On an East Side residential street near St. John Kanty, Kim Lewis and her extended family have established an enclave where she enjoys assisting with the care of her grandchildren. But on a street showing the danger signs of lead hazard--homes built before 1978, many having fallen behind on maintenance and upkeep over the years--she grew concerned for her grandchildren, and took action.
Today, their houses are receiving assistance from the community's effort to fight lead poisoning, from workers trained in lead abatement by Environmental Education Associates, a partner in the community-wide effort. Their work formed the backdrop for Tuesday's announcement by all the partners that have been brought together by the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo.
"If you knew there were children drowning in Lake Erie--right now--what would you do?" asked Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, the Foundation's President and CEO. "You'd jump in and save them, of course."
And the fact is, in many parts of Buffalo--as in most of New
York's urban areas--children are now drowning in a sea of lead. And, cruelly,
lead poisoning makes majorities out of minorities: more than 90% of Buffalo's
African-American children, and 64% of Hispanic children, are living in some of
our state's worst lead poisoning zip codes. "This is more than a health
crisis--it's a social injustice," Clotilde said. It's both shocking and
heartbreaking to hear that fully one third of all lead poisoning cases
reported in 2006 in New York (outside of New York City) were from six zip
codes in Buffalo. If that doesn't send a chill down your spine, reread it.
Those six zip codes are: 14207 (Black Rock, Riverside), 14208 (Hamlin Park,
Cold Spring), 14211 (Schiller Park, etc.), 1421 (Broadway-Fillmore), 14213
(West Side), and 14215 (Kenfield, etc.).
My admiration for the crusaders against this monstrous problem is that they remain undaunted and undeterred in the face of these numbers--and in the face of politicians who don't always share their sense of urgency. Despite a major disappointment last year(http://archives.buffalorising.com/story/lead_poisoning_prevention_legi) with a veto by the governor of urgently needed lead-abatement tax credits, anti-lead activists have taken their crusade in other directions. One result is the statewide Lead Poisoning Prevention Pilot Program, which will operate in thirteen New York counties, including Erie.
According to Clotilde, the program will provide lead testing as
well as supplies and materials for lead abatement. 500 lead abatement workers
will be trained, and 400 out-of-state volunteers will work in Buffalo during
the summer. The Community Foundation will provide coordination.
Clotilde reiterated the importance of testing children who may
have been exposed to lead. Since lead poisoning is truly the "invisible
monster," testing is the only way to know if a child has been affected so
that treatment and intervention can be brought to bear before permanent damage
is done. She also described the devastating effects of lead poisoning on
individuals and our communities, using words that paralleled those of the
Buffalo News editorial page last
year, which stated:
Evidence that early lead poisoning causes brain damage is
overwhelming. That damage can affect everything from decision-making to
impulse control. A recent study in the Cincinnati area showed that children who
have been exposed to lead paint are much more likely to be arrested once they
hit age 18. The more lead exposure during childhood, the greater the
likelihood of arrest, sometimes for crimes of violence.
The costs of lead poisoning to children, families,
neighborhoods, and society are staggering and tragic--all the more so as lead
poisoning is 100% preventable.
The other piece of the effort will be a massive outreach campaign, kicking off this week. A hotline has been set up, 712-5500, and a web site, www.WipeOutLead.com. Information will go out through TV and radio ads, billboards, and through neighborhood centers and churches. The advertising and collateral materials for the campaign are being donated by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Western New York, and have been created by their advertising agency, Jay Advertising of Rochester.
Donna Brown, Buffalo's deputy mayor, praised the approach, saying that "every single day we have the opportunity to affect this. The Mayor is backing this 110%."
Alphonso O'Neil-White, President of Excellus Blue Cross/Blue
Shield, the Community Foundation's major partner in this initiative, said that
lead poisoning can absolutely be prevented, and declared that "one case
is one too many." He cited an African proverb, "He who has health has
hope, and he who has hope has everything."
Dr. Anthony Billitier, Erie County Health Commissioner, decried
the reactive approach to date of public health officials to the threat of lead
poisoning, which has been to respond to cases of lead poisoning as they are
identified. He strongly endorsed the proactive approach of the coalition,
saying, "we need to get out ahead of this."
David Hahn-Baker praised the role of the Community Foundation,
calling it "a place where everyone can come together on this."
Having worked on environmental justice issues since the mid-1980's (including
in Washington), David has been one of Buffalo's most persistent and active
voices in fighting the Invisible Monster, and has worked with advocates in Rochester and across the state.
Andrew McLellan of Environmental Education Associates has also
been involved at the state-level in the fight against lead poisoning, and is
currently an appointee to the Governor's task force on the issue. He pulls no
punches in conveying his disappointment in Albany's lack of leadership, which leaves
resource-strapped urban areas to grapple with the issue. "It's a shame that we
have to take these steps on our own," he said. "New York State is the North
Korea of lead." About efforts at the local level, he cited New York City and
Rochester as having aggressive programs. As for Buffalo, the current laws
governing lead abatement are not as well known and need to be updated, he told
me. Andrew's associate, Mary Fisher, told me that the Cit is not where it
needs to be on both legislation and enforcement. She is working directly with
the workers who perform lead abatement, and is squarely on the front lines of
the fight.
Abatement work is at the center of the fight, and it's where I see incredible potential in the effort. Preventing lead poisoning isn't just about public health, but also economic health--it puts people to work in our neighborhoods, and can teach skills which can be the basis for a lifetime's employment. David Hahn-Baker put together some numbers for a recent stimulus funding proposal showing that making Buffalo homes lead safe would create at least 3,000 jobs--and possibly double that. Many of those hired would be working to fix up their own neighborhoods. About the requirement that stimulus funds go only to "shovel ready" projects, David likes to turn that on its head by saying "we're paintbrush ready long before we're shovel ready!"
As I walked back down Kim Lewis' street, the abatement workers had resumed a scene which hopefully will become commonplace and welcomed throughout the neighborhoods in Buffalo where children are in peril of a visit from the Invisible Monster. With the help of the community, Kim Lewis is putting her extended family out of the Monster's clutches. Let's keep up the work, and keep up the pressure, until the Monster is banished from all our children's closets. And let's not lose this opportunity to put our own people to work, fixing up Our Fair City.
Get connected:
(716) 712-5500
Partners
in the Wipe Out Lead campaign include: the City of Buffalo, Erie County,
Buffalo Block Clubs, the Baptist Ministers' Conference of Buffalo and Vicinity,
Community Action Organization, Buffalo Pre-natal, Peri-natal Network,
Environmental Education Associates, and Family Environmental Health Resources.
The campaign is sponsored with support from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development.
Yeah they keep capping these poor kids. Stop the real lead poisoning in our city! SAVE OUR YOUTH!