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.
Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, Montana - Chippewa Cree Tribe/Rocky Boy Health Board
EPA has selected the Chippewa Cree Tribe/Rocky Boy Health Board at the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation in Montana for a Targeted Lead Grant.
The Chippewa Cree Tribe/Rocky Boy Health Board plans to conduct baseline lead exposure assessment activities on the Indian reservation. The goal is to identify areas with a likelihood of incidences of elevated blood lead levels, to reduce those risks, and to protect the health of tribal children.
The project will:
- Screen children age 72 months or younger who reside on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation for blood-lead poisoning;
- Conduct inspections and risk assessments in pre-1978 child-occupied homes as determined by blood-lead screening results;
- Provide training opportunities for tribal stakeholders;
- Compile tribal lead data; and
- Develop lead poisoning prevention partnerships with other tribal and state departments.
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.