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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.
Rural Minnesota - Southwest Minnesota Lead Reduction Initiative
EPA has selected the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership in Slayton, Minnesota, for a Targeted Lead Grant.
The goal of this project is to increase educational opportunities for families, local agencies, and contractors related to childhood lead poisoning and lead hazards in homes. Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership will:
- Educate low to moderate income families on the hazards of lead and the importance of getting their children tested for lead and following lead-safe work practices,
- Educate agencies that come in contact with targeted families about the importance of relaying information about lead hazards,
- Perform inspections and risk assessments of target housing, and
- Conduct supervisor and worker training so that the number of lead certified contractors in the region is increased.
This project targets rural communities. In seven of the counties where SWMHP already has targeted its rehabilitation work, 70% to 100% of the houses were found to have lead hazards.
The project will improve the information exchange between housing agencies that provide rehab services and those in the public health field who are aware of the hazards of lead. SWMHP is dedicated to bridging any information gaps that exist through this project.
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.