SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE MAJOR $6+ MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO REMOVE LEAD PAINT HAZARDS FROM HUNDREDS OF HOMES IN BROOME COUNTY; SENATORS SAY INVESTMENT WILL PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF SOUTHERN TIER CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FROM TOXIC LEAD-POISONING

Binghamton & Broome County Have Many Homes And Structures Built Before 1978 When Lead Paint Was Banned, Increasing Risk Of Exposure For Southern Tier Children & Families – New Fed Funding Will Help Remove Lead Hazards From Binghamton, Town of Union, Johnson City, and Village of Endicott

Senators Have Long Fought To Get The Lead Out Of Broome, Securing An Additional $3.5 Million To Remove Lead Hazards From Homes In Broome County In 2018

Schumer: Federal Funding Is A Shot In The Arm To Protect Southern Tier Children And Public Health Across Broome County

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $6,300,000 in federal funding for Broome County from Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program. The Senators explained that the funding will support lead and Healthy Homes efforts for remediation of lead-based paint hazards in at least 180 qualifying privately-owned pre-1978 homes across Broome County.

“No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for the children of Binghamton and Broome County, and today I am proud to announce we have secured $6.3 million for Broome County to remove lead paint from homes to protect our children and public health,” said Senator Schumer. “Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future. This major federal funding is the shot in the arm that Broome County needs to boost lead paint removal and prevention and protect the health and safety of families across the Southern Tier.”

“Too many children in Broome County are exposed to lead paint, which jeopardizes their health, development and futures,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Residents of Broome County deserve to live in a home that is free of hazardous lead paint. That’s why I’m proud to announce this funding, which will help protect the health of countless children and families. I will continue to fight so our communities have the resources they need to keep our children healthy and safe.”

“Broome County is proud to continue our work with HUD on low-income housing to mitigate or reduce lead-based paint hazards. The health and safety of our families and children in Broome County is always a top priority,” said Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. “I want to congratulate our Health Department Director Mary McFadden and her staff for their hard work and dedication in working to secure this grant for Broome County”

Schumer and Gillibrand said this $6.3 million will go towards lead abatement and Healthy Homes efforts across Broome County. The Healthy Homes Program addresses multiple childhood diseases and injuries in the home. The Initiative takes a comprehensive approach to these activities by focusing on housing-related hazards in a coordinated fashion, rather than addressing a single hazard at a time. The HHI builds upon HUD's successful Lead Hazard Control programs to expand its efforts to address a variety of environmental health and safety concerns including: mold, lead, allergens, asthma, carbon monoxide, home safety, pesticides, and radon.

The $6.3 million will be utilized within Broome County to target rental units and properties built prior to 1978 in the City of Binghamton, Town of Union, Village of Johnson City, and Village of Endicott. Of that total amount, $5,600,000 will be used to fund remediation of lead-based paint hazards in at least 180 qualifying privately-owned pre-1978 housing units within targeted areas. This will include approximately 50 single-family units at approximately $25,000 per unit and 130 multi-family units at approximately of $20,000 per unit. Hazards identified will be addressed with a cost-effective combination of lead abatement and interim control methods.

The Senators explained that lead exposure is a particularly pressing issue for Broome, especially in structures built before lead paint was banned in 1978, as it was frequently used in homes and apartments. The Senators said that with at least 8,914 occupied rental properties built prior to 1940 in Broome County, and 4,810 occupied rental properties built prior to 1940 in the City of Binghamton, residents in those units and properties are at a significantly heightened risk for lead-based paint hazards.

This funding builds on years of efforts by the senators to help address toxic lead exposure in the Southern Tier. In 2018, Schumer and Gillibrand helped secure $3.5 million in federal funding through the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program to address lead hazards in 160 housing units in Broome County. Schumer has long been a driving force in securing federal funding to reduce lead exposure in New York. In 2016, after reports of elevated lead levels in Ithaca and schools across the state were published, Schumer took action to help jumpstart lead testing programs for schools and day care centers and in 2018, ensured that those programs were fully funded.

In addition to fighting lead exposure in paint, Schumer has also lead the charge to increase federal funding to eliminate lead service pipes for drinking water in New York. The senator secured one of the largest federal investments ever into eliminating lead service pipes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which includes a $15 billion carve out within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) over 5 years ($3 billion every year) for lead service pipe replacement. 49 percent of the funding will be administered as grants and completely forgivable loans to target aid towards disadvantaged communities who disproportionately experience the impact of lead pipes. The historic law also reauthorizes the EPA’s lead reduction projects grant program and increases the program’s authorization to $100 million annually through fiscal year 2026. It also amends the grant program to clarify that the program is intended for the replacement of any lead service line, and that eligible entities shall give priority for lead pipe service line replacement to disadvantaged communities.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children. For children under the age of 6, lead exposure can result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues, which may lead to lifelong health and financial consequences. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have long advocated for protecting New York’s children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate the toxic element from homes in order to reduce lead-poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage.

The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities.

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