Pacific Southwest Lead Program

In 2010 EPA Region 9 awarded more than $1 million in grants to assist efforts by our state, tribal, and local partners to prevent childhood lead poisoning.   EPA Administrator Jackson personally awarded a $200,000 tribal lead grant to Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona to fund childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts at 20 AZ tribes.  ITC will conduct outreach to inform tribal families and tribal staff on lead’s health risks, including maintenance personnel who renovate pre-1978 tribal housing.   EPA awarded a tribal lead grant for $49,463 to Big Valley Rancheria (CA) to enable lead hazard assessments at pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities, facilitate childhood blood lead screening and partner with the local lead poisoning prevention coalition.  The two new tribal lead grants build upon significant accomplishments of EPA’s tribal lead partners in preventing childhood lead poisoning in Indian Country.

EPA awarded a $96,752 targeted lead grant to the Santa Clara County Environmental Health Department to develop and implement innovative lead hazard reduction programs in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Marin Counties (CA).   This innovative program includes outreach to contractors on lead-safe work practices, training day laborers on lead-safe work practices, screening young children for lead poisoning, and public service announcements on lead-safe work practices.   

EPA awarded $1,550,000 over three years to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) of the State of California’s Department of Public Health to continue to operate its lead abatement program.  The CLPPB accredits training providers, certifies individuals for its Certified Lead-Related Construction Professional Program, and develops and implements state compliance and enforcement plans for the promotion of lead-safe work practices.  The Hawaii Department of Health also received a one-year grant of $184,939 to implement a worker certification and training program, provide technical assistance to increase compliance with lead-based paint regulations, and conduct enforcement inspections.

EPA looks forward to continuing to support our local, tribal, and state partners in eliminating the poisoning threat posed by lead-based paint. 

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause health effects ranging from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death.  Federal regulations for lead in gasoline, paint, and solder initiated in the 1970’s protect millions of people in the U.S. from being exposed to dangerous levels of lead each year.  Lead-based paint and paint dust from homes built before 1978 remain the primary sources for lead poisoning.

Children are most at risk from lead.  Children are more likely to eat or inhale lead-based paint chips and dust, metabolize lead they are exposed to into their blood and bones, and possess a rapidly developing brain and nervous system that is more sensitive to lead than are adults.  About 250,000 children less than 6 years old in the U.S. currently have elevated blood lead levels. 

In celebration of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, EPA is reaching out to let you know what we are doing to prevent lead exposure and what actions parents, homeowners, and contractors can take toward a lead-free future.  EPA is especially pleased to announce the implementation in 2010 of the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule to help us toward our goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning.