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EPA Region 5 awards $125,000 grant to Cleveland to prevent childhood lead poisoning

Release Date: 07/13/2006
Contact Information: Kären Thompson, (312) 353-8547, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA113

CHICAGO (July 12, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Acting Administrator Bharat Mathur presented a $125,000 Great Cities grant to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson today for a study of children's exposure to lead hazards. It was EPA's second Great Cities grant to Cleveland for its "Lead-Safe Living" campaign.

The grant money will be used to determine if early intervention is effective in reducing lead hazard risk for families, especially those with pregnant women, newborns or young children.

"Lead-Safe Living" is a project of the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council in partnership with the St. Luke's Foundation of Greater Cleveland, the Cleveland Department of Public Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry and many other community partners.
The $125,000 will help fund in-home lead assessments and low-cost preventive maintenance to minimize lead hazards for children living in more than 150 housing units.

"The ultimate goal is to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010," said Mathur. "One child with high blood-lead levels is one too many." In 1994, 47 percent of children in Cleveland tested positive with high blood-lead levels. Most recent data reflect 11 percent of children with high blood-lead levels, a significant decrease over the past twelve years.

The Great Cities Partnerships program is a way for EPA Region 5 to collaborate with the Midwest's largest urban areas on local environmental issues.