EPA Lead Program Grant Fact Sheet
EPA's Targeted Lead Grants
EPA's Targeted Lead Grant Program funds projects in areas with high incidences of children with elevated blood-lead levels in vulnerable populations. In 2007 the Agency awarded more than $5.2 million in grants under this ambitious program. These targeted grants are intended to address immediate needs of the communities in which they are awarded, and will also highlight lead poison prevention strategies that can be used in similar communities across the country.
EPA's lead program is playing a major role in meeting the federal goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning as a major public health concern by 2010, and the projects supported by these grant funds are an important part of this ongoing effort. According to the Centers for Disease Control in 1978 there were 13.5 million children in the US with elevated blood lead levels. By 2002, that number had dropped to 310,000.
New Mexico - Targeted Grants to Reduce Childhood Lead Poisoning
EPA has selected the New Mexico Department of Health for a Targeted Lead Grant.
The $100,000 grant to conduct a lead poisoning prevention project in New Mexico will:
- Conduct laboratory analyses on 840 infant blood samples (already on file) for lead,
- Evaluate the infant data for the purpose of creating a baseline for New Mexico, and
- Use the analytical results to target any geographic areas with elevated blood lead levels for environmental assessment and educational outreach.
For more information about EPA's Lead Program, visit www.epa.gov/lead or call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.