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Two Million Dollars Are Being Invested For Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Central New York Foundation Fights Children's Lead Poisoning

The Central New York Community Foundation is fighting against Lead Poisoning

By Keanu Haghighi

Frank Ridzi: “It’s different from places like Flint, Michigan where the water supply is the issue here it’s the housing stock in paint.”

Reporter: Lead poisoning amongst children in Central New York has been an ongoing issue for multiple decades.
Vice President of Community Investment for the Central New York Community
Foundation, Frank Ridzi, says that this problem is reoccurring because buildings in Central New York are older.

Frank Ridzi: “As these houses get older they start to deteriorate and especially in higher poverty areas that lead paint becomes loose.”

Reporter: The Central New York Community Foundation is now going to invest 2 million dollars into lead removal. This will give inspectors enough resources to complete more inspections and to make the community more aware of the dangers of lead poisoning.

Reporter: “Envirologic is just one of many organizations in Central New York that test for lead levels within homes. However, it’s also a service that many Central New Yorkers fail to utilize.”

Peter Koslowsky: “In a perfect world everyone would test their house for lead paint before they move in and then they would know that there’s a problem.”

Reporter: But this isn’t a perfect world, and many people suffer from lead poisoning because they are unaware of its risks and how to get rid of it.
Identifying lead in your home is a quick and simple fix for certified inspectors like Koslowky.
First, the inspector uses a special wipe to test for lead.
After wiping down the area in question, the inspector then sends the wipe for lab testing.
If the testing determines that there is lead present in your home, then the proper steps will be taken to replace the paint by someone who is approved by the EPA to remove lead.

Frank Ridzi: “This is a problem that requires long-term, committed collaboration in our community. Because the cost is too expensive to remove lead from the environment, so instead we have to keep it contained.”

The Central New York Community Foundation is investing $2 million to try and slow down the rate of lead poisoning in the area.

That money is going to several different organizations that deal with lead removal. In addition, about $30,000 is being invested towards educating the community about the dangers of lead poisoning.

This issue with lead has been an ongoing problem for several decades in Central New York. According to the Onondaga County Health Department, more than 11 percent of children tested positive for elevated blood lead levels in 2017.

“As these houses get older they start to deteriorate and especially in higher poverty areas that lead paint becomes loose,” said Frank Ridzi, Vice President of Community Investment at the Central New York Community Foundation.

The long-term effects of lead poisoning are life-changing. For children, development of the brain and nervous system will slow down. Others may endure behavioral changes which may eventually lead to bad academic performance and crime.

Whenever you move into a new home, it is recommended that you get it tested for lead. 

“In a perfect world, everyone would test their house for lead paint before they move in and then they would know that there’s a problem,” said Peter Koslowsky, Project Manager for Envirologic. 

According to the CDC, homes built before 1978 have a higher risk of being exposed to dangerous levels of lead because this was before lead-based paint was banned in the United States.

Visit www.epa.gov/lead for information on lead poisoning and how to prevent being exposed to lead within your home.

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