Environmental Health News
HRiA's Lead Action Collaborative Awarded Grant
May 5, 2009 - Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office awarded over $433,000 in grants to nine nonprofit community agencies and health advocacy organizations in an effort to increase childhood lead poisoning awareness reduce lead poisoning and increase the percentage of children who are screened for lead exposure. The Lead Action Collaborative, a program of Health Resources in Action's Environmental Health group, was one of the grantees.
The Lead Action Collaborative (LAC) will be working with family child care providers. There are over 500 of these providers in Boston's high risk census tracts for kids with elevated blood lead levels. Because 90% of the housing stock in Boston was built before 1978, the chances are significant that the kids in these situations could be at greater risk for exposure to lead paint.
A new federal rule was released last year which says any renovation, repair or painting done in a building built before 1978 must be done using Lead Safe Work Practices. If the work is done by a contractor, the contractor must be certified to do the work using Lead Safe Work Practices. Also, the owner of the property needs to notify others on the property that this work is being done.
LAC will be working with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care who certifies day care providers, the Boston Public Health Commission and Child Care Choices of Boston to provide education and information about the new EPA rule. The goal of the initiative is to further decrease the number of kids under the age of six who are at risk for exposure to lead.
The grant money was awarded during the week of May 4, 2009, and must be utilized by June 30, 2010.
The Lead Action Collaborative (LAC) will be working with family child care providers. There are over 500 of these providers in Boston's high risk census tracts for kids with elevated blood lead levels. Because 90% of the housing stock in Boston was built before 1978, the chances are significant that the kids in these situations could be at greater risk for exposure to lead paint.
A new federal rule was released last year which says any renovation, repair or painting done in a building built before 1978 must be done using Lead Safe Work Practices. If the work is done by a contractor, the contractor must be certified to do the work using Lead Safe Work Practices. Also, the owner of the property needs to notify others on the property that this work is being done.
LAC will be working with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care who certifies day care providers, the Boston Public Health Commission and Child Care Choices of Boston to provide education and information about the new EPA rule. The goal of the initiative is to further decrease the number of kids under the age of six who are at risk for exposure to lead.
The grant money was awarded during the week of May 4, 2009, and must be utilized by June 30, 2010.
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Stacey Chacker
