For Immediate Release:  April 16, 2004

Contacts:

National Center for Healthy Housing   Karen Hinton, 703-798-3109
Maryland Department of Environment  Richard McIntire, 410-537-3012
Baltimore City's Health Department    Monique Vinscon, 410-396-9534
Coalition To End Childhood Lead Poisoning  Ruth Ann Norton,410-534-6447

Baltimore First City To Launch New Web Site, Protects Families From Lead Poisoning In Homes

 www.LeadSafeHomes.info

Provides lead-related information for specific street addresses

BALTIMORE, MD – Baltimore became the first city in the country today to launch a new web site --www.LeadSafeHomes.info -- to help protect families from lead poisoning by providing lead-related information for specific street addresses.

An alliance of community groups and governments working to prevent and reduce the incidence of lead poisoning announced the launch today at the East Baltimore Development Incorporated Community Resource Center.  Members of the alliance include the Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore City's Department of Health, the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning and the National Center for Healthy Housing.

"LeadSafeHomes.info is a valuable, consumer-friendly tool that we all can use in the battle to prevent and eradicate lead poisoning. It will help people make informed decisions about where they and their children live," said Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Secretary Kendl P. Philbrick, at a press conference and community training session. 

Rena Jennings, the mother of a one-year-old son and expectant mother of triplets, demonstrated the web site at the press conference.  Jennings, who needs to move to another apartment before the birth of her children, said, "With three children on the way and a toddler under foot, I have and will have enough to worry about – diapers, midnight feedings, tears and tempers.  I don't need to be worrying about lead dust in my home." 

Ruth Ann Norton, Executive Director of the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, said, "LeadSafeHomes.info strengthens a family's ability to find lead safe affordable housing – a primary factor in helping children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. This simple tool will also increase the capacity of community organizations to better serve the public and to translate government data for the true primary prevention of lead poisoning."

Baltimore Commissioner of Health Peter L. Beilenson, M.D., M.P.H., urged Baltimore families to use www.LeadSafeHomes.info.  "The web site will serve as a significant tool of prevention in the City's continued efforts to reduce the incidence of childhood lead poisoning.  I urge every parent or guardian to verify that their current or future dwelling is lead safe."

Rebecca Morley, Director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, said national lead poisoning rates have dropped by more than 50 percent over the last decade. Yet, because Baltimore has some of the oldest housing in the country, its lead poisoning rates are more than four times the national average (2.2% of all children in the country have high levels of lead poisoning compared to 9.4% of all children in Baltimore).

However, Morley said this number can be lowered quickly through preventative measures. "LeadSafeHomes.info is an additional tool that our state and local partners can use in their ongoing battle to eliminate this preventable disease," said Morley.

She said the most likely source of lead in a home is lead-based paint, found in homes built before 1978.  The chipping and peeling away of lead-based paint can create an invisible dust hazardous to people's health, especially children.  Children under six can be hurt the most from damage to their brains, kidneys, and other organs.  Lead poisoning can cause learning and behavioral problems. Adult health concerns include reproductive problems and high blood pressure. Lead can hurt both a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

In addition to Baltimore,www.LeadSafeHomes.info will be launched in two other cities, Boston and Chicago, in May.  The three cities serve as prototypes for a nationwide lead data-base system.  In 2002 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded funds to the National Center for Healthy Housing to develop and pilot the site in three cities. NCHH teamed with Abt Associates to design and build the site in close collaboration with state and local partners. In the next phase, the site will be replicated in several other cities with high rates of lead poisoning and new data will be added to the site to provide even more extensive information for users of the site.

LeadSafeHomes.Info helps parents, as well as landlords, health workers, community groups and others, find out whether a home or property has been inspected for lead poisoning. A user of the web site can:

• Determine what is known about whether a property is registered, inspected and/or whether it has met MD risk reduction standards;
• Get a report about the lead poisoning rates by census tract;
• Find local certified lead inspectors and abatement contractors;
• Find out about national and local lead-related laws and regulations; and
• Learn about local and national resources to reduce lead hazards.

Importantly, www.LeadSafeHomes.info also provides guidance on the causes of lead poisoning and ways to prevent it; the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants; the blood testing and treatment of lead poisoning; and links to other helpful sites, including state and local ones. Should a Baltimore resident not have access to the Internet, he or she can log onto www.LeadSafeHomes.Info at any of the Baltimore public libraries.

About the Maryland Department of Environment

MDE is the principal state agency charged with lead paint poisoning prevention. Throughout the year, MDE's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program assists local health departments with case management of lead poisoned children, and promotes locally based outreach. MDE also runs the statewide lead rental registry, conducts enforcement actions and coordinates with state and local agencies on lead poisoning prevention measures. For more information on childhood lead poisoning and its prevention, call (800) 776-2706 or (800) 370-LEAD (5323).

About the Baltimore City Health Department

The Baltimore City Health Department has a multifaceted approach to lead poisoning prevention. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program inspects the homes of children with elevated blood lead levels and provides case management services to the children and their families. Since 2000, increased enforcement efforts have been in effect with over 500 legal enforcement cases filed against delinquent landlords resulting in 140 abatements. 620 additional units have been abated through the Mayor's Initiative on Lead Poisoning Prevention pipeline.

About the Coalition to End Children Lead Poisoning

The Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning is dedicated to preventing childhood lead poisoning through advocacy, outreach, and education. Working in partnership with the community, the Coalition is committed to ensuring that all children grow up in affordable, lead-safe housing and that community-based solutions for lead-safe housing are implemented which will result in healthier children and healthier communities.

-- dedicated to preventing childhood lead poisoning through advocacy, outreach,

About the National Center for Healthy Housing

The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) recently celebrated eleven years of service as the preeminent national scientific and research organization working at the intersection of health and housing. Founded in 1992, NCHH's mission is to develop and promote practical methods to protect children from environmental health hazards in their homes while preserving affordable housing.  NCHH's web site is www.centerforhealthyhousing.org.  ###