Lead Poisoning Issue in Rochester, NY - Lead poisoning is a major problem in our area and affects the health of our children.  Learn about the news stories and what you can do. The point to get about our Lead Poisoning problem is not that we have a serious lead poisoning problem--we do.  Most cities in the US and perhaps around the world have this problem.  The point is that Rochester, NY is taking this problem seriously and putting it up front and center of its concern--not hiding it and not dealing with it, as many communities do.

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Lead Poisoning in the Rochester-area News

Resources on Lead Poisoning

Lead Poisoning is a serious problem that Rochester takes seriously: City of Rochester's GetTheLeadOut program - Lead poisoning is a serious health problem that affects thousands of children each year. Although lead comes from many sources (the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink), lead poisoning in young children most often results from their eating lead-based paint chips or inhaling the dust. Lead-based paints are most often found in houses and buildings built before 1950. One way to protect children against lead poisoning is to remove the hazard.  This document explains the methods you can use to safely remove lead-based paints when remodeling or repairing your home. If you suspect any child is exposed to any lead hazards, that child should be tested for lead poisoning. Testing can be done by a physician, health center and/or the Monroe County Health Department.

Look Out for Lead! Look Out for Lead! A Guide for Tenants With Preschool-Age Children --from Office of New York State Attorney General Andrew M Cuomo

Christmas shopping for kids? You might want to check the Center for Disease for lead toys that have been recalled.  National Center for Environmental Health | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Lead Recalls: Toys

 Lead Safe By 2010 The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, a partner of the Finger Lakes Health System Agency, is a non-profit organization of community citizens who share this conviction: Childhood lead poisoning can and must end. Lead poisoning is a public health issue, a housing issue, an education issue, an environmental issue, and a justice issue. No matter what your profession, your zip code, or the amount in your bank account; you can help stop this totally preventable public health hazard. Coalition's email contact - dhazle@leadsafeby2010.org

   Getting the Lead out: Rochester is already a leader in addressing the lead in our homes, from decades when lead-based paint was considered safe.  But, there's also lead in the air not just our Rochester air but all over the country.  Find out how much lead there is in Rochester's air, how and where it is monitored. NRDC: Get the Lead Out: Lead in Your Neighborhood From , zoom in an find out what's going on with lead in your neighborhood --Rochester Google Lead Map.

    Read the Childhood Lead Screening Report --from  Report Urges Improved Lead Testing Of Children Calls on State Health Department to Improve Lead Testing Reporting Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today released a report urging improved testing of infants for lead poisoning. The report includes the Attorney General’s Top 10 recommendations to increase childhood lead testing in New York. One of the key concerns raised in the new report is that one-year-olds in New York may not be getting tested, as required by law. The report specifically urges HMOs and state health officials to make concerted efforts to ensure these one-year-olds are tested in greater numbers. "No child in New York should suffer from lead poisoning simply because he or she was not tested in time," Spitzer said. --Office of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

People can get lead in their body if they: --EPA. 

1. Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths.

2. Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.

3. Breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces.)

         Children who do suffer from lead poisoning can suffer from brain damage, decreased I-Q scores, aggression and a loss of hearing. --RNews. 

    Thinking of fixing up an old house with lead-based paint?  Learn about abatement. Before you scrape, go to the Monroe County Department of Health, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, 111 Westfall Road, Room 838, Rochester, NY 14692, or phone:585-274-6087.

       Why is lead so toxic?  Find out Living on Earth: The Secret Life of Lead

    HUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control: Highlights, Recent Publications, and quick links for getting information about lead hazards.

    Don't miss out on this program to abate $1,000 HUD Lead Grants Available - The Monroe County Public Health Department Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program was awarded a $2.1 million Lead Hazard Control Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Lead Program is accepting applications for$1,000 Lead Hazard Control Grants from owners of pre-1978 City of Rochester houses. Monroe County

    Lead Poisoning Prevention Curriculum for Preschool Children and their Families --from the NYS Dept. of Health. 

      Need lead removal? I came across this service on the Internet and have no other knowledge about this site's qualifications, but if you are trying to get lead removed from your home, you might check this site out: Environmental Network / Leadlisting.com - Environmental Consultants offering services in Lead, Asbestos, Mold, and all hazardous materials The Environmental Network publishes lists of professionals including but not limited to: environmental consultants and environmental consulting firms; XRF lead inspectors, lead risk assessors and lead inspection firms; lead abatement contractors, asbestos inspectors, asbestos abatement contractors, asbestos CSSTs, CACs; environmental trainers and environmental training firms. Locate lead inspection firms near you: New York Lead Professionals

        Lead Poisoning in children is a serious problem in Rochester, New York.  For more information go to the New York State Department of Health's  Promoting Lead Free Children in New York State: A Report of Lead Exposure Status Among New York Children, 2000-2001 - "This report summarizes data on childhood blood lead levels in New York State (NYS), excluding New York City1 (NYC) for children under six years of age tested in years 2000 and 2001 (earlier data contained in "Protecting Our Children from Lead: the Success of New York’s Efforts to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning, May 2001" are not comparable due to changes in methodology), and blood lead screening rate data from 1994 to 1999. These data, obtained from local health departments and state district offices, are intended to support national, state, and local efforts to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent childhood lead poisoning. The data contained in this report demonstrate New York State’s continued progress in addressing lead poisoning in children. New York State has made substantial progress in the prevention, early identification, and prompt, effective management of childhood lead poisoning. It is well understood that the factors contributing to childhood lead poisoning in New York State are complex and interrelated with other social, economic, and legal issues. These interrelationships are crucial to understanding the problem and to developing appropriate responses. The State Health Department is working to continue the positive trends described in this report as well as to seek, develop, and implement effective strategies that will protect children from elevated blood lead."

     Important reading on Lead Poisoning: Living On Earth Lead Paint Mistrial: a conversation on Lead Poisoning, and the book “Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution.” In it, Markowitz and Rosner uncover numerous industry documents that reveal a deliberate campaign to repaint the image of lead paint. Barnes & Noble.com - Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution

      What Home Owners Need to Know About Removing Lead-Based Paint  The complete What Home Owners Need to Know About Removing Lead-Based Paint brochure is available as an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file (size 159 KB). NOTE: If work is being done under an order from a government agency, any method for removing lead-based paint should be cleared with that agency. Special regulations or conditions may apply. Before the 1970s, household paint often contained lead. As lead paint ages, it can chip or crumble into dust. Exposure to lead-paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems. Children and pregnant women are at higher risk. So, if you live in or own an older home, you need to know how to protect yourself and others.

    EPA Expands Right To Know About Lead.  A new rule expands citizens’ right to know about lead emissions in their communities. The reporting threshold for facilities emitting lead and lead compounds has been lowered. That threshold now will be lowered to 100 pounds or more annually. --EPA  EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline: Call 1-800-426-4791 for information about lead in drinking water. 

      EPA/OPPT: Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil EPA Lead Awareness Program - Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly.

    True or false Questions on lead poisoning.--from NYS Department of Health

    If you have any additional questions about lead poisoning, prevention or treatment you may also call the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Treatment Center at Rochester General Hospital at 716-922-3983 or 716-922-4028. --ViaHealth.com

    How to Comply with the NYS childhood lead screen law: Childhood Lead Screening Report - [Requires Adobe® Reader®]  SUMMARY: In an ongoing effort to protect children from lead poisoning, the Attorney General has compiled the Best Practices contained in this report to help HMOs and other health plans comply with New York’s childhood lead screening law. The Best Practices were collected as a result of an inquiry by the Attorney General’s Health Care Bureau into the policies and practices used by HMOs in New York to comply with the state’s lead screening mandate. This inquiry followed a report released by the Health Care Bureau last year showing that many Medicaid and Child Health Plus health plans throughout the state failed to screen an adequate number of children for lead poisoning, while other health plans screened children at a relatively high rate. Office of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

Lead poisoning in Rochester's News:  (Please note, links in the frame below open in a new page.)

Resources on Lead Poisoning

• Lead Safe By 2010 The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, a partner of the Finger Lakes Health System Agency, is a non-profit organization of community citizens who share this conviction: Childhood lead poisoning can and must end. Lead poisoning is a public health issue, a housing issue, an education issue, an environmental issue, and a justice issue. No matter what your profession, your zip code, or the amount in your bank account; you can help stop this totally preventable public health hazard. Coalition's email contact - dhazle@leadsafeby2010.org

•  Lead Hazard Report: NEW YORK Get information on these topics: Map Locating Lead Hazards, Lead Hazard Indicators and Comparative Rankings, Blood Lead Levels In Children, Hot Spots of Lead Air Quality, Hazards, Action Tools, Links--Scorecard.org

• Learn all you need to know about Lead Poisoning from the experts: Lead Poisoning from the New York State Department of Health. 

• Toxic Chemicals & Health: Kids' Health: In Brief: FAQs Lead Paint in Schools Natural Resources Defense Council 

• Changes to the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention  --from HUD Also,  Reference Library on Lead Poisoning. 

• Childhood Lead Poisoning -- from NYS Attorney General.  "For more information about lead poisoning, or if you would like a copy of my office’s publication entitled, "Look Out for Lead! A Guide for Tenants with Preschool-Age Children," contact my Environmental Protection Bureau at: Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, The State Capito, Albany, New York 12224, 1-800-771-7755
  www.oag.state.ny.us

• Lead Poisoning Prevention Outreach Program A project of the National Safety Council’s Environmental Health Center. The Lead Poisoning Prevention Outreach Program is funded by the Environmental Health Center (EHC).

• Lead Poisoning and Your Children Environmental Health Center Lead Program NOTE: The following is a publication of the U.S. EPA (EPA 800-B-92-0002, February 1995). Copies of the brochure, which includes a foldout color poster, can be obtained by calling (800) 424-LEAD.

•  The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead hazards and their prevention. NLIC operates under a contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with funding from EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

•  Danger In The Home: Each year 2,500,000 children are either killed or injured in the home. 

•  Publications for Parents from the EPA's Office of Pollutions Preventions and Toxics

  • Lead in Your Home: A Parent's Reference Guide, EPA/747-B-98-002, 1998. PDF File
    Comprehensive new guide to educate parents and homeowners about lead hazards and lead poisoning prevention in the home.

  • Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home, EPA 747-K-94-001, 1995. PDF File
    Provides general information about lead and lead hazards, including the names and phone numbers of where to get additional help.

  • Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home, EPA 747-K-97-001, 1997. PDF File
    This pamphlet is for anyone involved in a home improvement project.

•  Know Lead: One in six children under age six in the United States has lead poisoning. For the assured safety of your infant, children, and family, test your home now for lead.

•  ViaHealth Disease and Wellness Information Lead Poisoning  Rochester-area information and help with Lead Poisoning. 

•  Center for Disease Control's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, 

•  EPA's National Lead Information Center, 

• A gency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - Extensive overview of lead poisoning causes, effects and prevention.

•  Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - Lead in consumer products. To request information on lead in consumer products, or to report an unsafe consumer product or a product-related injury call 1-800-638-2772.  For the hearing impaired, call TDD 1-800-638-8270. 

•  Environmental Protection Agency - EPA programs related to lead poisoning prevention, including information on real estate disclosure.

•  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - HUD programs related to lead-based paint in housing; includes guidelines on controlling lead-based paint hazards.

•  Lead Poisoning  --UC Davis Wellness Center -- Get a quick question/answer page on Lead Poisoning. 

•  Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention  --from The Arc of the United States The national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families.

•  Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning <http://www.aeclp.org/>. For a lengthy list of lead poisoning links go here: Where to Go For Additional Information <http://www.aeclp.org/8/index.html>

•  EarthExperts' mission is to help homebuyers avoid unnecessary environmental risk. The principals of EarthExperts have more than 30 years of combined experience in evaluating potential health and financial effects from contamination of soil and groundwater. In addition, the principals share five graduate degrees, including two Ph.D.'s in environmental engineering and one law degree. With this combination of credentials and real world experience, EarthExperts has developed a unique service to help homebuyers make better-informed decisions in the purchase of their homes.

•  NEW YORK CITY COALITION to END LEAD POISONING "The New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning (NYCCELP), formed in 1985, is a coalition of parents of lead poisoned children, as  well as tenant, labor, environmental, community, public health, parent, education groups.   NYCCELP is involved in parent education on lead poisoning prevention through it's Parent Education Program.  It also is involved in advocacy for strong laws and policies on lead poisoning prevention and their enforcement.  NYCCELP has also maintained, since 1985, a class action lawsuit against the City of New York concerning the failure to enforce lead poisoning prevention laws, and against the State Department of Health concerning the failure to enforce mandatory lead screening of children receiving Medicare.  In 1999, NYCCELP brought a suit that succeeded in overturned a controversial City law that had greatly scaled back the protection of children from lead poisoning.  NYCCELP's website has links to many documents concerning its litigation, public policy efforts, member organizations, medical research, and other resources on lead poisoning."

•  Monroe County Health Department's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, (585) 274-6087.

•  National Lead Information Center, (800) 532-3394 (to request written information) or (800) 424-5323 (to speak to an information specialist).

•  National Center for Lead-Safe Housing and children's environmental health The National Center for Healthy Housing's mission has been to develop and promote practical methods to protect children from residential environmental hazards while preserving the Nation's supply of affordable housing.

•  National Paint & Coatings Association (NPCA) is the preeminent organization representing the paint and coatings industry in the United States. A voluntary, nonprofit trade association, NPCA represents some 400 paint and coatings manufacturers, raw materials suppliers, and distributors.

•  New York State Council of Lead Professionals The New York State Council of Lead Professionals is a not for profit association committed to advancing national, state and local efforts to eliminate lead paint poisoning, and dedicated to conducting educational, research, and business activities in support of the lead-based paint hazard assessment and abatement industry.It is the purpose of the organization is to: Provide forums for the exchange of state-of -the-art information on lead based paint detection, hazard control, and abatement methods through meetings and publications.
  Initiate activities for the training, accreditation, and recognition of lead-based paint industry practitioners. Promote legislative and regulatory efforts that enhance the professional nature of the lead-based paint, abatement, and worker health and safety practices Promote efforts to provide sufficient funding for lead paint detection and abatement work in public and private housing, schools and other buildings.