead mitigation and prevention projects in residential properties, childcare facilities and congregate care facilities in 72 Ohio counties." Local recipients include Cuyahoga County – $8,057,000, City of Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) – $4,919,000, and City of Cleveland Heights (Cuyahoga County) – $526,000.  More on the County Program here.

Still no word on Cleveland's efforts to address railroad bridges.

• CLASH is not the only watchdog seeking info on railroad bridges. Channel 6 in Columbus reports: Senator Brown continues to press for information about train bridge conditions in Ohio. You may remember that railroad bridges can put lead from industrial covering on sidewalks and into Clevelanders homes. 

• March 23, 2023. Boston Herald. Toxic lead paint chips falling from Tobin Bridge onto Chelsea homes‘It’s unbelievable to us all’ "Lab testing has shown toxic amounts of lead contained in paint chips apparently stripped from the Tobin Bridge by weather and time which are raining down onto the homes and streets of Chelsea. 'With all of the work that has been done on the Tobin Bridge over the last number of years, we all believed that the bridge was deleaded,' Roseann Bongiovanni, executive director of GreenRoots, told the Herald. 'To learn that the lead is still falling off the bridge 45 years after lead was banned from paint, it’s unbelievable to us all that this is a major problem now in 2023.' ”

Around Us

• Dec 9, 2023. My Leader Paper.com. Rockwood completes state-mandated lead testing on water outlets. "Nine of 14 drinking water samples from various water fixtures at Eureka High School were found to contain lead levels that exceed the state limit. Nine of 14 drinking water samples from various water fixtures at Eureka High School were found to contain lead levels that exceed the state limit. The Rockwood School District recently released lead testing results mandated by the state following the passage of the Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act in 2022. The law requires all Missouri schools to test drinking water for lead contamination and take corrective action when lead levels exceed 5 parts per billion (ppb). The federal government’s action level is 15 ppb."

• December 13, 2023. Louisville Courier Journal. '100% preventable': Louisville has a path to end childhood lead exposure. "Editor’s note: This is Part 5 of “A Heavy Burden,” a five-part investigation into Louisville’s ongoing problem with childhood exposure to lead paint. What is often thought to be a 20th century problem is still very real in 2023. Nearly 10,000 local children tested with high lead levels in their blood over the past two decades, and kids are still at risk today. A new law, still a year away from implementation, aims to right this wrong."

• December 13, 2023. WPXI.com Pennsylvania Reps plan to introduce bill addressing lead contamination in school drinking water. "A group of Pennsylvania Representatives plans to introduce legislation to address the concern of lead contamination in drinking water in schools across the state. According to a memorandum, recent reports show 91% of Pennsylvania school districts tested positive for lead. Reps. G. Roni Green, Tarik Khan, Jason Ortitay, Abby Major, Jim Jaddock and Joe Hogan are working together on the efforts."

• Dec 11, 2023. WKBW. Landlord at center of 7 Problem Solvers investigation sentenced for exposing tenant to unsafe lead levels. "The downfall of Preischel Realty continued in Buffalo City Court on Monday when landlord Carrie A. Preischel, of Boston, NY, was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and 100 hours of community service for exposing a child to lead at 468 Fargo Avenue in Buffalo. That multi-family home has been at the center of an almost two-year 7 Problem Solvers investigation. Buffalo City Court Judge JaHarr Pridgen did not put Preischel behind bars, but in addition to the conditional discharge and community service, ordered the 41-year-old to also pay a $200 fine.' More here

• December 13, 2023, Delaware Public Media. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee passes recommendations on improving lead-safe rental housing. "The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee was asked to deliver a Lead-Safe Rental Housing Plan to the Governor and General Assembly by January 1st. Senate Bill 9, passed this year, tasked the committee with creating recommendations on how to ensure all rental properties built before January 1, 1978 are screened for lead based paint hazards. These screenings must take place before the rental is made available to a new tenant, and at least once before January 1, 2026. The bill requires all lead based paint hazards to be abated or remediated promptly on discovery. The committee approved 11 recommendations for implementing the plan, including amending the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to create penalties for landlords that fail to provide a Lead-Safe or Lead-Free certification."

This week's update on Fruit Pouch investigations

12/14/2023. Politico. Applesauce pouches may have been contaminated on purpose, FDA foods chief saysThe food safety agency continues to investigate dozens of incidents of lead poisoning in U.S. children linked to three brands of cinnamon applesauce pouches. "Tainted cinnamon applesauce pouches that have sickened scores of children in the U.S. may have been purposefully contaminated with lead, according to FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. 'We’re still in the midst of our investigation. But so far all of the signals we’re getting lead to an intentional act on the part of someone in the supply chain and we’re trying to sort of figure that out,' Jones said in an exclusive interview. The pouches found to be contaminated were sold under three brands — Weis, WanaBana and Schnucks — that are all linked to a manufacturing facility in Ecuador. The FDA says it’s conducting an inspection of that facility."

• NOVEMBER 29, 2023. The Land. There’s been little progress three years after Cleveland’s lead safe ordinance was passed. What will it take to move the needle?  "One of the biggest objections landlords have to Cleveland’s lead safe ordinance is that it is too expensive, according to Rob Fischer. Fischer, an associate professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, is involved in both auditing the city of Cleveland’s progress on lead safety and publishing research about it. To bridge this gap, lead safe advocates are offering incentives such as low-interest loans and grants — but right now, few landlords are taking advantage of them, and progress on the lead safety initiative has been slow." For more background, check out CLASH Website

• Nov 30, 2023. WEWS. Ohio EPA navigating next steps to remove all lead water pipes. In Ohio, while some environmental leaders are excited about the Biden administration's push to get rid of all lead water pipes, the Ohio EPA is navigating what the next steps will look like. "Getting lead out of pipes is the new plan from the Biden administration and United States EPA. For the first time ever, it would require all cities in the country to replace lead water pipes. In Ohio, some environmental leaders are excited about the push, but the Ohio EPA is navigating what the next steps will look like. Yvanka Hall is the president of CLASH — Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing. Since she was young, she's seen the negative effects of lead poisoning. 'We see hypertension, we see kidney failure, which is directly related to lead poisoning as a child. So, lead is something that follows you throughout your life,' said Hall. Since 2017, through her group CLASH, she's worked to help make Cleveland lead safe, specifically in homes. What gives her hope is the federal government’s recent push for safer drinking water."

• November 30, 2023. WJW FOX 8 News EPA says lead pipes must be replaced in 10 years — what it means for Cleveland. "The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new rules that would require most U.S. cities to replace lead water pipes within 10 years. The rule change could have the most dramatic impact on cities like Cleveland, Chicago and New York. That’s because they have the most lead pipes of any cities in the country, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. 'Our rates are four times the national average here in the city of Cleveland, so we have a problem,' said Yvonka Hall, president of Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing. CLASH is a coalition dedicated to lead safety awareness in Cleveland."

• November 28, 2023. Signal Cleveland. Two Cuyahoga Council members eye Cleveland industrial site as alternative for new jail. "The county would need to mitigate environmental risks before building a jail and housing people at Kirby Avenue. A study commissioned by the county found elevated levels of potentially hazardous substances in locations around the site: arsenic and cadmium in the soil, vinyl chloride in the groundwater and other chemicals in soil vapor. After removing asbestos and razing buildings on Kirby Avenue, the county would have to cap the land with two feet of new soil or pavement. The county would also need a system in the new jail to prevent harmful chemicals in the soil vapor from leaching into the building." CLASH is overwhelmed with research projects right now, we could use some help. If you are interested in a citizen scientist project, please contact clevelandleadsafe@gmail.com The community deserves to know more about the risks, the laws governing Brownfields and toxic remediation. Even if the site is not used for prisoners, sooner or later it will be used for something. PS: the site is adjacent to the Cleveland Food Bank facility!

• Then on 12/1/23, Mark Naymik from Signal wrote "We told you this week that two Cuyahoga County Council members think an industrial site in Cleveland would make a good home for the new jail. Not so fast. It turns out the City of Cleveland has its own plans for a major part of the site, the ruins of the National Acme parts factory. The property, which was in tax foreclosure, is headed to Cleveland’s land bank.  'We are looking to rehabilitate the property for a job production use,' Marie Zickefoose, Mayor Justin Bibb’s press secretary, told Signal Cleveland in an email. 'The City is taking title, has set aside money for demolition, and is seeking proposals for clean-up and demolition. The site requires a lot of work.' ” 

Around Ohio

• December 2, 2023. Indianapolis Star via Cincinnati Enquirer. Lead shot in deer carcasses is toxic to animals. Indiana wants hunters to change. "The state of Indiana can’t tell Hoosiers not to use lead shot when they’re hunting, but it is asking them. Using lead bullets can threaten scavenger species such as bald eagles, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and could put human health at risk, too. The DNR’s new campaign comes after a Hoosier citizen raised concerns about the toxicity of lead shot." CAUTION: Ad Block wall and graphic video. Lead shot bans are a hotly contested issue, primarily in the Western states. Interested in a deeper dive: A lead ammo compromise? Incentives edge out bans.

• November 27, 2023. Press Release. City’s Department of Housing and Community Development Secures $1.05 Million State Grant to Enhance Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiatives "The City’s Department of Housing and Community Development is proud to announce a $1.05 million state grant to combat lead poisoning. The Lead Safe Housing Fund Community Primary Prevention Grant, provided by the Ohio Department of Health, enables Toledo to strengthen its ongoing initiatives against lead poisoning. This funding will be allocated to support the lead housing registry, community education, and outreach initiatives, along with equipment and tracking software. Moreover, about $500,000 will be earmarked for grants to aid approximately 50 units identified as having lead." More here.

Around Us

• 11-29-2023. Press Release at OpenPR. Lead Poisoning Treatment Market is Expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.30% for the forecast period, Size, Share, Trends and Forecast By 2029 "It is estimated that during the forecast period from 2023 to 2029, the average annual growth rate of the Lead Poisoning Treatment market is higher than the previous one. Study the Lead Poisoning Treatment market using various techniques and analyses to provide reliable and detailed information about the industry. To better understand the market, it is broken into several parts to cover different elements, and an in-depth study of each area will allow readers to better understand the growth potential of each region. Request for sample copy of report: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-lead-poisoning-treatment-market *registration may be required.

• November 28, 2023. Patriot Ledger. How Quincy may get tough on homes with lead pipes. Homes with kids could face DCF probe. "Homeowners could face civil or criminal penalties if they don't let the city replace their lead pipes. A resolution introduced by Quincy City Council President Noel DiBona asks police and city inspectors to investigate 79 properties identified as having lead pipes. The resolution calls for appropriate legal action to be taken if such properties house children − including, but not limited to, referrals of neglect to the state Department of Children and Families."

• December 1, 2023. Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Lead pipes or lead paint: Which is the greater health risk in Worcester? "Lead exposure can have serious public health consequences. That's why the EPA wants all lead pipes removed nationwide. But in Worcester, a greater risk could come from lead paint."

Inside the Lead and Copper rule news

• 11/30/2023. Ars Technica. Millions of lead pipes would finally be ripped out under proposed EPA rule. The rule could generate up to $34.8 billion in health benefits each year. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed a stricter rule on lead in drinking water that would require that all lead service lines in the country be replaced within 10 years, and would lower the current lead action level in drinking water from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion." 

  • • Wait...there's more changes. The draft rule will require water departments to Locate Legacy Lead Pipes, Improve Tap Sampling. New standards will lower the Lead Action Level and strengthen protections to reduce lead exposure from exceedances. 

    • But, don't look out the window looking for backhoes and pipe layers. The proposed rule still needs to go through the comment and adoption process. 

• You can have a say-so on the new Rule. EPA will host an informational webinar for the public on December 6, 2023 about the proposed LCRI. Learn more and register here. EPA will also hold a virtual public hearing on January 16, 2024, at which the public will be invited to provide EPA with verbal comments. Learn more and register here.

  • • Related: OCTOBER 5, 2023. Water Finance & Management 2023 Water Finance Conference convenes financial decision makers in Cleveland. "This year the conference tackled a range of subject matter in the water finance space including cost escalation of utility rates and charges, EPA’s Financial Capability Assessment Guidance, building customer affordability into rate setting, regulatory issues including Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and PFAS, as well as legislative issues and federal funding sources." (emphasis added.)

Another Upcoming EPA Region 5 Webinar

EPA Region 5 will be presenting a discussion on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 from 3to 4p.m. ET, Q&A session from 4 to 4:15 p.m. ET Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a tool designed to investigate how a proposed program, project, policy, or plan may impact health and well-being and inform decision makers of these potential outcomes before the decision is made. HIA can also be used as an approach to engage the community as a stakeholder and to coproduce recommendations to improve community health. Registration and presentation information is in the attached flyer. Please pass this along to your contacts that might be interested.

The latest on applesauce pouches story

• A child loved cinnamon applesauce. Then he got lead poisoning.

• November 30, 2023. Food Safety News. Ecuador company named as a supplier of cinnamon in outbreak of lead in children “ 'The FDA is continuing to work with Ecuadorian authorities to investigate the source of the contamination and to determine if the cinnamon in the recalled products was used in other products or distributed as a raw ingredient to other countries. FDA has confirmed that Negasmart does not import cinnamon directly into the U.S.,' according to an update from the FDA." SOS warmed over. 

• December 2023. Sierra Sun Times U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Representative Katie Porter, Colleagues Call on FDA to Swiftly Address High Levels of Toxic Heavy Metals in Food for Babies and Young Children. "Following the recall of three brands of cinnamon applesauce pouches linked to elevated blood lead levels reported in over 50 children, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas, U.S. Representative Katie Porter, U.S. Representative Sean Casten, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, and U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz have called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the authority of the agency’s new Human Foods Program to swiftly address high levels of toxic heavy metals in food for babies and young children. The lawmakers also called for food pouches, which are intended for toddlers and young children, to be held to the same heavy metal safety standards as baby food."

November

• Republic Steel Questions remain. Following up on last week's report of lead hazards to workers at Republic Steel's Canton works, CLASH uncovered this information about Ohio EPA monitoring of lead levels around the plant. "March 10, 2023, Update: On March 10, 2023, U.S. EPA redesignated a portion of Canton, Ohio from unclassifiable to nonattainment, based on recorded violations of the lead standard at the Republic Steel monitoring site effective April 10, 2023 (88 FR 14920).  The nonattainment area encompass the portions of Stark County that are bounded on the north by State Route OH-153 (12th Street NE; Mahoning Road), on the east by Broadway Avenue, on the south by State Route OH-172 (Tucarawas Street E; Lincoln Street E), and the west by State Route OH-43, northbound (Cherry Avenue NE). The map showing the boundaries of the nonattainment area can be found here." The question we asked last week continues to be what has Ohio EPA or Canton Department of Health done to protect families living in this "nonattainment area." All the stories in the Canton Repository are now locked behind a paywall.

• 11/26/2023.THE BLADE EDITORIAL BOARD. Editorial: Lead law delayed. "The delays in creating a program to test for toxic lead paint dust in Toledo’s rental properties are unconscionable. While other cities, admittedly smaller and with likely a less challenging environment to solve the problem, press ahead with rental inspection schemes, Toledo engages in interminable legal battles with attorney Andrew Mayle and his current client, Charmalyn Strong. see attached.

Around Us

• NOVEMBER 22, 2023, Medical Express. US Clean Air Act associated with increased average lifetime earnings of $21,400 "Early exposure to airborne lead has long-term outcomes on employment, disability and lifetime earnings, and the passage of the US Clean Air Act in 1970 has had an estimated US $4.23 trillion in benefits through its impact on airborne lead levels and the resulting increase in labor market outcomes.... The study found that the decrease in air lead between 1975 and 1985, resulting from the passage of the Clean Air Act, is associated with an increase in lifetime earnings of 3.5% or $21,400 for the average U.S. worker, with greater impacts on women than men. Additionally, greater exposure to air lead in utero is associated with an increase in adult disability, an increase in receiving public assistance and a decrease in employment. Overall, the total earnings impact of the Clean Air Act totals US $4.23 trillion, with a benefit of about $252 billion in 2020 alone." Here's the study Not so fast, here's the other side of the coin. where did all that lead in the air go when it wasn't inhaled? Answer Into the soil nearby roads. Lead never goes away.

• Nov 25, 2023. Carriage Towne News. Executive Councilor Demands Accountability in Blood Lead Screenings for NH Children  "At the November 8, 2023, Executive Council meeting, District Three Executive Councilor Janet Stevens, demanded accountability and compliance from the three Managed Care Organizations (MCO), which oversee delivery of the state’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to 82,462 New Hampshire children and young adults. By statute, all Medicaid-eligible children are required to receive blood lead screenings at ages 12 months and 24 months. For 2022 – only 39% of two-year-olds and 50% of one-year olds receiving healthcare coverage through Medicaid were tested for blood lead levels. Rates for all children in NH in 2021 were 60% for one-year olds and 51% for two-year olds – which represents a 25% drop in blood lead level testing since 2019. “The data is disconcerting and it’s imperative that the three managed care organizations overseeing the delivery of care to more than 181,000 New Hampshire residents fulfill their contractual obligation with the State of New Hampshire, uphold New Hampshire’s designation as a ‘Universal’ State for pediatric blood lead testing which mandates the testing of all children at the ages of one and two, comply with federal Medicaid rules and get the job done of protecting our most vulnerable residents. There is a disparity in blood lead level testing for children enrolled in Medicaid vs. non-Medicaid enrolled children. Bottom line – the data indicates that across the board there has been a decline in testing for all New Hampshire children. There is no safe level of lead and lead poisoning is a preventable disease. The decline and disparity in blood lead testing – unacceptable”, stressed Executive Councilor Stevens." So, Ohio Medicaid Services--What's your track record for testing children for lead.

• NOVEMBER 20, 2023 CBS MINNESOTA Elevated lead levels found in some St. Paul drinking water for first time in decades, "Families in Minnesota's capital city could be dealing with contaminated drinking water. For the first time in more than 20 years, routine water tests found elevated levels of lead in some homes. 'I actually was kind of shocked,' said St. Paul resident Vanessa Diaz. Diaz was among the nearly 95,000 residents who received a letter from St. Paul Regional Water Services letting customers know about the results of the testing. 

• November 20, 2023. NPR NEWS. A new study says the global toll of lead exposure is even worse than we thought. "On the World Health Organization's list of 10 chemicals of major public health concern, lead is a familiar villain. The toxic metal contaminates air, soil, water and food, and builds up inside bodies over time. Its most widely publicized health impact is neurological damage in children, often measured in the loss of intelligence quotient (IQ) points. But lead's pernicious effects don't stop in childhood nor at the brain. According to a new study in the journal Lancet Planetary Health, an estimated 5.455 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease (CVD) attributable to lead exposure — a toll more than six times higher than a previous estimate. The study goes on to provide what its authors say are the first monetary estimates of the total global cost of these lead-attributable deaths, along with the magnitude and cost of IQ loss in children under 5 years old."

Fruit Pouch Update

• Nov. 24, 2023. NBC News. Pressure grows on FDA as lead-tainted applesauce sickens more kids. "Proposed guidelines to limit lead in foods likely won’t be finalized until 2025."

• As of Nov. 22, there have been 52 reported cases in 25 states where children ages 1 to 4 had elevated blood lead levels potentially linked to the apple cinnamon purées, according to the Food and Drug Administration. One sample of the product, purchased at a Dollar Tree and tested by the FDA, contained 200 times more lead than proposed guidance from the agency would allow.

• On Oct. 30, WanaBana recalled all lots of the product, followed on Nov. 9 by several lots made by the company but sold under the brand names Schnucks Apple Sauce pouches with cinnamon and Weis Cinnamon Apple Sauce. The FDA this month said parents should not buy the product as it investigates the lead poisonings. In its Nov. 22 statement, the agency said it was aware that the recalled product was still on shelves at several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states. Dollar Tree said in a statement that it "is working with store operations teams to ensure the recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches are no longer in stores and destroyed according to FDA guidelines," adding that the stores' registers are programmed to not allow sales of the recalled product to go through. 

• In 2021, a congressional investigation found that commercial baby food was tainted with significant levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, prompting the FDA to draft industry guidelines to minimize harm to children. In a statement to NBC News, an FDA spokesperson said the agency should be able to finalize the guidelines by early 2025.

Don't Panic. Drink bottled water til we know

• November 21, 2023. Caribbean Loop News. USVI says no lead poisoning detected in St Croix children so far. "A VI Department of Health nurse administers a finger prick sample to test for lead in an elementary school student. Photo: VI Health Department. Blood tests from over 300 young children on St Croix have so far returned zero positive results for lead poisoning. Dr Esther Ellis, the Virgin Islands Health Department’s Territorial Epidemiologist, revealed the results of paediatric testing during a media briefing on Monday. more here but...

• Nov 22, 2023. PBS News Hour. Biden declared an emergency over lead in water in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But experts think tests were wrong.

CLASH news

• I was wrong! Last week's Stay in Touch news said "Stories about lead in the packaging of children's fruit snacks is important, but not directly related to lead safe housing.”. WOW was I wrong! At the CLASH board members, there was a strong consensus that food, nutrition, and packaging should be a CLASH priority in 2024. While our list of 2024 priorities won't be finalized until our Annual meeting in January, food and nutrition looks like a likely addition to CLASH's list of projects and activities in 2024. More on the fruit package poisonings below. spencer culpa.

• CLASH 2024 Reorganization is underway. CLASH is open to new organizational members or collaborators to affiliate with our coalition. If your organization is interested in forming an affiliation with CLASH, please let us know by contacting clevelandleadsafe@gmail.com. For a list of current organizational members, visit https://www.clashcle.org/home/learn-more-about-clash

• CLASH's Fall2Winter Fundraiser begins on this coming Friday. Here's how to participate.

Around Cleveland

• Nov. 14, 2023. Cleveland.com. Cuyahoga Council likely to send Health and Human Services levy to voters in March "Cuyahoga County voters are all but certain to have the option to renew the county’s 4.8-mill Health and Human Services levy when they cast ballots in March. The levy funds the county’s social safety net, subsidizing dozens of departments and programs throughout the county, such as the Office of Homeless Services, universal pre-K, the Division of Senior and Adult Services, the Division of Children and Family Services, Juvenile Court, MetroHealth and more, according to county budget documents." Here's the question: will the Executive and Council address the county's role in addressing lead hazards among children?

• Nov. 16, 2023. Cleveland’s lead safe law designed to protect children while keeping cost to landlords low. "In response to the landlord’s letter dated 10/7 (Requiring Cleveland landlords to redo lead measures every two years is unreasonable) regarding the burden of lead compliance: I wish all landlords were as conscientious. Cleveland’s Lead Safe Certificate law was designed to protect children at the lowest cost to rental property owners using interim controls of lead hazards instead of full abatement (removal) of lead hazards. But interim controls don’t last forever, so periodic clearance testing is required."

Around Ohio.

• House Bill 280 in the Ohio General Assembly will expand lead abatement tax credits for corporate landlords, deregulate Department of Health laws regulating lead professionals, and make "preemptive" changes to local lead safety laws. See attached analysis.

• NOV 17, 2023 Toledo Blade. Judge rules in favor of Toledo's lead ordinance. "A Lucas County judge has sided with Toledo in its ongoing efforts to enact a lead-safe certification rental law. Judge Gary Cook of Lucas County Common Pleas ruled Oct. 31 that the city’s ordinance, which in part grants the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department the authority to inspect properties for the purpose of issuing a lead-safe certificate, should be allowed under the law. In his decision, Judge Cook wrote that the ordinance 'does not create an unconstitutional delegation of municipal powers under the facts presented in this case.' [    ] As a result of this decision, [Plaintiff's attorney] Mr. Mayle has appealed the case to the Sixth District Court of Appeals." Whoops! This article is paywalled. 

• November 16, 2023. Richland Source. Lead Safe Ohio program offers $50k to Richland County homeowners for exterior lead abatement projects. "Owners of rental units, daycare centers and congregate shelters also eligible for funding through Land Bank. Land bank manager Amy Hamrick said she hopes the Lead Safe Ohio program can help reduce the number of properties surrendered to the land bank. Contractors meeting scheduled for Dec. 5. The Richland County Land Bank will host a contractor meeting in partnership with the Ohio Department of Development on Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. Contractors interested in working with the Land Bank on Lead Safe Ohio projects are encouraged to attend."

• November 16, 2023.  Canton Repository. Former workers at Republic Steel concerned about lead exposure, long-term health "Former Republic Steel worker Anthony Garrison describes himself as someone who's always been relatively healthy. But in March of this year, he began experiencing headaches, nausea and stomach issues. 'My blood pressure couldn’t be controlled, just all kinds of problems,'  the Mineral City resident said. For the first time in his 56 years of life, he was anemic. Garrison said his primary care doctor attributed the medical problems to lead poisoning. Lead is a natural element that can negatively 'affect almost every organ and system in your body,' according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It's known to cause cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems in adults. Lead is added to steel to make the alloy more malleable and easy to machine. Garrison started working at Republic Steel in April 2018 and was transferred to the tripper car in late 2021 after his previous department shut down. In March 2022, he volunteered for his first blood test since starting at the mill because he felt more at risk in the new position, 'Little did I know, that would take us down a really bad road,' Garrison said." Questions: where were United Steel Workers and Ohio EPA? Where is Canton Health Department not that it's clear that there's lead all over the abandoned facility located in a residential area?

 It's YOU cinnamon!

• CBS News, US News, Associated Press, and Ars Technica are all pointing to imported cinnamon as the source of lead in fruit pouches. Latest reports on the scope of the fruit pouch crisis are up to 34 poisonings (in contrast to 200 poisonings in Cleveland in 2022). 

• The extensive media coverage shows how quickly regulators and local health departments (weeks, not years) can respond when lead is found in middle class cupboards instead of low income housing. 

• The fact that this outbreak is "news" supports the notion that the lead in the cinnamon is linked to a single supplier, and not a characteristic of cinnamon in general. AP notes: "...the agency [FDA] noted there have not been other reports of illness or elevated blood lead levels tied to the spice that’s popular in holiday baking." 

• Takeaway: packaged food producers need to test their ingredients more carefully. Right Gerber? Nobody wants to have their name on a personal injury case. Also see below: SantaFe health food producer and chocolate bars.

Around Us

• November 14, 2023, Health.com. Heavy Metals Found in Chocolate: Study Sheds Light on Lead, Cadmium in Some Products. "New research from Consumer Reports found heavy metals in multiple dark chocolate products. Brands like Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, and Bob’s Red Mill had some of the products with the highest heavy metal percentages. Experts recommend calling for more testing and regulations regarding heavy metals are ways to protect consumers. 

• November 12, 2023. Fight Back News. Shut it down! Community rallies outside Smith Foundry over pollution violations. "On Friday, November 10, community members gathered outside Smith Foundry in the Minneapolis East Phillips neighborhood to demand accountability following the EPA’s discovery of many violations of the Clean Air Act and other pollution control standards. Smith Foundry has been the leading source of lead poisoning in Hennepin County for years, and a major source of air particle pollution. These pollution sources contribute to elevated levels of asthma, heart disease, and other devastating health outcomes for residents of East Phillips and surrounding areas, many of whom spoke out about it during the rally." refer back to the Canton story above.

• Nov. 13, 2023 FOX5. The Southern Nevada Health District has provided an update on a Las Vegas supplement manufacturer who was accused of using “nonfood grade” ingredients. "The Southern Nevada Health District has provided an update on a Las Vegas supplement manufacturer who was accused of using “nonfood grade” ingredients. According to a news release, local supplement manufacturer, Harmonic Innerprizes, sold products made with ingredients that were not food grade and with ingredients from unapproved sources. Health District identifies local supplements with ‘nonfood grade’ ingredients Health officials advise that subsequent testing of products from the company’s facility found lead at levels that may be a health concern for certain people in three products."  More here

• Nov 13, 2023. Brattleboro Reformer 'A tragedy playing out': Local landlord fails to comply with lead laws "A landlord accused of not addressing lead paint violations that led to the poisoning of a child failed to show up in civil court Thursday for a status conference. Between 2018 and 2022, states a complaint filed in Windham Superior Court, the Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Attorney General's Office have been in regular contact with Robert Remy-Powers about his nine properties, one in Bellows Falls and eight in Brattleboro, making 'numerous attempts' to work with him to achieve full compliance [with state lead law] ...' " 

• Nov 15, 2023 Valley Breeze (RI) Lead violations take the floor at Central Falls Housing Court. "The property owner of a three-unit home at 39 Darling St. was called back to Central Falls Housing Court on Nov. 8 to provide an update on their lead violation case. The city placed an emergency summons on the property last year after a young child experienced lead poisoning on the third floor of the home. The first violation was imposed last Nov. 23, and the second on Dec. 28, and property owner Esther De Los Santos may have to pay a total of $17,750 in accumulated fines due to the high levels of lead found in the child and the nature of the violations."

• Nov 15, 2023. WBAL Baltimore leaders stress water is safe amid project to identify lead pipes " 'Between now and the federal deadline in October 2024, our team, in partnership with Baltimore County, is going to be conducting significant public outreach directly to our residents -- everything from engaging with members of the media, like we're doing this morning, joining community association meetings and holding public sessions to answer your questions, (public service announcements) and even demonstrations on how to do your tests, and even going door to door canvassing neighborhoods,' Scott told 11 News Investigates."

• Nov. 07, 2023. cleveland.com. Requiring Cleveland landlords to redo lead measures every two years is unreasonable "As a small-time Cleveland landlord offering affordable housing, I take my responsibility under the lead compliance law seriously and was one of the first to comply. After nearly $50,000 in renovations and almost two years of delays due to supply shortages and lack of qualified contractors, my eight units were compliant. I replaced porches, windows, doors, repainted interior and exterior surfaces, deep-cleaned, tested, and retested until they passed."

• Sighting Confirmed: The Sherwin Williams store on St. Clair has EPA's Renovate Right on their counter. Congrats to Dr. Margolius. 

• From LSCC: "CONTRACTORS: We have re-issued our Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Lead Safe projects across Cleveland. The Coalition is looking for RRP-certified pros for lead risk assessment, clearance, abatement & more. Apply: https://bit.ly/lsccrfq 

• Kids Behind Bars: Chaos, violence and neglect plague youth prisons and detention centers, Traditionally the lead crime connection has linked childhood exposure to adolescent criminal behavior. CLASH wonders if discovery of lead in tobacco and marijuana is another contributing factor. Does anyone know of studies of lead levels in Ohio's Juvenile Justice system? Caution: CLASH argues that lead is one (important) factor in crime...but not the only causal factor.

• November 12, 2023. Canton Repository. Republic Steel aftermath: Sykes, Brown among legislators proposing update to WARN Act. "Several Democratic U.S. lawmakers are proposing legislation to strengthen the government's ability to enforce the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, in part because of the sudden closure of Republic Steel plants in Canton and New York."  With all due respect to Rep Sykes and Senator Brown, wouldn't it have been better spent if locals had demanded that these lead-belching behemoths be shut down before US EPA had to step in.

• NOVEMBER 6, 2023. New Hampshire Bulletin. Venison donations may come with a side of lead. "It’s deer hunting season, and once again the New Hampshire Food Bank is promoting its “Hunt for the Hungry” program, encouraging hunters to donate deer meat (venison) to the food bank. It’s a feel-good program that gets a lot of positive press. What’s not mentioned in the promotion is the very real danger that donated venison could contain lead."

• November 12, 2023. Cranston Online. ORDINANCE ADOPTED. "Pursuant to Section 3.15 of the City Charter, notice is hereby given of the Final Adoption of the following Ordinance. Complete copy of the Ordinance is available for public review at the City Clerk’s Office." More about Cranston RI. Even relatively small towns are enacting lead safety ordinances.

• November 10, 2023. Wisconsin Public Radio. Report: Wisconsin has sped up lead service line removal, but hurdles remain. "More of Wisconsin's lead service lines were removed or turned off in the last five years than in the previous two decades, according to a new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. At the current pace, Wisconsin’s water utilities could replace all of their lead service lines over the next two decades, the report says." [    ] "Some Wisconsin cities have successfully replaced or shut off all known lead service lines. Stoughton, a city in Dane County, replaced all of its 703 known lead lines in October 2021. Since then, testing did not find any elevated levels of lead in any of the water sampled." Wait--there's more from Wisconsin. 

sidebar 1: Two more decades til we're done! That's why CLASH calls Lead a generational mission. 

sidebar 2: Wanna know more about lead pipes--see attached.

• November 8, 2023. Fonterra. Tucson program offers free lead testing, as more than 12 ZIP codes are considered high risk. "Tucson officials are running a program to test old homes in the city for lead contamination. City water officials and the hospital network El Rio Health are using a federal grant to test some old homes for lead and provide mitigation. Residents must meet certain income requirements and be in homes built before 1978 to qualify." 

sidebar 1: Instead of waiting for sick babies to show up at the MD, here's a "go out and look for it" approach! 

sidebar 2: Are you listening Cuyahoga County Board of Health and Cleveland Department of Public Health?

Nov. 02, 2023, Cleveland.com. When it comes to making Cleveland lead-safe, our children can’t wait. "Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) would like to thank The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com editorial board for calling for radical action to save Cleveland’s Lead Safe Certificate Program (”Cleveland’s faltering lead-safe effort needs a recharge - and radical rethinking,” Nov. 1). CLASH has argued for four years that enforcement is the pathway to voluntary compliance."

• Nov. 01, 2023. Editorial Board, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.  Cleveland’s faltering lead-safe effort needs a recharge - and radical rethinking: editorial. "Thousands of lead-poisoned Cleveland children identified over many years of testing were a key impetus to lead-abatement reforms that raised more than $100 million for a public-private fund managed by the nonprofit Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition and an ambitious goal set in 2019: to make all Cleveland rentals lead-safe by 2028. But with that effort stalling amid landlord complaints about lack of city enforcement, bureaucratic hurdles, frustrating delays and the use of private compliance inspectors who sometimes seem more interested in selling their own services, cleveland.com’s Courtney Astolfi reports dire warnings from program assessors that it will fall far short of its 2028 goal unless radical fixes are made."

• Nov. 03, 2023. cleveland.com. More of the same won’t solve Cleveland’s lead-poisoning problem. New approaches are needed. "I read the Oct. 28 article about landlords not complying with the city’s lead-safe program and I wanted to cry (”Most landlords fail to comply on lead-safety law”). I moved to Cleveland ten years ago, and poisoning from lead paint was a big problem then, and nothing has changed. In ten years! Back then, I wrote to the newspaper, my state representative, my state senator, my U.S. senator and representative, anyone I could think of, and nothing has changed. I even volunteered to learn to be a lead inspector for free, if it would help. Nothing. Everyone knows the definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I think this fits the definition. Please, Mayor Justin Bibb, city officials, do something different. This too important. And if you don’t fix this and children continue to be impacted, shame on you." Barbara Samuels.  

•  We [Environmental Health Watch] are excited to announce two upcoming educational classes hosted by the Lead Safe Resource Center. The classes, Lead Safe Property Owner and Lead Safe Tenant, provide valuable information and resources to equip property owners and tenants with the knowledge of the Lead Safe Certification process and system.

• • Lead Safe Property Owner Class. Date: 11/14/23 Time: 5 PM Location: 6250 St Clair Ave RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/736617772587?aff=oddtdtcreator

  • Lead Safe Tenant Class: Date: 11/8/23 Time: 6 PM. Location: 5211 Fleet Ave RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/736612256087?aff=oddtdtcreator 

By attending these classes, you will gain essential insights into identifying, mitigating, and preventing lead hazards in rental properties. Our expert instructors will guide you through best practices and regulations, empowering you to create healthier homes and protect the well-being of your tenants. 

• October 27, 2023. signal. Ohio chief justice rejects bias complaint against Cleveland Housing Court Judge W. Moná Scott. "The decision by Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy removes a roadblock from City Hall’s effort to declare a public nuisance at the set of apartment buildings on Shaker Boulevard. The conditions in the buildings have become a focus of Cleveland’s effort to get a handle on investor-owned properties." Why is this a lead story? Maybe you remember that the Cleveland Law Department brought charges against 50 owners of properties that had Lead Hazard Control Orders, but come arraignment day, only one landlord showed up and two others sent letters from their attorneys. For years, CLASH has recommended using Ohio's Civil Nuisance law to bring cases against the properties, not the owners. This ruling in the Shaker Square cases strengthens the city's hand to cut thru the red tape of bringing out of town or missing owners of abandoned properties to court. 

• Ohio Grants from ARPA dollars for lead work. We've yet to see any funds awarded or strings attached, but we'll be watching.

• Nov 1, 2023. WDTN. Clark County addresses lead exposure concerns. " 'Currently, 3.7% of children under the age of six in Clark County have elevated blood-lead levels.' CCCHD said. The initiative aims to reduce this number to 2% by June 30, 2025. Case managers will work on identification, screening, education and coordination with healthcare providers to follow up testing of Clark County children and pregnant women. The testing is expected to lower the incidence of lead poisoning. Clark County healthcare providers for children under 6 will be provided updated information regarding lead testing in children high-risk areas and on Medicaid. The CCCHD reports children 6 and under are at higher risk of lead exposure. According to the Ohio Department of Medicaid, all children enrolled in Medicaid are required to receive blood lead screening tests at 12 and 24 months of age, but less than 60 percent of Medicaid children have had blood tests reported to the state’s registry in recent years." What is your plan, Cuyahoga County and Cleveland?

• OCTOBER 25, 2023. Planet Detroit. Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund offers free lead inspections, loans for lead abatement. "The program, built on Michigan Saves’ model for clean energy and energy efficiency financing, aims to reduce lead poisoning in the state." This is another example of how Michigan's citizen based reapportionment opened the door to progressive policies and programs around lead safety. In case you missed it, Michigan's new legislature has enacted universal child lead testing, filters first rules for child serving organizations...and more.

• October 30, 2023. Country Herald Indiana Community Faces Surge in Lead Poisoning. "ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, IN — An increase in lead poisoning cases has rattled St. Joseph County, prompting immediate attention from local health officials and the community at large. Health officials are intensifying a campaign to educate the public about the severe dangers associated with lead exposure. This hidden menace can have long-term, devastating effects on adults, but even more so on the young children in their care." The more you test, the more you find.

• October 30, 2023, EPA Press Office) EPA Advances Enforcement Actions to Protect Communities from Hazardous Lead Paint "Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a snapshot of enforcement actions taken across the country in 2023 to protect children and their families from the health hazards posed by exposure to lead-based paint. EPA enforcement actions help ensure that renovation contractors, landlords, property management companies and realtors comply with rules that protect the public from exposure to lead from lead paint. A compilation of prosecutions,

• Oct 30, 2023. Patch Norristown Reaches Lead Safety 'Milestone,' But Dangers Lurk. "NORRISTOWN, PA — Norristown officials are touting improvements from across their building safety and codes departments as they reached an important milestone in lead safety this month. The municipality now has at least 50 percent of all its rental housing units meeting "the highest standard" for lead safety, meaning that the homes are either lead free or lead safe. 'The Municipal Council is committed to safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, and the adoption and implementation of this ordinance is a testament to that dedication,' Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones said. Specifically, Jones pointed to the work of Building and Codes Compliance Manager Amrinder Singh in working with property owners, realtors, and community leaders across Norristown. Norristown became the first municipality in Montgomery County to pass a lead safety ordinance in 2021. Local officials were responding to aging infrastructure and flagging enforcement of regulations that brought Norristown to have the highest levels of lead in the county. At one point, roughly one in three children had blood lead levels above 5 micrograms, the level determined by the CDC to be dangerous."

• October 30, 2023. Local organizations partner to raise awareness during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week "The Greater Indiana Chapter of NAACP, The Indiana Department of Health and the Hoosier Environmental Coalition are working together to provide information about the dangers of lead poisoning, how to prevent it and where to get tested. Additionally, they offer free lead testing to children under six who live in a high-risk area."

•  Oct 31, 2023. YourErie.com. Young children, pregnant women can get tested for lead at free Erie County event. "Young children and pregnant women can get tested for lead at a free upcoming Erie County event. Free lead screening is available for children aged five and younger, and for pregnant women, at an event on Thursday, Nov. 2 at the Blasco Library from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and at the Erie County Department of Health from 3 to 5 p.m. Health educators will be at the event answering questions and providing information on lead poisoning. There will also be games, snacks and giveaways." What an interesting idea: Health Departments doing child testing! Are you listening, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County? CLASH will take up a collection so you can take a bus ride up the lakeshore to find out how they do it! Think about it.

• Oct 31, 2023. NNY360. Jefferson County Public Health warning of lead-poisoning dangers; 100 cases reported."Jefferson County Public Health is warning residents about the dangers of lead poisoning, Public Health specialist Cecilia A. Wirth said on Tuesday. Wirth said Jefferson County houses are older, with about 75% of homes being built before lead-based paint was banned in the 1970s. Deteriorating houses are what Wirth said the agency is concerned about. There are about 100 active cases of lead poisoning in the county. Wirth said there are more cases because the threshold for what is considered to be lead poisoning has been lowered since there is not a safe level of lead in the body. 'There needs to be more testing in the community to be able to identify those lead-poisoned children', she said. Wirth described lead as having 'a silent impact' on the body, meaning that people generally don’t notice that a child has lead poisoning until after they have developmental effects.

• October 31, 2023. The Daily Record. Md. appeals court finds expert testimony on lead exposure admissible. "Expert testimony on lead exposure and its effects on the brain in a Baltimore City case was admissible, the Maryland Appellate Court found. In an unreported opinion written by Judge Kevin Arthur filed Monday, the appeals court held that the Baltimore City Circuit Court did not abuse its discretion in admitting an expert’s testimony on medical causation and that the evidence was sufficient to support a verdict entering more than $2 million in damages for injuries related to lead exposure. In affirming the circuit court, the appeals court determined that the testimony of Dr. Aaron Zuckerberg, if believed, was sufficient to establish that Deshawn Fisher’s exposure to lead paint was a 'substantial contributing factor' in bringing about his injuries."

• Nov 01, 2023. WXYZ Redford fighting lead poisoning, giving water filters to residents on Medicaid. "Redford Township is working to prevent lead poisoning by giving away water filters to residents who are on Medicaid. The giveaway is taking place at the Redford Township Community Center every day until Friday, Nov. 3, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. 'Lead is a very serious problem. We all heard and know what happened in Flint. So, you don’t want to take a chance when you hear something about lead being your water. You want to hop to it real quickly,' Peake told 7 Action News.

• NOVEMBER 2, 2023. Cortland Voice (NY) COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR WARNS OF LEAD POISONING IN THE AREA. "To prevent lead poisoning for children living in the county, Cortland has been operating the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) with the help of a state grant since the 1990s. According to county data, the County Health Department has tested about 64% of the children born in 2017. A report from the department indicates that 39 out of every 1,000 children tested showed elevated blood lead levels, which required caseworkers who worked with families to help reduce EBLL.  About 94% of the children who were found to have EBLL between 2021-2022, spent significant amounts of time in a lead-infested home, the department’s report states. Close to 60% of the homes that had lead poisoning hazards were rental properties." Another County Health Department that tests children for lead exposure. Who'd thunk it?

• November 2, 2023. The Tufts Daily. Medford holds forum on lead contamination, environmental racism. "The first step towards solving the issue of lead contamination is determining the location of lead service lines, which are often unknown. Medford shares information about service lines on its website, including a phone number to call for free water testing. Medford will also reimburse up to $1000 toward the replacement of lead pipes on private property. Somerville replaces lead service lines on private property for free." Hum...free testing from the water department and financial support for service line replacement. What about you, CWD?

• Nov 1, 2023 WSYR-TV. ONLY ON NEWSCHANNEL 9: New mobile lead testing van in Onondaga County. Getting your child tested for lead may sound simple, but for many families its not easy. The Onondaga County Health Department is making lead testing easier and more accessible to families who need it the most through its new mobile lead testing van. [    ] Wednesday, Nov. 1 was the first day of lead testing through the new mobile van at Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, and marks the beginning of their travels. The county’s lead van will be hitting the road, traveling to different areas of the community that are heavily impacted for lead poisoning, making it their mission to get all children ages one and two tested. Parents are asked to make an appointment for their child if they need testing. But the department will never turn away any families." CLASH has been following this story for a month as citizen groups in Syracuse protested that the mobile testing van was all show and no go. Glad to see they have made progress! The question remains: what about the 2 mobile testing vans purchased by the City of Cleveland in 2021? Where are they parked?

October 2023

Around Cleveland

Oct 02, 2023. WEWS. CLE Lead Safe compliance slowing according to Case Western study "Erika Jarvis of Cleveland, who was lead poisoned at the age of four, reacted to the latest Case Western Reserve University report showing the city lead safe program may be stalling. The report shows lead safe applications among Cleveland landlords declined 24% in the second quarter of 2023 to just 490, a trend showing applications down 1000 per quarter since 2022. The study showed application denials are up 53% in the last quarter of 2023 and lead safe renewal by landlords after two years is just 20 to 30%. Jarvis told News 5 she believes the Cleveland Lead Safe Coalition needs to do more to reach out to non-compliant rental property owners in various ways." 

• •  Question one: Remember this announcement?  Jan. 30, 2023. Four out of five rentals have yet to comply as Cleveland’s lead-safe law enters next chapter. 

  •  Question two: How do you explain so little coverage from other news sources? Thank you again Joe Pagonikis.  More here: https://www.clashcle.org/advocacy-goals-accomplishments-2022/enforce-lead-safe-certificate-law 

  • Not a lead issue, but you never know when you'll need citizen voices. The Ohio General Assembly continues to undermine Cleveland's home rule. Even WaPo has noticed what going on in Ohio. "In a recent interview with The Washington Post, he [Senator Matt Huffman] dismissed as 'ludicrous' criticism that the Republican-controlled legislature has been impinging on people’s rights. 'Here’s what I meant by that, and I would laugh to see you actually put this in the newspaper,' Huffman said. 'We have a majority in the House and in the Senate, and they’re unified and believe the same things, and we’re able to put through legislation that the people want.' ” Yah, right 

• Oct. 2, 2023. NYT. The Americans Most Threatened by Eviction: Young Children. "About a quarter of Black babies and toddlers in rental households face the threat of eviction in a typical year, a new study says, and all children are disproportionately at risk. The Americans most at risk of eviction are babies and toddlers, according to new data that provides the fullest demographic picture yet of who lives in rental households facing eviction nationwide. Children under 5 make up the largest group by age of those whose households have had an eviction filed against them, weathering instability during crucial years for their development.   [   ] Ms. Wearing eventually learned that the home didn’t have a valid rental license or a lead certificate on file with the city. But even without an eviction on her record, she can’t find another home that’s affordable, big enough for her children and close to school and day care. For now, she and her children stay with friends and relatives, or in hotels." CLASH emphasis. 

• October 3, 2023. Detroit Free Press. Universal lead testing requirement landmark moment for Michigan, advocates say. "Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Tuesday that requires all 1- and 2-year-olds in Michigan to be tested for lead exposure, something advocates say is the biggest moment in 45 years to end lead poisoning. [   ] Currently, children enrolled in Medicaid must undergo testing for lead poisoning. But beginning next year, physicians treating any minor must test the minor for lead poisoning or order a lead poisoning test at 12 and 24 months. If they have no record of a previous test, they must be tested between 24 and 72 months. All four year-olds in Michigan must be tested if they live in a part of the state where they face increased risk for childhood lead poisoning. Minors must also be tested at regular intervals if they face high risk for lead poisoning such as living in a home built before 1978 or living with other minors diagnosed with lead poisoning."

• Oct. 05, 2023. MLive. Michigan to require schools, day cares filter water for lead. "Nearly a decade after the Flint water crisis, Michigan lawmakers on Thursday approved an effort to filter and test drinking water for lead in schools and child care centers. The state Senate passed House Bills 4341 and 4342 in bipartisan fashion, sending them to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to sign, and the House is expected next week to pass Senate Bill 88. The bills require schools and child care facilities develop drinking water management plans within 15 months of this legislation becoming law. Plans would include things like filtered faucets, bottle-filling stations and filtered pitchers. Regular water sampling and testing would also be required, and the state would inspect child care centers once every two years. [   ] Passage of these bills, which lawmakers call ‘Filter First,’ comes a day after the governor signed bills into law to require Michigan children have their blood tested for lead at one and two years old. Kids in high-risk areas would also be tested at four years old."

• October 3, 2023. MyNewsLA. Southwestern Law School Sues Insurer Over Alleged Policy Coverage Denial "Southwestern Law School is suing an insurance company for allegedly breaching a contract and providing complete coverage for the school in defense of claims made by a family in a lawsuit over conditions at an apartment building the school owns near its Mid-City campus. The underlying lawsuit was filed by Carina Castaneda and her family members on Sept. 26. They allege in their Los Angeles Superior Court complaint against Southwestern that they suffered severe emotional distress after Castaneda’s 3-year-old son, Isaias Melendez, contracted lead poisoning. [   ]  The family’s suit alleges that Southwestern failed to properly own, operate and manage their Shatto Place apartment complex. Southwestern’s suit against the insurer, United Educators Insurance, was brought Monday, also in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging the school bought insurance from the company for more than a decade and that the policies provided at least $30 million in coverage each year with the promise to defend and compensate Southwestern against a broad range of legal actions. 'Unfortunately for Southwestern, when it received a demand and threatened lawsuit from a family renting an apartment in a building that Southwestern owns, UE breached its duties to Southwestern,' the school’s suit states."

• Oct 5, 2023. Olewein Daily Register. Free lead safe contractor training in Calmar. "Are you a contractor or know a contractor who would like to receive payment in full shortly after completing a home rehabilitation project? Are you a contractor who has given an estimate to a homeowner, then come to find out that the homeowner may have difficulties affording the rehabilitation work? If so, the Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund (NEIRHTF) may be able to assist."

• October 09, 2023. Cureus Unveiling the Health Ramifications of Lead Poisoning: A Narrative Review. "This article aims to examine the research findings and shed light on the implications for human health, including legal consequences and public awareness."

• October 09, 2023. Lead Pollutants as Harmful to Health as Particulate Matter. "Lead is significantly more harmful to the health of children and adults across the world than previously thought. This conclusion is suggested by a modeling study presented by Norwegian development economist Bjorn Larsen and the Colombian environmental specialist for lead Ernesto Sánchez-Triana, PhD, in a presentation to the World Bank. Their work was published in The Lancet Planetary Health." Here's the link to the Lancet study.

• October 9, 2023. Seacoastonline/Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth observes Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: What to know. "PORTSMOUTH – National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is Oct. 22-29, and city' of Portsmouth's health and water departments are taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue by providing the following information on the city website (portsnh.co/LeadTest) and at the farmers’ market on Saturday, Oct. 21."

• October 11, 2023. Press Release. HUD Announces National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2023. "WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) joins its federal agency partners in highlighting National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), October 22-28, 2023. HUD, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working to raise awareness, provide resources, and encourage preventive actions to decrease childhood lead exposure during the week and beyond."

• Oct. 11, 2023. Syracuse.com. Syracuse Housing Authority failed to notify tenants of lead paint hazard, EPA says. "A federal audit of the Syracuse Housing Authority found officials failed to notify tenants in two public housing complexes about lead paint in their apartments. Residents of Pioneer Homes and the James Geddes Rowhouses should have been informed about the potential hazard when they rented their apartments, as required by federal regulations, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the Syracuse Housing Authority performed renovation work in some apartments without staff properly trained and certified in the removal of lead paint, a known health hazard, the EPA said." CLASH did not report on the PHA's lame excuses. For that you'll have to read the article yourself.

• Oct 12, 2023, WOODTV. More testing could create clearer map of lead exposure "GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Legislation signed this month aims to help identify whether toddlers in Michigan have been exposed to lead. [  ]  Sponsors of the bill said it will help ensure children get the treatment they need. Salisbury said it may help the Kent County Health Department identify lead problems outside of Grand Rapids, which is where a majority of the county’s elevated blood lead level cases are found."

• October 12th 2023. NBC 10 NEWS 'Teddy Bears for Kids' program encourages early lead poisoning screenings. "Thundermist Health Center recently launched a new initiative in partnership with Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. Small children who are screened for lead get a free teddy bear."

• Oct 12, 2023. KSHB Kansas City, Missouri, receives $3 million to redevelop contaminated sites in underserved areas. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 presented Kansas City, Missouri, with a $3 million grant Thursday to redevelop contaminated — or potentially contaminated — sites, known as Brownfields, in the city. [   ] Funds from the city, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the EPA facilitated the cleanup and redevelopment of a lead-contaminated site on Garfield Avenue, according to Brownfields Coordinator with KCMO Andrew Bracker. Approximately $1.8 million in grants funded the development of the low-income East Garfield Senior Cottages, according to the city. The eight, two-bedroom units are part of the affordable senior and multi-family housing initiatives in the Ivanhoe Neighborhood near E. 39th Street."

Two opinion pieces that deserve attention. 

• Oct. 11, 2023. Onondaga County’s ‘lead van’ isn’t delivering on promise of large-scale testing (Your Letters). "Last year in the county’s 2023 budget, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon promised $200,000 to get a mobile childhood blood-lead testing van (the “Lead Van”) for underserved populations in Onondaga County. These underserved families lack access to a pediatrician and/or cannot reliably schedule a trip downtown to a Civic Center clinic. Here's the punch line. "The absence of testing data can create an appearance we’re winning the war on lead poisoning when a closer look reveals this is just not the case."

• 10/11/23. The Messenger. Tackling Unacceptable Lead Contamination of School Drinking Water. "Here’s the good news: We know how to solve this problem. Thanks to the efforts of parents and advocates, Washington, D.C., is now requiring filters certified to remove lead at all drinking water taps in schools. A new ordinance in Philadelphia requires schools to replace lead-bearing fountains with water stations (which also have filters). And given lead’s toxicity at low levels, school districts like in San Diego are now aiming to keep lead concentrations at or below 1 part per billion (ppb), as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Yet, in far too many communities, no action is being taken to ensure safe water for our kids. In other places, our analysis has found that officials are copying a flawed approach borrowed from current federal rules — only remediating taps where highly variable tests confirm the presence of lead at levels up to 15 times that recommended by the AAP. Fortunately, the EPA has an opportunity to advance safer water at school this fall, as it proposes revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule. The new rule should adopt the best solutions we’re already seeing at the community level for schools’ water: require filters on all drinking taps (not just those where tests happen to confirm the presence of lead at high levels) and a 1 ppb limit on lead. Reminder: Last week we reported that Michigan's General assembly has taken up a bipartisan bill to require filters first at schools and child care centers.

September 2023

• September 21, 2023 90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh advances new rental permit requirements while fighting to enact old ordinance in court. "Pittsburgh officials are gearing up for a fourth attempt at creating a citywide registry for rental properties. City Council preliminarily approved a new framework for a registry Wednesday, even as the city continues a legal fight on behalf of a previous approach that’s been held up in court. City officials say the registry will help protect renters from absentee landlords or out-of-town corporations. They argue that provisions of the bill, which require regular inspections of each unit and a point of contact to field complaints about the property, will mean renters are less likely to live in poor conditions. '[Renters] deserve basic protections to ensure when they rent a property that it is safe for them to live there,' said Mayor Ed Gainey spokesperson Maria Montaño. 'Safety is our number-one priority.' ” 

  • • Wait-there's bad news here: "The pending program lays out less stringent requirements when compared to the city's last effort to impose a registry. The 2021 ordinance required inspections for lead, and for out-of-town landlords or LLCs — private business entities often created to hold property — to designate a local agent to represent the owner. Contact information for that agent would be publicly  accessible. Those requirements are changed in the new version of the registry. Landlords still must apply for a permit and submit to routine inspections, but not for lead. A contact person must still be registered with the city, but that information won’t be made available to the public."

• September 13, 2023. Clinical Advisor. Secondhand Smoke Increases Lead Levels in Children. "Secondhand smoke may be an important but overlooked source of chronic lead exposure in kids and adolescents. That is the key finding of our recent study, published in the journal BMC Public Health. We analyzed national data on blood lead levels and secondhand smoke exposure in 2815 US children and teenagers ages 6 to 19 years old from 2015 to 2018. We looked at levels of lead and a nicotine metabolite – a substance known as cotinine produced in the body’s chemical process that forms when tobacco smoke is inhaled. Levels of cotinine indicate exposure to tobacco smoke." Here's the study 

• Sep. 14, 2023. MLive. Lead testing requirement for kids nears approval by Michigan officials. "Young children, starting next year, must be tested for lead poisoning once legislation passed this week by the Michigan House of Representatives gets final approval. Senate Bill 31 and House Bill 4200 passed the House on Tuesday with bipartisan votes of 67 to 42. They would require children residing in Michigan to have their blood tested for lead at one year and two years old, beginning Jan. 1, 2024. [   ] The bills also require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to identify geographic areas where children are at high risk of lead poisoning so that kids in those areas can be additionally tested at four years old." Another insightful story here. 

  • • Indiana adopted universal testing last year. Pennsylvania is moving towards universal testing...And then there's Ohio with an ancient system that doesn't provide full coverage around the state. CLASH says "make child testing easy, make it local, make it universal." 

• Sep 21, 2023, Army Times. Army failing to ensure family housing ‘safe’ from lead paint, asbestos. "The Army’s internal auditors recently concluded that the service has failed to ensure that privatized on-base homes with lead-based paint or asbestos are 'safe for Army families,' according to an August 2023 report exclusively obtained by Army Times via the Freedom of Information Act. The report, based on an Army Audit Agency study, said that the Army’s revamped housing inspection program, established in 2020, has lacked 'effective oversight.' The study reviewed inspections of 201 homes built before 1978 — when lead-based paint and asbestos materials were banned from use in new homes — at three installations: Fort Cavazos, Texas; Fort Liberty, North Carolina; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington."

• September 21, 2023. Indianapolis Recorder.The disproportionate harm lead poses to Near Eastside neighborhoods "Childhood blood lead levels have decreased in Indiana in recent years, but blood lead levels remain high in some Near Eastside neighborhoods, SAVI Talks found in a recent Data and Drafts report.  SAVI talks explored childhood lead exposure in Marion County, with particular focus on Martindale-Brightwood and the Near Eastside where lead levels are artificially increased and resultingly have a greater impact on children’s futures."

• September 15, 2023. HealthDay News. Parks, Playgrounds Built on Old Dump Sites Could Be Hotspots for Lead. "That beautiful park you walk through could be hiding dangerous levels of lead. So, too, could the soil under the play equipment where your children slide and swing. New research in the United States finds that urban parks built on sites where waste was incinerated could be hotspots for lead. 'We found that city parks and playgrounds built on the site of a former waste incinerator can still have greatly elevated levels of lead in their surface soils many decades after the incinerator was closed,' study co-author Daniel Richter, a professor of soils at Duke University School of the Environment, said in a university news release."

• Sep 15, 2023. Roanoke Times. Roanoke's lead paint abatement efforts 20 years strong. "Lead poisoning is a preventable problem that damages the brain development of young children — and it’s something the city’s Lead Safe Roanoke program has been working to address in the city’s privately owned housing stock for 20 years."

• September 16, 2023. LA Times via Yahoo. California lawmakers pass bill requiring schools to test for lead in drinking water. "California lawmakers have passed a bill that would require kindergarten-to-12th-grade schools in the Golden State to test for brain-damaging lead in all drinking water outlets. Assembly Bill 249 would require community water systems that serve schools built before 2010 to test all potable water outlets for lead, and to report results to the school, educational agency and state water regulators. Outlets exceeding lead levels of 5 parts per billion would have to be shut down immediately. Testing would be required before 2027, and would also apply to preschools and child day care facilities on public school property."

• Sep 19, 2023. lanarkleedstoday.ca Got Lead in your Pipes? Find out with free testing in Smiths Falls. "The Town of Smiths Falls wants people with homes built before 1955 to get their water tested to find out if they have lead pipes, which can lead to health concerns. It wasn’t until 1990 that concerns were raised about the pipes and they were banned for use. Lead pipes can leach lead into the drinking water, leading to serious health issues such as lead poisoning. They can also affect water quality as they deteriorate. Smiths Falls runs a free lead testing program."

• Sep 14, 2023. Vox. Lead poisoning could be killing more people than HIV, malaria, and car accidents combined. "However bad you think lead poisoning is for the world, it’s worse." Thanks to JS for suggesting we cover this international study.

• September 7, 2023. Signal Cleveland. Cleveland landlord who failed to clean up lead hazards fined $10,000. "Cleveland Housing Court ordered Hadad Investments – whose inaction left the Wheeler family looking for safe housing – to comply or face additional fines of more than $100 a day."  [   ] 'The City of Cleveland has not filed criminal charges against Hadad Investments for failing to comply with health department orders to clean up the lead hazards. The city has also not used its nuisance laws to move the Wheeler family into temporary housing, fix the hazards, and add the cost to the landlord’s tax bill."  

  • • Key thing to remember: This is a  civil action brought by Ms. Wheeler arising from a poisoned child case where the city had issued a Lead Hazard Control order. This is not a criminal case brought by the City for failure to correct a known lead hazard.

• Sep 06, 2023. WEWS. Berea Road reopens after chemical spill, "Berea Road reopened Wednesday morning after a chemical spill at a Cleveland paint manufacturing building. The spill happened last Tuesday night at the Nippon Paint Facility. The Cleveland Fire Department said there is no danger to the public and although the spill of chemicals is not hazardous when mixed, the EPA was called in to help with the cleanup."  

  • • 🤔 Hum...industrial paint often contains lead. What do the CFD and OEPA reports say about the composition of the chemicals that were spilled. Also-what exactly does "not hazardous when mixed" mean?

  • Sep 05, 2023 WEWS. Cleveland Law Department issues 99 violations for poor conditions at railroad bridges, properties. "Misdemeanor violations sent to CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads for falling concrete, high weeds, graffiti issues"  

    • 🤔 Hum...industrial paint often contains lead. Should the Cleveland Department of Building and Housing be checking the flaking paint for lead?

• Sep. 05, 2023 cleveland.com, Cleveland Heights works on final cuts for remaining $16 million in ARPA funds. "Mayor Kahlil Seren has requested $1 million for lead safety programming, which Khan noted has done well through ARPA in other cities." thanks MollyG

• September 8, 2023. Signal. Board of Control approves contracts to replace old water service lines.  "The board approved up to $400,000 for Corlett Trenching and Plumbing LLC to help with a large city effort to replace lead and galvanized water services lines. The spending is part of a larger project City Council approved last year that includes federal money to replace aging or unsafe infrastructure, including lead pipes.

• September 8, 2023. Press Release. HUD Announces $157 Million to Address Housing-Related Hazards and Lead-Based Paint. "WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the Capital Fund Housing-Related Hazards (HRH) & Lead-Based Paint (LBP) Capital Fund Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) awards. The NOFO provides a total of $157 million dollars, which 20 awards under Lead-Based Paint and 54 awards under Housing-Related Hazards. The purpose of the HRH and LBP Capital Funding is to provide funding to public housing agencies (PHAs) to evaluate and reduce residential health hazards in public housing, including lead-based paint, carbon monoxide, mold, radon, fire safety, and asbestos. In addition, the funds will help get PHAs ready to comply with the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). NSPIRE improves HUD’s oversight by aligning and consolidating inspection regulations used to evaluate HUD housing across multiple programs. NSPIRE strengthens HUD’s physical condition standards, and fire safety, carbon monoxide, mold and moisture and lead-based paint are all standards that we enhanced with NSPIRE." Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing is slated to receive $4,998,091.00. 

  • • CLASH says: "Lets see the plan and especially the timetable for addressing lead hazards in public housing." Public housing in Cleveland. CMHA is exempt from the City of Cleveland's Lead Safe Certificate program. This funding does not include privately subsidized housing or units rented under the housing choice voucher program. Both of these types of assisted housing are covered by Cleveland ordinance, but not surrounding communities. CLASH continues to fight for protections for all Federally assisted housing through the Lead Safe Housing for Kids Act.

• 09/07/23. The Hill. Watchdog knocks local EPA staff for response to lead contamination in Michigan city’s water "A new report issued by the office of the EPA’s inspector general noted that staff in the EPA’s Midwest region did not use the agency’s “elevation policy” to alert national officials about the presence of lead in the water in Benton Harbor, Mich. The policy in question was developed in 2016 after the Flint water crisis exposed residents to lead in their tap water, the report said."

• 04 Sep 2023. Daily Maverick. Lead poisoning responsible for 21% of educational differences between poor and rich countries – study "In 2019, only 14% of 10-year-olds in sub-Saharan Africa were able to read and understand a simple sentence. In high-income countries (including nations like the US and Japan) the figure was 92%. But what accounts for these huge educational disparities across different regions? A new working paper by the Centre for Global Development (CGD) finds that the answer goes a lot deeper than just schooling quality – down to the toxins children in different countries consume and breathe in. In particular, exposure to lead, a toxic heavy metal that can hinder brain development when consumed by children, is far more widespread in poor and middle-income countries than in wealthier nations, where anti-lead laws are strictly enforced and enormous amounts of money are spent on removing lead pipes and paint."

• Tuesday, September 5, 2023. For Immediate Release, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York. Defendant Admits and Accepts Responsibility for Violations and Agrees to Injunctive Relief and a Penalty of $606,706  Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator for Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against APEX BUILDING COMPANY, INC. (“APEX”) alleging violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) and EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (“RRP Rule”).  The United States simultaneously entered into a Consent Decree resolving that lawsuit.  The Consent Decree includes a $606,706 civil penalty, the second largest civil penalty ever imposed under the RRP Rule, and requires APEX to take steps to mitigate potential harms caused by its conduct.

• Sep. 05, 2023. Syracuse.com. Syracuse’s children suffer from trail of lead paint ignored by landlords; ‘It’s like they don’t care’. "The public discussion of lead poisoning here is filled with civic leaders, doctors and prosecutors, but Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard went in search of those with the most at stake: Syracuse’s children. Here’s what we found: Kids are held back in school. Their speech is delayed. They suffer from anemia. They can’t comprehend what their parents and teachers are saying. Some are anxious and don’t trust new people and situations. Every parent interviewed said their child seemed angry. Parents fear this poisoning has set their children on a path to poor choices and teen violence, an alarming trend in Syracuse. Recent crackdowns may embarrass some landlords and separate them from their properties, but they do little to improve the lives of the people who live there, a Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard investigation found." More here

• Sep 5, 2023.  Fox 2 news. Bonne Terre mother nearly loses child to lead poisoning. "BONNE TERRE, Mo. – On Tuesday, a Bonne Terre mother was left worrying if her 3-year-old would live another day after a failed home inspection and a severe case of lead exposure nearly killed him, and left his 2-year-old sister in critical condition. Matters got worse when the hospital did not have the life-saving treatment needed on standby. Kacie Bullard and her son spent days inside of a corner room at St. Louis Children’s Hospital after a diagnosis no one ever expected. 'When they told me he was on a hourly basis that he wasn’t on the medication. It can take the turn for the worse at any moment,' she said. Bullard had moved back to the area just months ago with her three children and great grandmother. 'I went to the St. Genevieve Health Department to sign up for WIC, and they do a hemoglobin test,' she said. Young Oliver and his sister were diagnosed well above the average for lead toxicity. The average sits between 0.5 and 3.5 micrograms. Oliver’s lead levels came back at nearly 50 micrograms. 'He couldn’t leave without the medication that he’s on because he was on hours, days of possibly dying from it. The scariest thing I’ve ever been through,' Bullard said.  Listen to the broadcast. Another example of a child being diagnosed at WIC...while Cuyahoga County's WIC refuses to test children for Lead. For more info visit https://www.clashcle.org/advocacy-goals-2023/county-council-and-executive

• September 6, 2023, Organizations urge lawmakers to address lead contamination problem in Pennsylvania schools "As the school year heads into full swing, a new PennEnvironment report ranks Pennsylvania among one of the worst states in the country when it comes to finding lead in drinking water at schools, highlighting an ongoing health risk for students across the Commonwealth. 'Thousands of educators and students spend hours every day in our schools with no idea that the water they are drinking is poisoning them," said Jeff Ney, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. The report gives Pennsylvania an 'F' grade, along with 27 other states, when it comes to addressing lead contamination in school drinking water. 'This is happening in every corner of the Commonwealth, from Butler county to Scranton, in rural schools, in suburban schools and urban schools,' said Stephanie Wein, a clean water advocate for PennEnvironment." Listen to the broadcast here. More here. Will CMSD address lead poisoning?

• Sep. 10, 2023, Syracuse.com. Get tougher on Syracuse landlords letting kids be poisoned by lead (Editorial Board Opinion). "A year ago, Syracuse created a new weapon to fight childhood lead poisoning. City government enacted a law that makes peeling paint a code violation as serious as faulty wiring or broken porch steps. Property owners could be fined if they don’t seal in the lead by painting over it. A year later, the city has made some progress. Code enforcement officers have issued more than 3,000 lead violations and brought more than 1,600 properties into compliance. That’s a drop in the ocean in a city of 9,000 rental properties — but it’s a start. It’s also clear that city government does not have strong enough tools to compel landlords to do the bare minimum to keep another generation of children from getting poisoned by lead — and doing irreversible damage to their brains, their capacity to learn and their personalities. Various efforts to attack the lead problem by city government, Onondaga County government, nonprofit groups and charities are stymied by amoral property owners who just don’t care that they are permanently harming children." 

• Sep 4, 2023. WYTV. Positive Parenting: Keeping kids safe from lead poisoning. "For this week’s Positive Parenting, we’re talking about how to protect your kids from lead poisoning. According to pediatricians at Akron Children’s Hospital, kids under the age of 6 are most at risk if exposed to lead. 'Family practice doctors or pediatricians really should be screening for lead poisoning in kids that are 1 years old and 2 years old,' said Dr. Joel Davidson, pediatrician at Akron Children’s Hospital."

• 8/31/23. NBC News. Marijuana users found to have lead and another heavy metal in their blood and urine. "Some marijuana users may have elevated levels of lead and cadmium — two heavy metals linked to long-term health issues — in their blood and urine, a new study shows. Among a group of more than 7,200 adults, the 358 who reported using marijuana within the past 30 days were found to have 27% higher blood lead levels than those who said they didn’t use either marijuana or tobacco." Here's the study.   Thought balloon. Marijuana legalization is one way to help ensure the "quality" of the pot that's available to the community.

•  August 23, 2023. Another Source of Lead Exposure for Kids: Secondhand Smoke."One source of lead exposure in children may surprise you. It's secondhand smoke, according to a Texas A&M University study. 'Further research will likely paint a clearer picture of this exposure route, especially in younger children, but the findings here can inform current efforts to eliminate low-level lead exposure in children,' said co-author Dr. Genny Carrillo, an associate professor of public health. 'For example, education of parents about secondhand smoke as a source of lead exposure could help decrease lead exposure in children and further build on the successes of past lead removal initiatives,' she said in a university news release." Link to the study. When Dr. David Margolius of the Cleveland Health Department said that Tobacco smoking and Lead poisoning were the #1 and #2 most important public health issues facing Cleveland, he maybe sees the connection. MORE HERE. 

• August 27th, 2023. Racine County Eye. The tale of Arvan Johnson: battling the devastating effects of lead poisoning. "Arvan Johnson, an 11-year-old boy headed into middle school, knows about the lead poisoning that happened when he was a baby. While he doesn’t remember it, his mother, Leanna Jones, told him how he used to crawl on the floor when he was a baby in their apartment on Martin Luther King Drive. She remembers seeing small paint chips on the floor. As he grew older, she noticed his speech was delayed. That’s how the doctors discovered his lead poisoning. Staff screened him for lead poisoning with a finger prick test during a well-baby checkup at the Women, Infants and Children’s (WIC) Clinic. Noting that his lead levels were elevated, this prompted a trip to the pediatrician’s office for further evaluation. Doctors told Jones there was no safe lead level in the blood and that Arvan’s blood lead levels hovered around 10 micrograms per deciliter. Today’s standard for monitoring blood lead levels in children under five now is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter as the benchmark for concern." Emphasis added by CLASH as a reminder that WIC in Cuyahoga County does not test enrolled children for lead exposure.

• Aug 24, 2023. KREX. Ascent Classical charter school’s new home sparks worries of lead poisoning – update. "GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. Ascent Classical Academy, a charter school moving to Grand Junction, has been questioned on their efforts to remediate lead poisoning from the building they are moving into, the former Rocky Mountain Gun Club."

• August 24, 2023. Richmond Free Times. UPAL, Sa’ad El-Amin partnership seeks to decrease high levels of lead in soil, water. " 'Most cities including Richmond are Flints waiting to happen,' said Queen Zakia Shabazz, the founder and director of UPAL. 'Our goal is to prevent thousands of children from experiencing lead poisoning like those in Flint, Michigan.' Ms. Shabazz’s toddler was poisoned by lead in her home, prompting her to establish UPAL organization in 1996. UPAL creates networks of parents with similar experiences in an effort to educate and spread awareness about the crisis and how to manage their children’s health. The strong support system and parent advocacy group has grown, being funded millions of dollars by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. With this funding, UPAL conducts residential lead tests and remediation efforts. The organization has also certified contractors, painters, and other tradesmen in EPA’s Renovation Repair and Painting and created a Lead Dust Sampling Technician course." 

• August 28th, 2023. Wisconsin Watch. Milwaukee renters face higher lead poisoning risks as city struggles to hold landlords accountable. ‘We have to do something,’ a Milwaukee Health Department official says as the city rolls out a new approach to removing lead from older rentals. [   ] Little impact from year-old ordinance, The Milwaukee Common Council sought to tackle this problem in July 2022, enacting an ordinance designed to prevent landlord retaliation and stiffen penalties for refusal to address detected lead. That included allowing the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) to allow tenants to withhold rent when landlords fail to comply. But DNS received zero rent-withholding referrals during the first year of the ordinance, a spokesperson said. DNS can refer lead-related complaints to the city health department for enforcement, but the agency says few complaints specifically mention lead. DNS often receives complaints about peeling paint, a common sign of lead hazards. But it has authority only over building codes and not the health codes that deal with lead hazards. So if a child isn’t yet found to be lead poisoned, DNS simply orders landlords to repaint without abating lead. That risks further contaminating properties if a contractor scrapes away old paint without properly cleaning up, said Michael Mannan, the city health department’s director of home environmental health. In those cases it’s up to landlords to act in good faith — to recognize they might have lead, test their properties and remediate if need be, DNS Commissioner Erica Roberts said. [   ] 'We know it’s not working,' Mannan said about broad city efforts to rid rentals of lead. 'We have to do something.' ” 

• August 28, 2023 WXPR Education, Environmental Groups Press for Safe Drinking Water in Schools. "Organizations such as the National Parent Teacher Association and National Education Association have sent the Environmental Protection Agency a letter - asking it to bolster the Lead and Copper Rule, which regulates the levels of these contaminants in public drinking water. Environment America signed on to the letter too, and the group's Clean Water Director John Rumpler said despite more awareness about the dangers, students and teachers still are at risk. 'What the data shows us, from the last few years," said Rumpler, "is that lead contamination of schools' drinking water is in fact, widespread.' " more here  

• August 28, 2023. NPR. Milwaukee Public Schools hopeful new filters will help keep drinking water safe. "Milwaukee Public Schools is hopeful a donation from a local company will help keep its drinking water safe for students and staff. Milwaukee-based Zurn Elkay Water Solutions donated $2.2 million dollars in water filtration systems that will be installed throughout the district to help keep drinking water safe and reduce the level of lead in the water, an issue that the city has been dealing with for years. This summer, MPS installed nearly 600 new Elkay filtered bottle filling stations and converted 2,500 existing filling stations and drinking fountains to the Elkay filtration system." more here

• Aug. 30, 2023. U.S. News & World Report. Segregation Has Close Ties With Lead Poisoning in Black American Kids. " 'Young Black children living in racially segregated U.S. neighborhoods are at heightened risk of potentially brain-damaging lead exposure, a new study warns. The study, of nearly 321,000 North Carolina children under the age of 7, found that those living in predominantly Black neighborhoods had higher blood levels of lead than those living in more integrated areas. But in fact, the study found, residential segregation has endured and actually increased in many areas -- in North Carolina and nationwide. That residential segregation is no accident, experts pointed out: It is rooted in a long history of policies such as 'redlining' that isolated Black Americans into neighborhoods marked by little to no investment and high poverty rates.' " see Dr. Robert Fischer's comment...above under Around Cleveland.

• Aug 30, 2023. Choteau Acantha. Teton County Health Department now offers lead testing. The Teton County Health Department’s new Maternal Child Health Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, which will promote and increase testing for lead exposure in children, is set to begin on Sept. 1. Health Department Director Melissa Moyer and Jessie Racicot, a screening services and patient guidance nurse for Toole and Teton counties, said in a late July interview that the main purpose of the program is to educate families on the importance of testing their children for lead exposure. During her time at the TCHD, Moyer said she has seen a “gap” in services for this type of testing. This sparked a conversation last spring with health department staff on how the county has not seen the amount of blood lead level testing results the health department should be receiving."  Seriously, people, Teton County Montana can provide child lead testing, but neither Cleveland Department of Public Health or Cuyahoga County Board of Health can provide child testing? Seriously?

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Approaching zero. A new goal that's between lead safe and lead free.

• August 30th, 2023. Wisconsin Watch President Biden’s EPA proposes tougher lead dust rules. Here’s what it means in Wisconsin. "Aiming to reduce childhood lead exposure, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would require property owners to clean up any reportable amount of lead dust detected on floors and window sills at pre-1978 homes and child care facilities. The proposal, announced in July, would lower the threshold of lead considered hazardous — and therefore requiring abatement — on floors and window sills. It would also lower dust-lead clearance levels: how much lead may linger for abatement to be considered complete. Landlords still would not be required to proactively test for lead under the proposal. In Wisconsin, local health departments typically require lead testing at properties only after a child is found to be lead poisoned. But the EPA rule, if finalized, could reduce the lead exposures of 250,000 to 500,000 U.S. children younger than six each year, the EPA estimates."

• AUGUST 23, 2023. The Atlantic. Zero Lead Is an Impossible Ask for American Parents "Families can spend thousands and still not totally eliminate lead from their children’s lives." From the article "Parents simply can’t get to zero without help. Lead is invisible and pervasive. Although the Flint, Michigan, water crisis and recent product recalls have raised awareness about lead leaching from corroding pipes and hiding inside baby food, the biggest sources of exposure for children are the spaces where they live and play: inside houses and apartments with old, degrading paint and yards with contaminated soil. For many, there is no easy escape. Lead contamination is most common in low-income neighborhoods, which means Black and Hispanic kids are disproportionately affected."  Who should pay the price for new lead safety standards?

August 2023

• Aug. 02, 2023. Cleveland.com. After Cleveland hemp manufacturer never takes off, lawsuit ends in judgment for jilted workers. "A federal judge ordered a judgment against the companies behind high-profile plans for a hemp manufacturing operation in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood that quickly fell flat." Why is this a lead story? The proposed site which "volunteer" workers were clearing turns out to be an industrial waste site. The site was also considered as a possible site for the new Jail. BTW: CLASH is planning to resume researching toxic waste sites in the fall. If you are interested in research around toxic waste sites, write to clevelandleadsafe@gmail.com

• Aug. 02, 2023. Cleveland.com. Many solutions to reducing crime are more effective than just hiring more police: Eric Foster, "Research has long established a correlative relationship between violent crime and place. In other words, violent crime tends to be concentrated in specific areas. Cities can make headway by investing resources in these areas of concentrated violent crime, which also tend to be historically under or dis-invested. Renovating housing, vacant buildings, land, and lots in these areas has been shown to significantly reduce violent crime rates. Lead removal consistently gets buried or lost in the conversation about reducing violent crime. Researchers have for years now argued that lead exposure increases crime. A meta-analysis of the effect of lead on crime conducted last year concluded that lead pollution increases crime."

• Aug 05, 2023. WEWS; CLE Shaker Square tenants victorious in federal ruling on city nuisance case "Dozens of tenants living at Cleveland's Residences at Shaker Square Apartments, who have been fighting for better living conditions, scored a victory in federal court, allowing their case to be heard in city housing court. Long-time tenant Ronald James said he was pleased to hear that Northern Ohio District Judge Charles E. Fleming ruled to allow a civil nuisance law filed by the City of Cleveland against eight owners of the three Shaker Square apartment buildings can move forward." This is big news for the Cleveland Law Department which has a "go ahead" to bring nuisance against the almost 600 Cleveland properties with outstanding Lead Hazard Control Orders. CLASH says "fix'm up or tear'm down (safely). The question now is whether the Bibb administration has the will to bring these cases to court. 

• PatriciaD reports: "...Youngstown City Council passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Ordinance which requires 'all residential rental units in the City constructed prior to January 1, 1978 to have lead-safe certification no later than March 1, 2028.' It also creates a Lead-Safe Advisory Board and Community Legal Aid is to appoint a member to the board." waiting for media reports

•  Jul 31, 2023. Ark Valley Voice. CHAFFEE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH BEGINS OFFERING BLOOD LEAD TESTING FOR CHILDREN. "Beginning on August 1, 2023, Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) will offer FREE blood lead testing for children, by appointment in Salida and Buena Vista." Seriously Cuyahoga Board of Health--you can't figure out how to do this? Or should we call you Bored of Health?

• July 31, 2023 Fox News. Lead and other metal contaminants increase heart disease risk, AHA warns: ‘We need to do better’ "AHA researchers investigated the impact of lead, cadmium and arsenic on the risk of heart disease and stroke. They found that exposure to these metals raises the risk of dying from coronary heart disease, which is caused by a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The adverse health effects of lead exposure are well-known, but many physicians aren’t aware of the link between heavy metal contaminants and cardiovascular issues, the American Heart Association indicates. 'Large population studies indicate that even low-level exposure to contaminant metals is near-universal and contributes to the burden of cardiovascular disease, especially heart attacks, stroke, disease of the arteries to the legs and premature death from cardiac causes,' said Gervasio A. Lamas, M.D., chairman of medicine and chief of the Columbia University Division of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, in a statement to Fox News Digital."

• Jul 31, 2023. WISN. Person of the Week: Coalition on Lead Emergency "The group sponsored a back to school block party and gave out school supplies. [video transcript] OUR PERSONS OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK ARE A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO SPENT A SATURDAY AFTERNOON GETTING KIDS READY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. THE COALITION ON LEAD EMERGENCY SPONSORED SATURDAY’S BACK TO SCHOOL BLOCK PARTY. THEY HANDED OUT FREE BACKPACKS, SUPPLIES AND FOOD. ORGANIZERS SAY FREE BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES ARE A GREAT HELP TO MILWAUKEE FAMILIES. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE BECAUSE A LOT OF US HAVE A LOT OF FOOD INSECURITIES, A LOT OF KIDS WILL START SCHOOL WITHOUT THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO OFFERED A FREE LEAD TESTING TO MAKE SURE KIDS WHO LIVE IN OLDER MILWAUKEE NEIGHBORHOODS DO NOT HAVE LEAD POISONING."

• August 1, 2023. Press Release. Mayor Adams Announces Successful Enforcement Action Against Four Landlords to Protect Children From Lead. "After finding substantial health and safety violations in these apartments — including hundreds related to lead-based paint — the city over three months in early 2022 entered into comprehensive agreements with their property owners that imposed nearly $500,000 in civil penalties, compelled property owners to resolve all outstanding violations, and forced compliance with Local Law 1 of 2004 — the New York City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Nearly 3,500 violations have already been corrected to date, and all four property owners must continue to demonstrate compliance with health and safety requirements for the next three years."

• Aug 1, 2023. The Journal. Colorado receives $835,000 to reduce lead exposure in child care facilities and schools. "On July 31, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Colorado will receive $835,000 in grant funding to minimize lead exposure in schools and child care facilities. Through the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, funds for lead mitigation will support testing and compliance monitoring as well as lead remediation in water that children and employees in schools and child care facilities drink. Additionally, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act allows the removal of lead sources. This includes replacing lead pipes and lead connectors, which are a predominant source for lead poisoning. Remediation projects also include the removal, installation and replacement of internal plumbing, faucets, water fountains and water filler stations."

• August 3rd 2023. Fox 17.com Middle Tennessee high school alerts parents of lead contamination found in drinking water NASHVILLE, Tenn.--A Middle Tennessee school district has warned parents of some high school children of lead contamination found in drinking water. According to a letter sent to parents of Coffee County Central High School students -which was confirmed by FOX 17 News, the Coffee County School District is warning recent tests showed levels of lead above 20 parts per billion in six test samples."

• Aug 4, 2023. WRAL. Durham parks that were formerly incinerator sites closed after lead found in soil, "The City of Durham fenced off several parks Friday, after finding high levels of lead in the soil. The City of Durham fenced off parts of several parks and installed warning signs Friday after finding high lead levels in the soil. The city directed a third party to conduct soil collection and testing using EPA-qualified methods after a Duke study indicated that the soil was contaminated with lead."

• August 1, 2023. Studyfinds.org. Lead exposure during childhood could lead to a life of crime in adulthood. " Exposure to lead during childhood or even in the womb may predispose individuals to criminal behavior later in life, a new study reveals. A research team from George Washington University discovered that children who had higher levels of the toxic metal in their bodies were more likely to engage in criminal activities as adults. They found this correlation applicable to children exposed to lead both during their mother’s pregnancy and their first few years of life. 'Children do not absorb or metabolize lead in the same way as adults and are far more susceptible to the negative impacts of lead exposure due to a hyper-permeable blood-brain barrier and rapidly developing organ systems,' says Dr. Maria Jose Talayero Schettino, the lead researcher of the study, in the journal PLOS Global Public Health. 'This review demonstrates an association between exposure to lead and the later development of delinquent, antisocial, and criminal behavior.' ” Thanks to ZacheryB for sharing

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• 1-Aug-2023. George Washington University. Lead Exposure in Early Life Linked to Higher Risk of Criminal Behavior in Adulthood."New analysis from George Washington University spotlights need for policies to prevent future health and social problems from lead exposure."

• Aug 02, 2023. Medical Daily. Lead Exposure Instills Criminal Instincts? Study Says People Exposed In Womb, Childhood Are At Higher Risk

• Aug 2, 2023. Four States. Children exposed to lead show elevated criminal risks as adults, study says

• 08/02/23. The Messenger Lead Exposure in Youth Linked to Criminal Activities as Adult: Study "There are long lasting impacts of youth exposure"

• Aug 23, 2023 WEWS. CLE child lead poisoning concerns spark free lead soil testing in Kinsman neighborhood. "Concerned Citizens Community Council, CLASH and U.S EPA gather the issue of free lead soil tests on Aug. 26. CLE child lead poisoning concerns spark free lead soil testing in Kinsman neighborhood" Thanks JoeP for the coverage.

• Aug 22, 2023. The Citizen. Cayuga County launches lead poisoning campaign. "The Cayuga County Health Department has launched a new campaign, No Home for Lead, to create awareness around lead poisoning and reduce lead exposure in homes. Those expecting a baby or who have children 6 and younger living in or visiting their homes can request a free home lead risk assessment from the county's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Teams will test chipping and peeling paint, teach residents how to protect themselves and their families from lead exposure, and provide household cleaning items to make their homes lead-safe." (our bold/italics)

• Aug 23, 2023. Fox 17. Kalamazoo, MDHHS team up to tackle lead issues, certify more professionals. "The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services partnered with the city of Kalamazoo to certify more lead professionals as part of the push to make homes safer. Kalamazoo is boosting its efforts to tackle lead issues in older homes— the city teamed up with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to certify more lead professionals."

• Aug 23, 2023. Reuters EPA sued over 'egregious' delay in addressing lead weights in car wheels, "EPA agreed to consider regulations in 2009. Groups say the lack of action is unreasonable. Lead weights can fall off wheels, contaminating streams and soil. Public health and environmental groups have accused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of unreasonably delaying regulations that could ban lead weights in automobile wheels, which can break loose and contaminate streams and soil near roadways. In a petition filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, the Sierra Club, the Center for Environmental Health and others said the EPA has not finalized rules for the lead weights despite saying it would do so 14 years ago."

July 2023

• July 5th, 2023. Prism. Organizers in upstate New York make waves in fight to tackle lead poisoning. Child lead poisoning rates in some New York census tracts are roughly twice as high than those in Flint, Michigan, at the peak of its water crisis. People in upstate New York are facing a lead poisoning crisis with damaging impacts on children at a distressing scale. Public health advocates say this is a fixable issue, but local governments’ and state leaders’ proposed solutions have mostly been at a standstill. Now, thanks to activism by local organizers, some city governments are starting to take action."

• Jul 7, 2023. Patch. Free Lead Testing: Bloomfield Encourages Residents To Sign Up. "Mayor Michael Venezia and the Township of Bloomfield are encouraging all residents to sign up for free lead testing of their home or apartment through the local nonprofit organization La Casa De Don Pedro. 'Lead poisoning is a slow and silent killer that can have a tremendous impact on the development of children,' said Mayor Venezia. 'While we no longer use lead paint in our homes, it can still be present from decades past which is why we must be so vigilant in its identification and removal. I encourage all Bloomfield residents to take full advantage of this free program to ensure your family’s safety and health.' ”

June 2023

• June 12. 2023. WMUR. Report shows elevated levels of lead in many New Hampshire schools "Schools working to replace affected water sources.  "Last summer, Gov. Chris Sununu signed a new law that lowers the accepted levels of lead in water at New Hampshire schools, but News 9 Investigates has learned that some schools are still reporting high levels of the heavy metal. House Bill 1421 was signed into law in July 2022. It made changes to a 2018 law that requires New Hampshire schools and licensed child care facilities to test their drinking water for lead."

• Jun 12. 2023. WRAL Duke student finds lead in soil at 3 Durham parks, suspects contamination at 2 others. On June 1, a report from Duke student Enikoe Bihari concluded there were mineral soil concentrations of lead in some areas of East End Park, East Durham Park and Walltown Park. Lead is suspected at Northgate Park and Lyon Park. A neighborhood association is looking into what's next after a Duke student researcher found "alarmingly high" levels of lead in the soil of three Durham parks. Several parents who spoke with WRAL News had no idea of the findings and said they wish the city did more to let parents know. On December 2022, a report from Duke student Enikoe Bihari concluded there were mineral soil concentrations of lead in some areas of East End Park, East Durham Park and Walltown Park. Lead is suspected at Northgate Park and Lyon Park. The report only recently came into the public eye."

• Undated. Medical News Today. Heart disease: How exposure to lead increases the risk and what you can do. "A new statement shows that chronic exposure to lead, cadmium, and arsenic increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other negative health outcomes. Regulations have helped curb the levels of these contaminants, but they’re still present in many areas. Older houses, older pipes, and contaminated groundwater are a source of these contaminants, along with certain occupations. These negative effects disproportionately affect those in lower socioeconomic brackets. For most people, the risk remains low, but experts say it’s important to monitor your health and limit exposure. Despite decades of regulatory work to limit the amount of lead and other toxic metals in the environment, experts say the risk of adverse health effects still remains. A statementTrusted Source published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association outlines the ways in which chronic exposure to low levels of lead, cadmium, and arsenic can contribute to cardiovascular disease, along with an increased risk of stroke and peripheral artery disease."

• BMC Public Health. Patterns of global burden of 13 diseases attributable to lead exposure, 1990–2019. "Strong epidemiological evidence, such as a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the disease burden attributable to lead exposure, would aid the development of effective prevention strategies that reduce the hazards of lead exposure. However, to date, there has been no comprehensive, accurate description of the global disease burden of lead exposure. Therefore, this study comparatively assessed the burden and trends of multiple diseases attributable to lead exposure among different populations at global, regional, and national levels using the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), aiming to provide a comprehensive basis for the scientific, precise development of lead exposure prevention and control strategies."

• June 12, 2023. Sierra Sun Times. California’s U.S. Senator Alex Padilla Pushes for EPA Superfund Designation for Southeast Los Angeles Neighborhoods Affected by Exide Pollution.  "Last week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) traveled to Southeast Los Angeles County to meet with community leaders and families impacted by lead contamination caused by a nearby former Exide Technologies Inc. facility. Padilla was joined by Representatives Robert Garcia (D-Calif.-42) and Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), and local community leaders in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate the impacted neighborhoods as a Superfund site, which will help provide critical resources and expertise for a proper clean-up. During the visit, Padilla received a briefing on the status of neighborhoods containing lead-contaminated soil while he toured a home currently undergoing the decontamination process."

•  Jun 13, 2023. The Daily News. Genesee County Health Department considers home visits. "Genesee County has about $95,000 in annual grant funding to keep offering home evaluations and health hazard prevention education, should the Legislature choose to accept it. Legislators will vote on whether to do that when they meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Old County Courthouse, 7 Main St. Staff from the Genesee County Health Department have visited homes or hung information about Healthy Neighborhoods on residents’ doors in some neighborhoods. They’ve been making visits during the day, but are planning to try visits in the evening."

• June 12, 2023. State of New York. 'Don't Bring Lead Home' educates New Yorkers about exposure to lead in certain occupations and hobbies  "The New York State Department of Health today announced the launching of the "Don't Bring Lead Home" public health awareness campaign to educate the public about the dangers of lead exposure for adults. The Department highlights ways that adults can be exposed to lead from certain jobs and or hobbies, how lead can be transported home, and tips to prevent exposure. The month-long campaign includes social media content as well as display advertising to target people who work with lead and those who have hobbies that can expose them to lead, such as hunting and target shooting. A separate campaign focused on childhood lead poisoning will also run later this month." 

• Jun 16, 2023. Fox 56 News. Why is lead testing for kids down in Kentucky? "After the Jessamine County Homeless Coalition discovered it bought a Nicholasville property, with high levels of lead and arsenic, questions have surfaced about lead poisoning. [...] " A 2016 CDC report shows that most central Kentucky counties tested less than three percent of children for lead poisoning. Last year, the CDC granted Kentucky $350,000 to boost lead-poisoning testing in the state. A 2016 CDC report shows that most central Kentucky counties tested less than three percent of children for lead poisoning. Last year, the CDC granted Kentucky $350,000 to boost lead-poisoning testing in the state. 'There’s so much stuff we have to do for children when they’re young, between testing and vaccinations,” Stanton said. “You don’t want something that’s going to be, you know, potentially in this case, somebody who’s seen thousands and thousands of children and only seen one elevated level. And so where is the juice worth the squeeze with regard to is this where we need to be putting the health care dollars? This is one of the strangest stories we've seen in months!

• June 16, 2023. KSDK. SLPS plans to replace lead-contaminated fencing at 21 elementary schools before the school year  "Shenandoah Elementary School in south St. Louis is on the list of public schools where lead-contaminated chain link fencing will soon be history. Missouri State Representative LaKeySha Bosley is glad about it. 'Just making sure that we keep up to code and updated,' Bosley said. The school is located in the state representative's 79th district.' ” 

• June 21, 2023. Times Union. Environmental report details Poughkeepsie’s lead poisoning ‘crisis’. "A memo sent to city leaders last week by the nonprofit organization Environmental Advocates of New York began with a severe message: 'Poughkeepsie has a lead poisoning crisis.' The eight-page document dated June 14 listed several concerns about the prevalence of lead water pipes throughout the city, local government’s efforts to remove them, the inflated cost Poughkeepsie is paying to replace lead pipes and the risks residents may be exposed to."

• June 20, 2023. EIN News. RIDOH and Attorney General Announce Rhode Island Free Lead Screening Days in June. "As part of efforts to help all children in Rhode Island be tested for lead poisoning at least twice by the age of three, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Office of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha are announcing two lead screening events next week. The events are free and no health insurance is required."

• Jun 21, 2023. WOOD TV. Free filters tackle lead exposure in Kent Co. "Health officials launched a pilot program Wednesday as the state and county continue to combat lead exposure. In the Get Ahead of Lead program, Kent County homes that have lead plumbing, a lead service line or older faucets can receive a lead-reducing drinking water filter. While old lead paint is largely to blame for lead poisoning, officials said old pipes and service lines may also contribute to the issue. Nearly 18,000 homes qualify for the filter. To be eligible, households must have a kid under the age of 18 or a pregnant woman living there, as well as have a household member who is enrolled in WIC or Medicaid. Additionally, the households must show they cannot afford the cost of a filter." more here

• June 21, 2023 KABC 22 felony charges filed against metal recycling company for toxic waste dumping at Watts high school. "The Los Angeles County district attorney on Wednesday announced 22 felony charges against a metal recycling company and its owners in connection with the dumping of toxic waste at Jordan High School in Watts."

• JUNE 23, 2023. Michigan Advance. Doctors, parents urge lawmakers to pass legislation requiring lead testing for Michigan children. 

• Jun 24, 2023. Lancaster on line. Lead abatement programs targeting more than 3,300 Lancaster County dwellings have remediated 377 so far "When Jackie Hernandez’s oldest son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and struggled in school after being exposed to lead, it was “the worst feeling in the world,” the Grand Rapids resident told a Michigan House panel on Thursday. 'I remember feeling as if I was the worst parent in the world,' Hernandez said during a House Health Policy Committee meeting. Years later, Hernandez’s son would go on to graduate from high school – something children exposed to lead are seven times less likely to do than those who are not – but the struggle against lead wasn’t over for her. Now the community connections coordinator at the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, Hernandez on Thursday voiced her support for legislation that would require all young children in Michigan to be tested for the presence of lead in their blood.' When Kayla and Thomas Wilkinson’s twins showed elevated levels of lead in their blood at their three-year checkup, Kayla and Thomas were sent home and told to keep the twins away from windows and other sources of lead dust. 'They literally sent us a pamphlet in the mail,' Kayla Wilkinson said, 'like that was that.' Last summer, a decade after the Wilkinsons’ first experience with lead poisoning, staff from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and national nonprofit Green & Healthy Homes Initiative knocked on their door to promote a program that would remediate the lead hazards in their Columbia home – at no cost. With another toddler at home, the offer seemed perfectly timed."

• Jun. 12, 2023. Cleveland.com. Cuyahoga Executive Chris Ronayne favors moving jail to Garfield Heights over Cleveland brownfield site. "Preliminary soil testing at the Kirby Avenue site showed “significant man-made issues” that could take up to two years to clean up before construction can begin, according to the comparison chart. Ronayne wouldn’t go into detail about what some of those toxins may be, noting a deeper study is underway to determine the extent of contamination and what it would cost to clean up, but he anticipates it will require “pretty significant” remediation. Cuyahoga County has been reviewing this location at Kirby Avenue and Eddy road on the east side of Cleveland as a potential new home for the county jail. One of seven parcels that would make up the jail site once housed the National ACME, Co., but today is an abandoned brownfield that the county says would require extensive  remediation. 

• June 5, 2023. Signal Cleveland. Cleveland City Council’s marathon session before its summer break. "Lead inspections: The committee approved legislation allowing the Cleveland Department of Public Health to perform lead investigations in the city. The state would reimburse the city for each investigation from its Medicaid money. The legislation also allows the city to contract with local companies or agencies (such as Environmental Health Watch) to do investigations."

• June 15, 2023. Signal Cleveland. Quality of Cleveland’s occupied homes and structures dips, new property survey shows.  "94% of occupied structures earned excellent to fair rating, a drop from 98% in 2015; more than half of vacant structures rated deteriorated or hazardous." But..."Surveyors saw 336 lead placards on properties, indicating a house needs to be vacated due to lead hazards. The surveyors suspected about 75% of those properties had people living in them. Robb said organizations and city departments working to address the lead paint problem in Cleveland can use survey information like peeling paint and bare soil along with publicly available information on the age of a home to monitor properties in a more concentrated way."  NSS: CLASH and others have been demanding FOR YEARS that these properties be renovated or demolished using Ohio's Nuisance Abatement Law. 

• June 12, 2023. Tap into the Breeze. Raritan Borough to Hire Company for Lead-Based Paint Inspections. "RARITAN, NJ - New Jersey is requiring municipalities to inspect every single-family, two-family and multi-rental unit for lead-based paint, including rental units in Raritan Borough. However, while most municipalities in Somerset County are required to do a visual inspection, Raritan Borough is one of three in the county required to do dust wipe sampling, along with North Plainfield Borough and the Borough of Peapack and Gladstone."

• June 12, 2023. EPA Press Office. EPA Launches Nationwide Series of Community Lead Awareness Sessions. "WASHINGTON – As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to protect communities from childhood lead exposure and advance environmental justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a series of free educational sessions on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure. These sessions are based on the Lead Awareness Curriculum, an adaptable resource to protect communities from potential lead exposure, and will be held in English and Spanish. ''We know that children living below the poverty level or in older housing are at a higher risk of exposure to lead,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “We’re proud to partner with communities that face elevated risks from lead exposure to create healthier homes for children to thrive.' ”

• June 13, 2023. Sahan Journal. In Minneapolis, three-fourths of kids with elevated levels of lead are children of color. These workers are trying to do something about that. "The city’s Healthy Homes team does extensive outreach and conducts detailed inspections of homes deemed at risk of lead exposure. Inspectors say immigrant communities may encounter lead in items like coal used as makeup; imported spices; and medicines, candy, and toys that come directly from other countries."

• June 14th 2023, Bill passes in Michigan Senate that would require lead testing for children. "Legislation has passed in the Michigan Senate that would require lead testing for Michigan children if signed into law. Senate Bill 31, sponsored by Senator John Cherry of Flint, directs physicians to test a child’s blood for the presence of lead when they are between 12 and 24 months old and again between the ages of 2 and 6 years old (with parental consent). Universal lead testing at 12 and 24 months and, if no test is on record for those ages, then between 24 and 72 months; Universal testing of 4-year-olds that live within a geographic region that poses a higher risk of lead poisoning; Universal testing if a child lives in a home that was built before 1978, or one where other children have been diagnosed with lead poisoning; and A requirement that a minor must be tested at more regular intervals if a physician determines they are at risk of childhood lead poisoning based on the factors above."

• June 15, 2023. WISpolitics. Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities: Legislature passes bills to help property owners remove lead paint, improve housing safety "Today the state Senate and Assembly passed two housing bills (SB 294/AB 265 and SB 297/AB267) that will help improve the safety of existing single-family homes and buildings being converted into housing. The bills allow property owners to apply for loans that can be used to remediate lead paint, lead plumbing, abate asbestos, and address other environmental contamination. “Lead poisoning is a 100% preventable cause of intellectual and developmental disabilities, and lead paint is the number one source of lead poisoning,” said Beth Swedeen, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities. 'These bills are important steps towards making more housing safer. Every Wisconsin county has children poisoned by lead.' ”

• June 16, 2023. Heilonews AHA: Toxic metal exposure threatens heart health, particularly in underserved communities. "Complications of toxic metal exposure include ASCVD, ECG abnormalities, stroke and death. High lead, cadmium and arsenic levels were found in the soil and water of many historically underrepresented communities. Toxic metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic found in food and water represent a significant hazard CV health in the U.S., particularly among historically underrepresented communities, according to a scientific statement. Together, the American Heart Association’s councils on epidemiology and prevention; CV and stroke nursing; lifestyle and cardiometabolic health; peripheral vascular disease; and kidney in CVD issued a call to action to reinforce regulatory measures to reduce population level exposure to toxic metals."

• June 16, 2023 MSU Today. MSU, Corewell Health partner to investigate effects of lead exposure on pregnant women, newborns. "Researchers with Michigan State University and Corewell Health are partnering to study the health effects of lead poisoning in the Grand Rapids area where about one in 10 children has elevated lead levels in their blood, according to state data. Researchers will use a new test and umbilical cord-derived stem cells to evaluate the effects of lead exposure on the developing immune system during early life stages. In parallel, clinicians and researchers at Corewell Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will explore any impacts of lead exposure on maternal health outcomes. Lead is a toxic metal that can cause various health problems, including developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and behavioral issues in children. 

• Jun 09, 2023. WEWS. EPA-led cleanup turns once toxic site into East Side development opportunity, "A nearly $2 million cleanup of a contaminated industrial site on Cleveland’s East side was recently completed, moving the city’s industrial past one step closer to a more productive future. Using part of the city’s tranche of American Rescue Plan Act dollars, Mayor Justin Bibb has made the redeveloping of Brownfields and other industrial sites on the East Side one of his core policy priorities." 

• June 7th 2023. WFMJ. Youngstown water department working to rid thousands of homes of lead pipes. "The city plans to have all lead removed from its water distribution system by the year 2050. More than 52 thousand Youngstown residents have until June 30 to complete a survey regarding lead pipe service lines in their homes. The surveys are part of the city's push to identify and map areas of their water distribution systems that are known or likely to contain lead service lines for the Ohio EPA by October 16, 2024." 

• June 5, 2023. 830 WCCO Get the Lead Out: Grant pays for removal of lead-based paint for homeowners and landlords. "Every year, some 200 children in Hennepin County are found to have blood lead levels high enough to damage their health. That’s why the grant is targeting families with children under the age of six or homeowners who have frequent visitors under the age of six. Those who qualify for the grant will get Energy Star windows as replacements. If the cost for all the remediation is more than $15,000 Hennepin County will offer eligible homeowners and landlords deferred and low interest loans to help with the expense."

• 06/06/2023. PBN. Major landlord sued for violating state safety, lead hazard laws. "Attorney General Peter F. Neronha on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against a major Rhode Island landlord for violations of state rental, lead hazard and consumer protection laws. In the complaint filed in Providence County Superior Court, Nerhona accuses  Pioneer Investments LLC. and its president, Anurag Sureka, of routinely ignoring lead hazard laws, landlord-tenant laws, housing code regulations, and regularly engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices throughout the state. The lawsuit also claims Pioneer’s properties have fallen into disrepair, pose significant health and safety risks, endangering renters, in particular the children who reside in these properties. Pioneer Investments owns and manages 175 residential units in Rhode Island." More here

• June 9, 2023. UpriseRI. Rhode Island House and Senate pass historic childhood lead mitigation legislation. "The legislation is an important first step towards eliminating childhood lead poisoning. Rhode Island: Rhode Island House and Senate pass historic childhood lead mitigation. The Rhode Island House and Senate passed a package of three bills to reduce childhood lead poisoning by ensuring landlords comply with lead-safety laws. Each bill is now expected be passed by the alternate chamber before heading to the governor’s desk."

• Jun 9, 2023 MyTwinTiers.com. Buffalo family’s dream apartment became health nightmare over unsafe lead paint levels – and 85,000 other homes are at risk. "Landlord violated 'Do Not Occupy' order for unsafe levels of lead paint. His guilty plea resulted in community service and an order to keep his rentals in compliance. But a family that rented a unit in the duplex said the long-drawn-out enforcement process did not protect them. The Mount family already felt pressure to find a new place to live that could fit their family when a re-housing nonprofit showed them a large apartment in a duplex in Buffalo. 'So, we looked at the apartment, and aesthetically the apartment is gorgeous,' said Bethany Mount, who agreed to sign the lease so their family of six could move in by December 2019. What the Mounts did not know was the landlord that rented them the upstairs apartment already was in the crosshairs of the Erie County Department of Health’s lead poisoning prevention program."

• JUN 6, 2023. Pgh Post-Gazette. Pa. Senate begins moving bill to require lead-testing for toddlers. "The Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved legislation Tuesday that would renew efforts to require universal blood tests to detect lead poisoning in children. The Senate last year passed legislation that would have mandated universal blood tests but the provision was weakened in the House with the requirement removed and instead includes language suggesting that doctors should consider U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance in determining whether to conduct lead testing on a child. That change was approved by the House Appropriations Committee with all Republicans on the committee voting for the amendment and all Democrats opposed. Democrats now hold a slim majority in the House." (paywalled)

• Jun 9, 2023 KVOA.com. ADHS getting more than $1 million in federal grant funding to test lead levels in school drinking water. "ADHS getting more than $1 million in federal grant funding to test lead levels in school drinking water. The program is voluntary. Arizona public schools and childcare facilities will have to opt-in to participate. The state is getting $1.4 million in grant money funded by Environmental Protection Agency to test lead levels in schools drinking water. The state is getting $1.4 million in grant money funded by Environmental Protection Agency to test lead levels in schools drinking water."

• Jun. 08, 2023. Syracuse.com. Young kids in Syracuse already have heart damage from high levels of toxins, study says. "Poor kids in Syracuse exposed to heavy metals like lead and arsenic have early heart and artery damage more typically found in adults, a 10-year study has found. Children ages 9 to 11 who had high levels of the toxic chemicals in their bodies also had sleep disorders and behavioral problems, the study revealed. Nearly 300 children, primarily from low-income families, were studied. While researchers have known for years that children have a variety of toxic chemicals in their bodies, they said this was the first research to link higher levels of those chemicals to early cardiovascular disease."

May 2023

• May 15, 2023. Signal Cleveland. Displaced: A family forced out of Cleveland rental home by lead hazards finds little support Cleveland struggles to enforce lead poisoning prevention laws. "The city has few options when landlords refuse to fix hazards. First in a series." 

• May 16, 2023. Signal Cleveland Cleveland lacks an emergency safety net for families displaced by lead hazards. " ‘It’s unfair to anyone in this situation’: As the city and its partners focused on prevention, enforcement and relocation efforts lagged."

• May 17, 2023. ‘It hurts everybody in the end’: No easy answers for families displaced by lead hazards. "As court proceedings drag out, officials scramble for emergency housing options. None currently exist."

• May 15, 2023. WEWS. Lakewood spruces neighborhoods with paint grants. "A local nonprofit is once again helping families spruce up their homes. 'It's something that if you don't fix it, then it's going to cost you more, you know, money and time,' homeowner Perri Topulli said." Question to Lakewood Alive, the non-profit sponsor: are you promoting lead safe practices for DIY painters and requiring RRP certifications for contractors? Besides potentially unleashing lead into the community, RRP is the law!

• MAY 16, 2023. vindy.com Youngstown council to address West Side water woes. "City council will consider an ordinance Wednesday for a $142,000 contract for engineering work on a proposed project to replace waterlines, several of which contain lead, to about 300 homes on the West Side. Also under consideration for replacement is a water mainline with a history of breaks on Mahoning Avenue." Is this a ​"​wait til they break​"​ strategy​ for lead line replacement​?

• May 18, 1889 -- Remembering Thomas Midgley Jr. an American mechanical and chemical engineer, who played a major role in developing leaded gasoline (tetraethyl lead) while working under the direction of Charles Kettering at Dayton Research Laboratories, a subsidiary of General Motors. He discovered that the addition of tetraethyllead (TEL) to gasoline prevented knocking in internal combustion engines. The company named the substance "Ethyl", avoiding all mention of lead in reports and advertising.

• May. 15, 2023. Syracuse. com. Childhood lead poisoning creeps up in Syracuse as more kids get tested. "Dr. Travis Hobart of Upstate Medical University said he was pleased more kids got tested in 2022.  'The thing that always worries me is that we may be missing some kids,' said Hobart, medical director of Upstate’s lead poisoning center.  The most recent state data from 2020 shows 67.1% of Onondaga County children received lead screenings by age 3, better than the state average of 62.4%  Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse are spending millions of dollars in federal money to remove lead from houses, inspect rental units, provide more services to children with lead poisoning and increase testing. The Onondaga County Health Department will begin providing mobile lead testing this summer. 

• May 16, 2023. Fresno Bee via Yahoo. Dangerous levels of metal found in water at dozens of childcare centers in Fresno County. "Dozens of childcare centers in Fresno County have dangerous levels of lead in their drinking water, according to a new report. In compliance with Assembly Bill 2370, California requires licensed childcare centers to test tap water for lead levels. The report, compiled by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, reveals that roughly one in four of the almost 7,000 tested centers exceeded the allowable amount of lead in their drinking water." More here.

• May 15, 2023. Michigan Radio. Legislation would take more steps to prevent lead exposure for toddlers. "Under proposed legislation sponsored by Democratic State Senator John Cherry, lead tests would be added to a child’s regular medical checkup routine. [...] A second bill sponsored by Democratic Representative Rachel Hood would change who has authority to see that contractors are certified for repairs of homes that likely have lead paint. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has that authority now. The legislation would give that authority to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services."

• May 16, 2023. Rochester Beacon. Rochester seeks community-led effort on lead removal. "As the city of Rochester engages in a $43.3 million upgrade to its water infrastructure, lead contamination plays a significant role. The city is asking residents to help identify water service lines that may have 'lead-containing materials.' [...] With the help of residents identifying and reporting the service line that comes into their homes, the city says, it will be possible to create a comprehensive inventory and aid the replacement efforts. Residents can find out if they have an unknown water service line here. To check a water service line, residents can follow the step-by-step instructions to test and report it."

• MAY 16TH, 2023. Washington City Paper. Bowser’s Proposed Budget Zeros Out $10 Million Program to Replace Lead Pipes. "In some neighborhoods, tap water lead levels remained extremely high as of 2010. A congressional investigation into the District’s water crisis resulted in a 2010 report called “A Public Health Tragedy: How Flawed C.D.C. Data and Faulty Assumptions Endangered Children’s Health in the Nation’s Capital.” The report outlined how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to inform D.C. residents for years about what was then one of the worst water crises in the country."

• May 17, 2023. EagleHerald. Let the spring air in - not the lead contamination. "Open a window to let in the fresh air, but be careful that window isn’t letting in lead exposure, too. Years ago, pipes, paint and household fixtures used lead, but the most common source polluting homes is lead dust, said Wendy Stuart, public health nurse with the Marinette County Health and Human Services Department. People with older windows are susceptible — as a family opens and closes their windows, the action can scrape the old lead paint on the insides of the window, creating dust that falls onto the floor." Related article here cites Cleveland Clinic.

• May 17, 2023. Enterprise News. Here's what lead poisoning might mean for Brockton 2-year-old — and kids statewide. "Some landlords continue to ignore laws to decontaminate lead-ridden housing and often evict families who complain about children being lead-poisoned, according to a Boston Medical Center doctor and attorney at the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts. Many people think lead exposure is a problem of the past. Yet, 444 children between 9 months to less than 4 years of age were lead poisoned across the state in 2021, according to a Massachusetts Department of Public Health report. Another 1,836 children had elevated blood lead levels at the CDC's previous reference value for triggering intervention.

• MAY 17, 2023. CBS NEW YORK. New York City Council considering new lead paint laws with thousands of kids still showing unsafe lead levels every year. "Nearly 20 years ago, New York City passed sweeping legislation and laid out a goal of eradicating childhood lead poisoning here by 2010. Now, with thousands of New York City kids still showing unsafe lead levels per year, City Council is considering a new package of laws. Some advocates and parents tell CBS2 investigator Tim McNicholas the current laws have fallen short."

• May 18, 2023. Chicago Tribune. Broderick Hollins: Stateville prison’s tap water gave me severe lead poisoning. My friends are still drinking it. "At my first health checkup in February 2022, after serving nearly 13 years in prison, the doctor told me I had lead poisoning. And not a mild case. I had lead running through my veins at levels that required urgent treatment (83 micrograms per deciliter.) Lead levels higher than 10 micrograms per deciliter can cause constipation, nausea, headaches, nosebleeds and vomiting; I was experiencing all of these symptoms and more."

April 2023

• April 3, 2023: Cleveland Documenters Cleveland City Council. “ '... tonight I’m here as a private, angry citizen.' Pollard pressed city officials on the city’s efforts to address the lead-poisoning crisis, noting that a majority of rental properties are not certified as lead-safe. 'I can’t think of any topic on any agenda for any city that’s more prioritized than ensuring the children who live in our city have safe homes to grow up in.' ” Thanks, Mario, for continuing the struggle. Thanks Chantal for sharing the story.

• Apr. 10, 2023. Cleveland.com. Bibb, in last big round of ARPA spending, unveils $160 million for job creation, violence prevention, infrastructure, more. "Mayor Justin Bibb’s largest and likely last major round of stimulus spending calls for massive investments intended to bring more jobs and homeownership to Cleveland, quell violence, fix up roads and parks throughout the city, transform the waterfront, and boost the prospects of southeast neighborhoods. The first part of the sweeping $160 million plan, set to be introduced to City Council next week, entails $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act money for infrastructure upgrades, $50 million to assemble land and clean up brownfields to help attract new businesses that offer good-paying jobs, and $15 million for violence-prevention programs. Meanwhile, during a Monday City Council caucus meeting, President Blaine Griffin presented his own set of spending plans for the city’s remaining stimulus money. Some ideas overlap with Bibb’s, but there are several differences. Griffin’s $135 million proposal includes down payment assistance, development incentives for underserved neighborhoods, neighborhood-specific projects, funding the Cleveland Tenants Organization, money to help stabilize middle neighborhoods, home rehabilitation, utility payment assistance and more."  But no mention of lead safety, code enforcement, increased child testing, or funding for relocation!

• April 14, 2023. WOSU News. Amid a high infant mortality rate, Ohio researchers look beyond healthcare. With the report's focus on socio-economic disadvantage, did anyone think to look at the role of pre-natal lead exposure in a state where the rate of childhood lead poisoning is more than double the national average? Huh, didja?

• April 12, 2023. Press Release. Toledo’s Department of Housing and Community Development and Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity Announce Home Rescue Achievements "The City of Toledo’s Department of Housing and Community Development and Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHFH) are excited to announce the success of the Home Rescue program, a multi-year partnership that leveraged both private and public funding, for critical home repairs in distressed neighborhoods. The first 10 projects started in Junction two years ago, and just a short two years later, 55 homes have since been rehabbed with a total investment of over $3.5 Million dollars in Toledo neighborhoods. This has been a remarkable achievement. The Home Rescue program is the City of Toledo’s owner-occupied rehab program that is administered by Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity. The program brings a home up to current code standards and abates all lead for qualifying homeowners. The average cost of each project is $65,000 and the scope of work typically includes roof replacement, window replacement, siding, and upgraded electrical and/or plumbing. In some cases, where funding was available, aging in place modifications like walk in showers were completed."

• April 11, 2023. Camden County. State to Offer Free Repairs through Lead Safe Program. "The state of New Jersey is now offering free lead paint identification and remediation to all Camden County homeowners, renters and landlords through the Saint Joseph’s Carpenter Society Lead Safe program. This is the latest in a series of state allocations meant to fight a child’s exposure to lead paint chips and remove other lead-based elements in aging Camden County homes. The state has allocated millions of dollars to this cause ever since a federal ban on lead was put into place more than 35 years ago." A little advocacy can go a long way!

• April 12, 2023. Press Release. NJ Health Department Lead Report Shows Increase in Screenings in Children Following COVID-19 Disruptions. "NJDOH continues to strengthen blood lead screening and surveillance by raising awareness of New Jersey’s universal blood lead screening law and supporting public health partners. In SFY 2021, NJDOH continued its #kNOwLEAD prevention campaign to increase awareness of all lead hazards in homes, schools and on the job, and to educate parents on what they can do to prevent exposure and encourage them to have their children tested. The Department continues to work with regional partners to provide education events and webinars, including American Academy of Pediatrics members, to increase screening. NJDOH’s Childhood Lead Program also has transitioned to a new database to allow for more robust data surveillance." CLASH will be kicking off an academic study of the barriers to child lead testing in Ohio later this month.

• Apr 11, 2023/ DOH NEWS RELEASE. FREE LEAD TESTING STATION AT WAIMĀNALO BEACH PARK FOR EARTH DAY CLEANUP FESTIVAL. "HONOLULU, HI – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH), Hawaiʻi Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will host free lead testing at the Earth Day Cleanup Festival on Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waimānalo Beach Park. Those interested can visit DOH’s lead testing station with soil, as well as toys, jewelry, dishes, or other items that may contain lead. Finger-prick lead testing for keiki will also be available for free."

• April 11, 2023. Times-Union Online. Health Dept. To Offer Lead Testing For Children At Clinic. "As of Jan. 1, Indiana law requires that all Indiana healthcare providers determine whether children under age 6 have been tested for lead poisoning and to offer the screening. Tuesday, Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver asked the county commissioners for permission to apply for a $41,000 Health Issues & Challenges Grant. The grant comes from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The purpose of the grant is for the county health department to begin a lead-testing program in its clinic. The money will be used for equipment and possibly a part-time nurse to do the lead testing."

• Apr 12, 2023. The Valley Breeze.  Leaders gather in North Providence to highlight lead replacement efforts. "NORTH PROVIDENCE – State Senate President Dominick Ruggerio joined U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Gov. Dan McKee, North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, and other state and local leaders in North Providence on April 4 to highlight progress made toward replacement of all lead pipes in Rhode Island’s water supply, and to support the General Assembly’s passage of the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act to build on that momentum. North Providence was chosen because the town has been on the forefront of lead pipe replacement efforts, using more than $200,000 from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank to conduct a new round of work." When was the last time you saw an Ohio politician at a lead safety event?

• April 11, 2023. NPR Illinois. Free soil testing for lead in Springfield. "Yards in older neighborhoods, especially those on major thoroughfares, are more likely to have lead contamination. The major sources in yards and gardens are from leaded gasoline and lead paint. It can exist in soil for decades and can result in lead poisoning. A soil test will reveal if you have a high lead level on your property. You can bring your soil samples to Enos Park, 1000 N. 7th Street, on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens and City of Springfield are teaming up to provide screenings."

• Apr 13, 2023. Winchester Star. Open Forum: Childhood lead poisoning risk is serious, but preventable. "Lead is an extremely toxic metal, and if you are reading this, your family’s risk for exposure to lead is among the highest in the state. According to a recent assessment by the Virginia Department of Health, the risk for exposure to lead is dangerously high in the northwestern region. Families with young children living in the city of Winchester, and Rappahannock, Page and Shenandoah counties are among those at highest risk for the negative impacts of lead exposure."

• APRIL 13, 2023. Florida Phoenix. Surprise! Florida leads the nation in lead pipes carrying water supply. "EPA survey points out hidden danger that state hasn’t bothered to track. A new survey by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that Florida has more lead pipes delivering water to its millions of households than any other state — even more than industrial ones, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Developers may be responsible for Florida’s high number of lead water feeds."

• April 13, 2023. Business Insurance. Appeals court reverses, rules against Zurich in lead pollution case. "A federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed a lower court decision and ruled in favor of Fluor Corp. in coverage litigation with Zurich Insurance Inc., in a divided opinion. Zurich American Insurance Co. insured St. Joe Minerals Corp. and its sole shareholder, Fluor Corp., an Irving, Texas-based engineering and construction company, from 1981 to 1985, according to Thursday’s ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. St. Joe operated a lead smelting plant in Herculaneum, Missouri, whose residents sued Fluor and St. Joe in the early 2000s, alleging they had been injured by the plant’s release of lead and other toxins, the decision said." This could be an important decision for toxic emitters.

• Apr. 14, 2023. NJ.com. More N.J. kids are suffering severe lead poisoning. Experts think they know why. "The New Jersey Department of Health’s annual Childhood Lead Exposure report revealed a drop in elevated BLLs between 2018 and 2021 among children under 6, according to a health department statement. Only 3,000 kids under 6 had elevated BLLs in 2021, according to the report. But before the COVID-19 pandemic, three cases a year involving BLLs requiring hospitalization were normally reported. In 2021, the state found 15 kids in the age group. The pandemic was likely a contributing factor as lead exposure usually occurs in the home, and people spent more time there during the crisis."

• April 14, 2023. Capital News Service. Bill proposes universal mandatory lead poisoning testing for Michigan’s children. "A little more than 14% of Michigan 6 year olds were tested for lead poisoning in 2021. Health advocates say all of them should be. Of those tested, 3.5% had elevated levels of the contaminant that causes developmental problems in children. According to state health authorities the effects of lead poisoning in children may take the form of: lower IQ scores, decreased academic performance, increased problems relating to behavior and attention related disorders, decreased hearing ability and decreased kidney function. Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint, is sponsoring legislation to make it mandatory for children to be tested once between 9 and 12 months of age and again at ages 2 to 3."

• 04/14/2023. Press Release. Fresh Air or Lead Dust? "The Chautauqua County Health Department is urging people to protect children from the hazard of lead paint. You may be anxious to open the windows and get some fresh spring air, but before you do, Chautauqua County Health Department’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Team suggests using caution. 'Opening and closing old windows can create nearly invisible lead paint dust' explains Lead and Healthy Homes Program Coordinator Anna Powell, 'and it takes just a tiny bit of this dust to potentially poison a young child.' In a typical year, about 80-85 children in Chautauqua County test positive for unsafe levels of lead in their bloodstream.  Old windows are one of the most common places kids are exposed to lead."

• April 14th 2023. WPMI Researchers offering free lead soil level testing in Africatown. For decades people living in Africatown say they’ve had to suffer in silence. Researchers found toxins like lead in the soil and trees, putting people who live on that land at risk. We first investigated this story in 2021. Researchers say the problem still exists as the community is on the verge of opening a pair of cultural tourism attractions. After community members say their cries for help were ignored. They're taking matters into their own hands."

• April 15th, 2023. Racine County Eye. Letter to the Editor: Racine Interfaith Coalition launches Environmental Justice Task Force. "The Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC) recently launched a new task force to deal with environmental justice issues. One of the concerns being pursued by the new task force is that of lead poisoning that affects the youngest of our city’s residents. Children under age three are especially impacted by the lead paint found in many homes built before 1978 and in the water they drink coming into their homes through lead water pipes. Sad to say, next to Milwaukee, Racine has the largest number of cases of lead poisoning in children in the State. Lead poisoning causes permanent damage as children develop, leading to lower IQ, hyperactivity, behavior and learning problems and slowed growth."

March 2023

• March 18, 2023. WaPo. Plant explosion leaves town with fear of lead exposure and few answers. "CLASH struggled to get timely answers from the Ohio EPA about whether the agency was looking for lead contamination and what the preliminary findings were, according to messages reviewed by The Washington Post. Hall, who used to work for the Cleveland Health Department, said there are protocols for jumping to action after a disaster and she remains critical of Ohio EPA for not treating the Oakwood Village explosion as such." Thanks to Kim Bellware for her diligent reporting. This is the opposite of press release journalism and Kim was tireless in seeking out all perspectives.

• March 14, 2023. Cleveland launched a massive initiative three years ago to tackle the city’s lead problem. "Here’s how it’s going. More than $111 million and a new law aim to make older houses lead-safe. But progress is slow. [...] Over the next year, Signal Cleveland will be taking a closer look at the city’s progress toward reducing lead-poisoning cases and ensuring property owners comply with the 2019 lead law. We also want to hear from Cleveland residents and property owners about their experiences since the law was passed. To share your stories, tips or concerns, contact Signal Cleveland Health Reporter Candice Wilder at candice@signalcleveland.org. 

• Mar 14, 2023. WEWS News Channel 5. Nonprofit gives away hundreds of water filters to help combat lead in Cleveland. "Between homes, rentals and infrastructure, correcting Cleveland’s lead problem is no easy fix. Reports show the city has lead-poisoning rates nearly four times the national average. In a parking lot in Shaker Square, a crowd quickly gathered as Tanis Quach, founder of the grassroots nonprofit Undivided Cleveland, handed out hundreds of free water filters. 'This is a scratch on the surface of what we want to do,' Quach said. 'When a child gets lead poisoning, the likelihood of them excelling academically drastically diminishes.' " Last month, News 5 reported how four out of every five rentals still are not deemed lead-safe. It's an issue that still bothers Erika Jarvis, thirty years after she first dealt with her own case of lead poisoning. 'This is a 40-50 year problem that we’ve been dealing with,' she said. 'I had a lot of behavioral issues, I had to take speech therapy, just a lot of different things and sometimes parents feel a lot of regret about having their children poisoned by lead and it’s their fault and it reality isn't.' " CLASH's Erika was ready when Channel 5 called. Are there other lead poisoning survivors ready to share their stories?

• The Housing Center seeks your input. "We want to gain insight directly from the community on how the Black and Latinx Community Reinvestment Fund will be most impactful to some of the hardest hit neighborhoods within our community and where funds may help to fill program and service gaps for future programming. The Fair Housing Center has received $755,000 from the settlement for reinvestment in Black and Latinx communities within Cuyahoga County." Take the Survey here. "In addition to gathering community insight from the survey, the Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research will also be hosting several listening sessions to allow community members to share their input on the Black and Latinx Community Reinvestment Fund. Visit www.thehousingcenter.org/events to learn more and register to attend a listening session. Hint: If Lead Safety housing, child testing, support for lead survivor households, lead free schools, or lead safe redevelopment is a priority for you, make your voices heard. Thanks DianeC for sharing this info.

• February 2023. USPIRG Get the Lead Out:  Grading the states on protecting kids’ drinking water at school. "Ohio Grade: F (21/200 points) "Ohio has no state laws or regulatory requirements to address lead in schools’ drinking water. Until 2018, the state did have a voluntary testing program which tested taps at 14 percent of schools (658 out of 4,652) in the state. Remediation was limited to outlets testing above 15 ppb." Thanks MollyG for sharing.

• Mar 11, 2023 Times Argus. Bjerke: New lead paint rules, "Vermont’s new lead paint rules will drive workforce housing rents higher. In Gov. Phil Scott’s 2023 Inaugural Address to the Legislature, he made the case that, if Vermont were to regulate solutions to our problems, we should endeavor to pursue 'Smart' regulation. His Health Department has just imposed new regulations concerning lead paint that are not smart at all, not even close."

• Mar. 16, 2023. Mlive. Racial discrimination, negligence led to lead poisoning of 3 kids, lawsuit alleges "A Kalamazoo family is suing a nonprofit and the city, as the water in their rental unit allegedly poisoned three children with lead. A family was left homeless and three children were poisoned by lead in a Kalamazoo rental home while the leasing company did nothing to help, a federal lawsuit alleges. Affordable housing nonprofit Open Doors Kalamazoo, the city of Kalamazoo and City Manager James Ritsema are named as defendants in a lawsuit filed March 15 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan."

• MAR 16, 2023. The Post Journal. Housing Committee Discusses Lead Poisoning Prevention. "With roughly 60 children being tested for elevated lead levels each year in Jamestown, the City Council Housing Committee is hoping to raise awareness for the issue so that local residents can take preventative measures against lead poisoning."

• March 18, 2023.WAER. Lawmakers focus on McMahon's lead policies, Micron plans. "At his State of the County speech on Wednesday, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon outlined many of his priorities for 2023, including the addition of enrichment services for children with elevated blood lead levels, on top of the ongoing testing and abatement efforts."

• March 13, 2023. Wilmington StarNews (North Carolina). Parents advised to get kids tested after possible lead poisoning at one New Hanover school "Parents and families of students at the International School at Gregory are being advised to have their students' blood tested after a state inspection found multiple possible lead poisoning hazards inside the school. Officials found three areas around the school that tested above the state standard during an inspection on Jan. 24, according to a press release issued by New Hanover County Schools on Monday afternoon."

• Cleveland Lead Safe Advisory Board Meeting Mar 09, 2023 1:00 pm. Cleveland City Hall, Room 509, 601 Lakeside Ave. The Lead Safe Advisory Board, made up of seven members (six appointed by the mayor and one member of Council Councilwoman Rebecca Maurer) will meet both in person or can be streamed live on WebEx or the public can listen through calling-in. The meeting link is: https://cityclevelandoh.webex.com/cityclevelandoh/j.php?MTID=m5edc6dbaf520a6681fe343fcb0d517ea

• Feb. 27, 2023. Cleveland.com. Cause of Oakwood plant explosion remains under investigation; criminal act ruled out. Still no mention of possible lead contamination.

• Mar 3, 2023. Cleveland Scene. Ohio Gets an "F" for Failing to Address Lead in School Water. "Ohio kids are in danger of lead exposure and the state isn't doing enough to stop it, a new report says. What's in those pipes? A new report suggests Ohio schools don't know. Lead is toxic, and a report shows that Ohio is failing to protect kids from it. Released by U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Environment America Research and Policy Center, "Get the Lead Out" grades each state (and Washington, D.C.) on how they're handling lead in drinking water in schools. Ohio is one of 27 states that earned an “F,” with a score of just 21 out of 200 possible points based on testing, lead limit in water, public disclosure, applicability of requirements and solutions." Thanks Darrick for sharing this story.

• Feb. 28, 2023. WTVG. City of Toledo announces updates to lead-safe paint certification. "According to city officials, the city passed an ordinance that requires all one to four unit residential rental properties and family childcare homes built prior to 1978 to receive a Lead-Safe Certificate from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.According to city officials, the city passed an ordinance that requires all one to four unit residential rental properties and family childcare homes built prior to 1978 to receive a Lead-Safe Certificate from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. To receive the certificate, a property must meet the state requirement of being registered with the county auditor. In addition, a property must pass a qualifying lead-safe inspection by certain phase-in deadlines. The first phase deadline for compliance is March 31.

• EPA's 3Ts - Training, Testing, and Taking Action - Here you will find information and recommendations to prepare schools, child care facilities, and states to build a voluntary implementation program to reduce lead levels in drinking water.

• EPA Region 9 grantee the Community Development Institute (CDI) is hosting FREE virtual training sessions Wednesday, March 28 at 12:00 pm PT and Thursday, March 29 at 10:00 am PT. The sessions will share information about the importance of environmental and facility health in early care and education. CDI will share useful assessment tools that help to identify potential facility concerns, increases awareness of environmental exposures, and provides useful resources to address identified concerns. A recorded version of this training is available on the website for the assessment tools.

• What are soilSHOP Events? Soil Screening, Health, Outreach, and Partnership (soilSHOP) events provide community members with free lead screening of soil gathered from their gardens or outdoor play area(s). Through soilSHOPs, ATSDR and partner organizations provide health education and outreach to help people learn if their soil is contaminated and how to reduce exposures.

• 03/02/23. The Hill. Rubio reintroduces affordable housing bills to tackle housing issues. "Among the seven bills Rubio reintroduced is the Keep Children and Families Safe from Lead Hazards Act, first introduced in September 2021, which would direct HUD to identify and remediate exposure to lead hazards in Section 8 housing programs. Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) is set to introduce companion legislation in the House."

• February 25, 2023. CentralMaine.com. Commentary: Efforts to protect Maine children from lead poisoning are working. "...it was welcome news last week when the Maine Centers for Disease Control released new data showing that between 2010 and 2020, Maine’s childhood lead poisoning rates were cut in half, from 4% of children tested to 2%, the largest share of that reduction in Lewiston and Auburn. During the same time period, the rate of children tested grew – from 50% to 60% for 1-year-olds, and from 30% to 45% for 2-year-olds.  These achievements were not happenstance. Reducing the prevalence of lead poisoning in a state with some of the country’s oldest housing stock has taken the coordinated efforts of many, including federal and state officials, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, building owners, medical providers and parents. Through our own involvement, we at the John T. Gorman Foundation were fortunate to witness these collective efforts firsthand. At the state level, housing advocates and legislators worked with the CDC to strengthen protections for children. A law passed in 2015 lowered the amount of lead present in a child’s blood – from 15 micrograms per deciliter to 5 – that would trigger an intervention by the CDC. A second law passed in 2019 required lead testing for all of Maine’s 1- and 2-year-olds." if these results hold up, this is pretty amazing, more testing at lower levels and a reduction in lead exposure.

• February 28, 2023. Press Release. United States Enters Into Consent Decrees With Principals Of CISNE NY Construction, Inc. For Violating Lead Paint Safety Rules "Defendants Admit Violations and Agree to Injunctive Relief and to Pay Civil Penalties Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States entered into Consent Decrees settling a civil lawsuit against the principals of CISNE NY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (“CISNE”) — EDISON RUILOVA and JOSE PACCHA — for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) and EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (“RRP Rule”).  Defendants violated provisions of TSCA and the RRP Rule that protect public health by reducing the risk of lead poisoning during renovations in residential buildings that may contain lead paint. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: 'CISNE NY Construction, Inc. put the public health at risk by failing to abide by lead-safe work practices during renovations of residential buildings.  These consent decrees will help ensure that CISNE NY’s principals abide by safety standards moving forward and send a message that companies and the individuals that run them cannot prioritize profits over complying with health and safety regulations.' ”

• February 27, 2023. Michigan Radio. Michigan must ensure there's no lead in school drinking water, report finds. "Michigan has earned a failing grade for its efforts to combat lead contamination in school drinking water, according to a new national report. “Nearly a decade after the advent of the Flint water crisis, Michigan still has no law or regulation to stop lead contamination of schools’ drinking water,” conclude the report’s authors, with the Environment America Research & Policy Center and the U.S. Public Research Interest Group Education Fund.

•  March 2, 2023. Missouri House bill seeks to eliminate mandatory childhood lead testing. "Doctors would no longer be required to test young children living in high-risk areas for lead poisoning under a Missouri House bill heard in committee Tuesday. But supporters of the bill, including the Missouri chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, say the legislation would increase access to lead testing and education, and streamline requirements for doctors in Missouri. 'We all want unleaded children,' Rep. Kent Haden, R-Mexico, said in a House Children and Families Committee hearing Tuesday. He said the bill would make lead poisoning prevention 'less obtrusive' while still accomplishing the goal of reducing lead poisoning." more here Missouri bill eliminates mandatory childhood lead testing in hopes of increasing access  Ass-tounding  

• Mar 1, 2023 Kaiser Health News. Schools struggle with lead in water while awaiting federal relief. "PHILIPSBURG, Mont. — On a recent day in this 19th-century mining town turned tourist hot spot, students made their way into the Granite High School lobby and past a new filtered water bottle fill station. Water samples taken from the drinking fountain the station replaced had a lead concentration of 10 parts per billion — twice Montana’s legal limit for schools of 5 parts per billion for the toxic metal. Thomas Gates, the principal and superintendent of the small Philipsburg School District, worries the new faucets, sinks, and filters the district installed for roughly 30 water sources are temporary fixes. The high school, built in 1912, is likely laced with aged pipes and other infrastructure, like so much of this historic town. 'If we change faucets or whatever, lead is still getting pushed in,'Gates said."

• Mar 3, 2023. WWLP. Report finds HUD needs to improve lead monitoring in public housing. "A new report says that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) processes for monitoring elevated blood lead levels and lead-based paint hazards in public housing needs improvement. The Office of the Inspector General for HUD conducted an evaluation of the agency’s protocols for addressing cases of elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) in children living in public housing, and find out how well the EBLL tracker and the Lead-Based Paint Response (LBPR) tracker are in providing accurate and complete data." Here's a link to the report 

February 2023

• February 13, 2023. WEWS Four years into Cleveland's decade-long quest to become 'lead-safe,' leaders say work needs to ramp up. "About 80% of city's rental units still need lead-safe certification. [   ] For Charrell Reed of Cleveland, this mission is a long time coming. He and his sister suffered from lead poisoning when they were little in the mid ’90s. He’s 29 years old now. 'The lead messes with your organs, it messes with your brain, it messes with a lot," he said. Charrell Reed and his son, Charrell Reed Jr, who both have been diagnosed as children with lead poisoning in Cleveland. Among those diagnosed with lead poisoning in recent years is Charrell Reed’s son, who was just a toddler when he tested positive. 'It’s like you just traveled through a time machine and you’re seeing the same thing not get addressed,' Reed said. 'My children mean the world. We have to show them something right so we can have great children and educated children coming up in the world.' "

• Feb. 15, 2023. Cleveland.com. Cleveland has tried the ‘carrot’ approach to get landlords to deal with lead; now it’s time for ‘the stick’: Editorial. "Cleveland’s efforts to rid rental housing of toxic lead that poisons residents and hinders child development is nearing a critical juncture. The last two years, the city and the Lead Safe Coalition have worked to encourage, cajole and provide financial assistance to landlords to get lead at their properties cleaned up and inspected for lead safe certification. The city was separated into eight areas with rolling deadlines to show they were moving toward compliance. March 31 is the hard deadline under Cleveland’s landmark lead law for landlords to get properties certified as lead safe. Remediation and certification efforts have mostly relied on the 'carrot' approach so far. The time has arrived to use 'the stick.' 

• Feb 12, 2023. Hartford Courant. William Tong: Strengthen regulation of leaded aviation gas to help protect children. "Recently, I joined a coalition of 12 state attorneys general supporting the EPA’s latest efforts to strengthen regulation of leaded aviation gas. Leaded aviation gas (avgas) from piston-engine planes is the single worst contributor of airborne lead emissions in the United States and is the only remaining lead-containing transportation fuel. Piston-engines power smaller aircraft that fly relatively short distances and use smaller general aviation airports. There are more than 200,000 registered piston-engine aircraft in the country today. These planes released more than 930,000 pounds of lead in 2017 and are responsible for nearly three-quarters of total lead emissions nationwide." 

• February 14, 2023. Wisconsin Public Radio. Milwaukee mom fighting lead poisoning is State of the Union guest. "Deanna Branch says her son, Aidan, was twice hospitalized for lead poisoning in their Milwaukee home. Her advocacy to protect children from lead resulted in a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and attendance at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol."

• February 13, 2023. Maine Public. Child lead poisoning rates have dropped by half in the last decade, according to new Maine data. "New state data shows that over the past decade, childhood lead poisoning rates have been cut roughly in half, from 4% of children tested to 2%. And testing rates have increased since the passage of a 2019 state law that requires universal testing. The manager of the Maine CDC's childhood lead poisoning prevention program, Karyn Butts, says testing of one-year-olds has grown from roughly 50% to more than 60%. Testing for two-year-olds increased from 30% to 45%."

• February 13, 2023. The Tribune. New legislation requires health care providers to offer lead testing to children. "The Indiana Department of Health released House Enrolled Act 1313, which requires all health care providers serving children to offer lead testing for kids under the age of 6. This statewide legislation went into effect Jan. 1, and the department created a public awareness campaign called Indiana Lead Free to bring awareness to the importance of testing. According to the Indiana Lead Free website, the biggest risk of lead exposure in Indiana and for children is through lead-based paint. Homes built before 1980, which make up 57% of Indiana’s housing, most likely contain lead-based paint."

• Feb 12, 2023. Union Leader. DHHS: NH children’s lead testing rates lowest since 2017 "The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services, has identified some concerning trends regarding lead-level testing in young children as presented in the 2021 Lead Exposure in New Hampshire Data Brief. The annual brief shows that between 2019 to 2021, there was a 25% decrease in the rate of children who were lead-tested at the required ages of 1 and 2, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

• February 13, 2023. Cureus. Asymptomatic Lead Poisoning in a Pediatric Patient "Lead poisoning is a harmful condition, potentially resulting in irreversible impairments in neurocognition and behavioral development in the pediatric population. Rarely, life-threatening complications may ensue. We report a case of an asymptomatic four-year-old patient presenting with elevated lead levels (74.7 µg/dL) detected on routine blood lead screening at a well-child examination. The patient has a history significant for atopic disease, namely atopic dermatitis, seasonal allergic rhinitis, and food allergies. Overall, the asymptomatic nature of lead poisoning warrants judicious screening in the pediatric population due to the potential for neurologic complications."

• February 15, 2023. New Bedford Light. Undocumented immigrants fall through the cracks with child lead poisoning. "Doctors see higher level of immigrant children with elevated lead levels; advocates say immigrants are reluctant to report lead paint problems for fear of deportation. When children are poisoned by lead paint, the state has systems in place to help. But those resources are often out of reach for children in families of undocumented immigrants. The parents fear that allowing a lead inspector into their home could lead to deportation. Their landlords have little incentive to remove the hazard. And funding programs for lead paint removal require documentation that they don’t have. 'They don’t trust anything that has to do with officials,' said Helena DaSilva Hughes, director of New Bedford’s Immigrants Assistance Center. 'They’re afraid that it’s going to expose their immigration status.' ”

• Feb. 17, 2023. Spectrum News. Lewiston lawmaker wants $1 million a year for Maine lead abatement program "A Lewiston lawmaker is hoping a steady infusion of cash to help pay for lead abatement in older homes will better protect more Maine children. Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston) is sponsoring a bill to give MaineHousing $1 million a year in an ongoing appropriation for the state’s lead abatement program."

• FEBRUARY 17, 2023. WFYI. Bill aims to protect kids in preschool, day care from lead in drinking water. "Unlike schools, preschools and daycare centers like Little Tid Bit Daycare in Bloomington...aren't required to test their drinking water for lead. This bill would change that.A state House bill, HB 1138, would require preschools and day care centers to test for lead and take action if lead levels are too high — likely by replacing faucets and other lead fixtures in the building. The one exception would be child care run by a church — which was amended out of the bill by Rep. Alan Morrison (R-Brazil). "not required" until the children in their safe keeping come down with elevated blood lead levels.

January 2023 News

• DEC 27, 2022. Toledo Blade. Toledo property owners push back on proposal calling for lead-safe certification. "Pattrick Przysiecki’s four-unit rental property was built in 1958, well before a proposed lead-law ordinance stipulates that such property be registered with the county auditor and inspected and certified lead-safe.Thus far, the property is registered, but the lead inspection hasn’t happened, and Mr. Przysiecki is waiting for advice from the city leaders before moving forward on that directive even though he believes it is a broad overreach."

• DEC 27, 2022. Times Observer. Our opinion: Lead testing needs to happen. " 'Research demonstrates that universal lead testing is a practical and effective protective measure to reduce instances of lead poisoning. Accordingly, the legislation seeks to ensure that all children receive at least one test by age two, and all children and pregnant women with known, demonstrated risk factors as identified by health care professionals,' [Senator] Baker wrote in her co-sponsorship memorandum."

• December 29, 2022. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ʻThe power is in numbersʼ: How Milwaukeeʼs Richard Diaz advocates for environmental justice. "Richard Diaz, founding member of the Coalition on Lead Emergency (COLE) is shown Thursday, December 8, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wis. He was recently awarded the 2022 Environmental Hero award for his work on preventing lead poisoning. Richard Diaz, who once wanted to improve the health of those in his communities by becoming a doctor, was recognized with an Environmental Hero award in December from the Sierra Club for his work as a community organizer doing the same work. The title is especially fitting for Diaz, who said he was inspired as a boy by the television heroes of his day, the Power Rangers. 'I just felt so moved by seeing superheroes save the day and overcome adversity and be relentless in the fight.' ”

• Dec 30, 2022. wrtv.com, State law requiring lead checks in children begins January 1.  "INDIANAPOLIS — Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, House Enrolled Act 1313 requires that all Indiana healthcare providers determine whether children under age 6 have been tested for lead poisoning and to offer the screening. With the new law going into effect, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) is asking parents to know and ask their child’s provider about testing for lead." Emphasis added by CLASH. More here: IDOH urges parents to get kids tested for lead. CLASH says: The IDOH Press Release is a model for what Ohio should be doing!

• January 9, 2023. Insurance Journal. Georgia Has Funds for Testing Lead in Water But Few Schools. "Lead exposure can have serious health consequences for children, but only a fraction of Georgia schools have signed up for a free testing program. Advocates worry school leaders are hesitant because of the cost and consequences of discovering lead in their water systems, which the state has not provided funding to address."

• January 11, 2023. The Daily Tar Heel. 'A big warning sign': UNC discovers lead in drinking water fixtures of 125 buildings. Memorial Hall and the Kenan Center recently joined 25 other buildings in having samples exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s threshold of 15 parts per billion that require water systems to take action. Drinking fountains in the Brinkhous-Bullitt Building, which houses UNC’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, have tested among the highest concentrations of lead on campus, with one sample detecting 1100 ppb — over 73 times higher than the EPA threshold." This study points up the issue of water fixtures, not just lead service lines. While the impact may be low on persons over 6 years of age, the UNC study suggests there are on-going lead risks even if a property was built after the 1978 cut off for lead paint exposure.

• January 10, 2023. WAER. Fight against lead poisoning in Syracuse gets $125K bump. "The Community Foundation is also funding a new role for the city of Syracuse. A case manager will track lead ordinance enforcement issues and remediation efforts. The efforts are part of the organization's LeadSafeCNY initiative, a pledge to invest $2 million over five years to reduce the high rates among children.A news release from the organization said it had so far contributed $1.97 million toward that goal."

• Jan. 11, 2023. U.S. News & World Report. Kids Living Near Airports Face Lead Poisoning Dangers. "While U.S. policymakers have attempted to lower lead exposure among children since the 1970s, new research finds that kids living near airports are still being exposed to dangerous levels of the heavy metal. [...] 'Across an ensemble of tests, we find consistent evidence that the blood lead levels of children residing near the airport are pushed upward by the deposition of leaded aviation gasoline,' said study author Sammy Zahran, associate chair of economics at Colorado State University in Fort Collins." CLASH notes that the photo of a jet plane is misleading; the risk is from aviation gas which is used in propeller aircraft. Will the Mayor and the Haslams be paying attention to the lead legacy of AvGas when they build apartments and businesses at Burke?

• Jan 11, 2023. CBS4Indy. New law highlights the need to test children for lead."In a separate initiative, there are 18 public library branches across Indianapolis that offer lead screening kits. It’s a partnership with the IUPUI Center for Urban Health. 'You may find out that you’re fine. You may just find out you have a couple things you need to work on,' said Jill Edwards, the program specialist for the Indianapolis Public Library. It’s free and easy to do. 'Stop in and let a library staff know that you’re here to pick up a lead kit. They have you fill out a quick consent form,” explained Edwards, “Then they bring the kit back and drop it off.  The kit ends up back with me and to IUPUI and within a couple of weeks they have their results in e-mail." The Indiana State Department of Health hopes with this new year, comes new awareness to lead poisoning and the importance of testing. At this time, it’s hard to determine the number of Indiana kids impacted, because not enough children are being tested. This law will change that.