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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.
Okanogan, Washington - Rural Lead Education and Awareness
EPA has selected the Okanogan County Community Action in rural Okanogan County, Washington, for a Targeted Lead Grant.
The Okanogan County Community Action Council plans to use $87,500 in EPA grant money to reduce childhood lead poisoning in Okanogan by targeting outreach and education and increasing childhood lead screening. The project addresses an area of suspected but undocumented elevated blood-lead levels in the rural county of Okanogan. The project's target group is children less than six years of age including Native Americans and Hispanics. Okanogan was identified as one of nine Washington rural counties where children are at higher risk for elevated blood lead levels. The project will:
- Identify lead exposures for children less than six years of age. Conduct lead-based paint risk assessments in facilities built before 1978, such as rural child-care centers, farm worker housing, foster homes, and Head Start facilities,
- Promote blood lead level testing of all children frequenting facilities where the risk assessments show lead levels to be above federal accepted lead levels,
- Conduct Elevated Blood Lead Level Risk Assessments as identified through this project or through referrals from the health facilitators utilizing the community partners, and
- Educate families, landlords and facility management about lead-based paint hazards and potential management strategies.
The goal of this project is increased awareness of childhood lead poisoning. The project will increase testing of children in the rural county of Okanogan, Washington.
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.