By Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera
Earlier this month Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein and I joined Tool Library Executive Director Darren Cotton to announce the new Lead Safe Tool Borrowing Program. For several years the Tool Library, located in my former legislative district, has provided a great service to our community. This program will now ensure that residents can complete home repairs and renovations safely.
I encourage homeowners, landlords and tenants to do their research before beginning spring cleaning and home improvement projects. Much of the housing stock in Erie County, especially in the city of Buffalo, was built prior to 1978 before lead paint was banned. The most common cause of lead poisoning is dust and chips from lead paint as it degrades. Even today, deteriorating lead-based paint in homes can lead to high and unsafe amounts of lead in household dust.
If your house was built before 1978, then you should assume that your home has lead paint on surfaces, I recommend you take steps to protect your household and reduce the risk of lead poisoning. Additionally, homes that were built on or near former industrial sites may also have a risk of lead in the soil. It is important to maintain a healthy grass lawn, eliminate all areas of bare soil and use floor mats to avoid tracking soil into the house.
To mitigate risk, ECDOH offers a Lead Safe Work Practices class, in which participants will also receive a free one-year membership to the Tool Library where they are eligible to borrow new lead safe tools such as a HEPA vacuum.
Lead is a very dangerous toxin, especially for infants and children. Lead exposure can cause developmental delays and damage a child’s developing nervous system. Parents and caregivers should talk to their child’s pediatrician about lead screening at ages one and two. This test involves a finger-stick to get a small amount of blood. Lead screening is an important way to identify lead poisoning so that families can take action to protect children from further harm.
With prevention as the goal, Erie County’s Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention Initiative is available throughout Erie County. This program gives families, homeowners, and property owners information they can use to prevent children from being exposed to dangerous lead hazards.
One of the goals of our Live Well Erie initiative is that children will realize their greatest potential. Exposure to lead can result in severe cognitive impairments, including reduced IQ, memory loss, reduced academic performance, poor executive function, delayed language and speech development, and overall, a more challenging life. Let’s work together to ensure that no child is exposed to lead.
To learn more about lead prevention and the Lead Safe Tool Borrowing program visit www.erie.gov/lead. A link to the pre-1978 housing database is available, along with additional tips for keeping children safe from lead.