from local sources with additional reporting by Cynthia Price
Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Mandy Bolter and Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss will co-sponsor a new initiative aimed at ending child lead exposure in Kent County. The pair announced the formation of the Kent County Lead Action Team (LAT) at a news conference held at the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) on Feb. 25.
“Mayor Bliss and I are co-sponsoring the Lead Action Team for one reason: One child exposed to lead in our community is one child too many,” Bolter said. “While much has been accomplished, we recognize that there is much yet to be done. Our community has focused on this issue for years, and there are some great resources available to our residents. But we need to do a better job coordinating those resources and holding each other accountable. That’s what this Lead Action Team is all about.”
This continues an already-exemplary local response to lead in children begun in 2001 with the Get the Lead Out! collaborative. The Healthy Homes Coalition is an outgrowth of that campaign, and was incorporated in the summer of 2006 to sustain the effort to end childhood lead poisoning in Grand Rapids.
The Get the Lead Out! campaign was recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency with a Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award in 2006.
Healthy Homes is happy to be a part of the coalition, according to Executive Director Paul Haan.
Commission Chair Bolter highlighted this long history of public-private partnerships in the community, and programs aimed at tackling the problem of lead in area homes and neighborhoods. Through these partnerships and improved policy, the region has seen the rate of elevated blood lead levels in children decrease dramatically over the past decade.
“It’s critically important that we keep the momentum going because lead can compromise the abilities of children in our community to learn and properly develop,” Mayor Bliss said. “Lead poisoning and exposure have a long-term negative impact on our entire community. With early detection and intervention, we can positively change the entire trajectory of a child’s life.”
Lead is toxic to everyone. There is no “safe” level of lead in children. The greatest risk for lifelong complications occurs in unborn babies and young children who absorb lead more easily. Exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, hearing and vision problems, and learning and behavior problems. Historically, the biggest risk for Kent County’s children has been lead-contaminated dust from paint found in homes built before 1978. When the old paint chips, flakes or peels, lead-contaminated dust can get on hands, toys, clothes, furniture and other items around the house. Breathing in or swallowing lead-contaminated dust can cause many health problems.
The LAT will focus on specific goals and priorities and take concrete steps to advance and complete those goals.
“This group is really about implementation,” said Healthy Homes Coalition’s Haan. “Healthy Homes feels very confident that this is an important next step, and we’re pleased that it’s all going to be publicly accountable.”
The coalition’s website is at www.accesskent.com/Stories/lead-action-team.htm.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/subscriptions
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
