SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $3.2 MILLION IN FED FUNDING FOR THE BROOME COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO HELP REMOVE LEAD FROM HOMES – LEAD IS A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD & THESE FUNDS WILL HELP DECREASE EXPOSURE
Broome County Will Use Funds to Address Lead Hazards in 155 Housing Units; Will Help Protect Health & Safety Of Area Families & Children
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a federal grant of $2,906,610 in Lead Hazard Control funding and $325,000 in Healthy Homes supplemental funding for Broome County to address lead hazards in 155 housing units. This critical funding will provide necessary resources to spur collaboration between the Broome County Health Department and the New York State-funded Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention, Lead Poisoning Prevention, and Healthy Neighborhoods Program, in order to reduce the number of lead-poisoned children and protect families by targeting health hazards in homes with significant lead and other home health and safety hazards.
“Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future,” said Senator Schumer. “We must do everything we can to eliminate lead from our homes and this major federal grant will do just that, by injecting much-needed funds into lead remediation and prevention. These funds are an investment in the health, safety and future of communities in Broome County.”
“This funding will help prevent lead poisoning in Broome County,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Lead poisoning causes severe mental and physical health problems and it is important to remove those hazards from our homes so we can keep our families safe. The Broome County Health Department will now have access to additional resources to help protect residents and prevent exposure to this dangerous substance.”
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 homes’ walls, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, falling into the hands and mouths of children. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have long advocated for protecting New York children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate the toxic element from homes, reducing lead-poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage.
The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control (LHC) and the Lead Hazard Reduction (LHRD) grant programs are to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant program is the largest program in terms of dollar amount and number of grants.
###
