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.
Helena, MT - State of Montana Department of Health
EPA has selected the State of Montana Department of Health in Helena, Montana, for a Targeted Lead Grant.
The goal of the project is to build basic infrastructure to support a statewide program that:
- understands the burden of childhood lead poisoning for the state,
- improves the quality of surveillance data to enable identification of risk-groups and risk factors for enhanced testing and prevention,
- provides the expertise and support of a certified risk assessor for inspections and interventions, and
- develops a strategic plan for a training, education, and outreach program focused on the prevention of childhood lead poisoning.
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.