A new report prepared by the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health, of which the Healthy Homes Coalition is a member, reports estimates the annual environmentally attributable costs of lead poisoning at $3.2 - $4.85 billion for Michigan residents.
Beginning April 22, all renovators, remodelers and painters working in pre-1978 housing are now required to be an EPA-certified renovator trained in lead safe work practices. This requirement applies to all renovation projects, not just lead abatement. Effected trades include remodelers, renovators, window replacement workers, painters, electricians, plumbers, and any other trades that disturb painted surfaces during the course of their work. Landlords who make repairs themselves are also required to have this certification.
Get the Lead Out! and Healthy Homes are the cover story for the MiBiz Sustainability Report for this quarter.
National and Local Experts Urge Lead Poisoning Testing For Children.
50% of children in Grand Rapids are not being tested for lead poisoning at the critical ages of 1 and 2.
GRAND RAPIDS – The Grand Rapids Get The Lead Out! campaign has been successful on many fronts. The number of homes having lead based paint abated is increasing. Yet an alarming number of children are not being tested for lead poisoning at the critical ages of 1 and 2.
“In children, lead can cause nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, speech, language problems, decreased muscle and bone growth and hearing damage,” said Joan Dyer-Zykowski, Kent County Health Department Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Manager. "The majority of children lead poisoned in Grand Rapids are between one and two years old."
The City of Grand Rapids Get the Lead Out! program is offering free lead training for professionals seeking to enter the lead hazard control, abatement and assessment fields. This is an opportunity for small business owners from the affected communities to receive free training to make them eligible for lead hazard control work funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Healthy Homes Coalition is partnering with Home Repair Services to provide a Lead Safe Painting and Home Repair workshop for do-it-yourself home owners interested in making home repairs in a lead-safe fashion.
The Detroit Free Press published an indepth article on Sunday, May 16 that looks at the link between lead and learning. The article features a look at children's blood lead levels relative to their performance on MEAP scores later in life.
The US-EPA has launched a portal on its website where homeowners can find contractors who have been trained and certified in how to safely make repairs so that children are not exposed to lead hazards. The searchable database can be accessed by clicking here.
The Healthy Homes Coalition was recently awarded $26,248 in FEMA funding to make sure families with children have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in their homes. This award will allow Healthy Homes to serve 400 families!
Cold Weather = Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Cold Weather Brings Increased Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
GRAND RAPIDS - The recent cold front brings with it the increased danger of carbon monoxide poisoning as people start up their furnaces and seek ways to stay warm. Malfunctioning furnaces are the leading cause of non-fire related carbon monoxide exposure according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control. Winter and fall are the seasons when most carbon monoxide poisonings happen.
"Now is the time to make sure that your furnace gets its annual inspection and to make sure that your family is protected with a carbon monoxide detector," said Paul Haan, Executive Director of the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is the byproduct of incomplete combustion. It is the leading cause of unintentional death by poisoning in the United States. 450 Americans are killed by carbon monoxide each year, and more than 15,000 others are rushed to the emergency department with severe symptoms.
The Healthy Homes Coalition recommends regular preventive inspections of furnaces and other gas burning appliances to ensure they are working correctly. Healthy Homes also recommends that each home have at least one working carbon monoxide detector, and that the detector be installed in the hallway outside of the family's sleeping quarters.
Generators and automobiles are also common sources of carbon monoxide poisoning in west Michigan. Healthy Homes advises never warming up a car while it is parked inside the garage, even if the garage door is left open. Generators should never be used inside enclosed spaces like basements or garages.
To help keep families safe, the Healthy Homes Coalition was recently awarded a $26,284 FEMA grant to install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for low-income families with children. Eligible families must reside in the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood or Wyoming, must have a full-time resident child 5 years of age or younger, and must be low-income. To request an alarm, call (616) 241-3300.
For more information, visit www.healthyhomescoalition.org/carbon-monoxide.
Click here for a PDF of this release.
Making sure children grow up in homes that are healthy and safe is everyone’s job! The Healthy Homes Coalition is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Learn more about specific ways you can help protect children. Connect with us today!
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Special thanks to the Dyer-Ives Foundation for their generous support of this website. © 2006-2010 Healthy Homes Coalition.
