March-April Newsletter

Help End Lead Poisoning General Membership Meeting

Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Time: 10:30 – 12:00

(Board meeting to follow)

Location: Ohio State Legal Services Association (555 Buttles Ave.)

The Health and Family Services Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives sent version five of Substitute House Bill 248 to the floor of the House on February 27, 2002 with unanimous support from the committee.

Version five of the bill contains three new amendments that were adapted to the bill on February 27. First, the new bill does not require parents to test their child, if it infringes on their religious practices. This exemption is included in the national law. The second amendment, removes responsibilities from the Director of Health. Once the lead-safety course is taken, renovators do not have to register with the Director of Health nor does the Director have to maintain a list of certified lead safe renovators. Supporters of this amendment argued that very few states require the Health department to undertake these tasks. Also, they said the Ohio Department of Health felt uncomfortable doing this without any control over the list (e.g. the department would not have been able to remove people or require clearance testing). The final amendment granted removal of the right to sue language

On March 12, 2002, the Ohio House of Representatives passed Substitute House Bill by a vote of 92-0. Before the final vote, Representative Bryan Williams (R - 45^th district) commended several agencies, including Help End Lead Poisoning, and individuals on everyone’s hard work and dedication to this bill.

Substitute House Bill 248 is now being sent to the Senate where it will go into the Health, Human Services, and Aging Committee. Senator Lynn Wachtmann (R - 1^st District) is the committee chairperson, Senator Randy Gardner (R - 2^nd District) is the Vice Chair, and Senator Tim Hagan (D - 33^rd District) is the ranking minority member. For a complete list of committee member, visit: http://www.senate.state.oh.us/committees/com_health.html

Addressing Lead-Based Paint in Local Housing Programs Receiving Community Planning and Development Funds is available free from thei Office of Housing and Community Partnership. The manual was developed by ICF Consulting on behalf of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control.

The manual is designed to help program administrators and rehabilitation specialists:

· Identify the changes needed in local programs and operating procedures in order to comply with the new lead-based paint requirements; and

· Develop an action plan to meet these requirements. NOTE: the manual is not a "how to" course for lead-based paint professions.

The manual's chapters include: Lead-based paint -- a foundation; lead-based paint requirements; rehabilitation programs; tentant-based rental assistance programs; homebuyer programs; soecial needs housing programs; implementing lead hazard evaluation and reduction; and putting it all together -- an action plan.

To receive a copy of the manual, contact David Mack, OHCP receptionists, by telephone at (614 466-2285 or via email at dmack@odod.state.oh.us

Lead poisoning is the number one environmental threat to children that is totally preventable. Did you know that there were 8,101 children lead poisoned in Ohio in 1999? Why are our children still being poisoned?

According to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ohio is ranked 5^th out of 39 EPA funded states to have the highest lead-based paint in homes. Ohio has 3.5 million homes with lead-based paint on interior and/or exterior surfaces.

Housing built before 1950 poses the greatest lead hazard to young children, and 36 percent of the 875,000 Ohio children between the ages of 3 months and 6 years live in housing built prior to 1950. The most common way Ohio’s children are exposed to lead are ingesting or inhaling household dust containing lead from deteriorating paint.

Both the US EPA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate Ohio to be a high-risk state for lead poisoning. The CDC stated in its December 22, 2000 MMWR edition, that Ohio ranks second nationally with Elevated Blood Lead (EBL) levels. The data reviewed 19 states with counties with > 200 children tested for blood lead levels. Ohio’s percentage of EBL is higher than the national average.

Ohio still has a lead poisoning problem. During the summer months, children are more susceptible to lead poisoning due to playing outside in dirt or soil contaminated with lead. Another common source of poisoning is renovation and remodeling.

Lead poisoning causes permanent learning disabilities, hearing loss, attention deficit disorder, nervous system and kidney damage, and other physical and mental developmental problems at even lower levels than previously believed. At low level exposure, there are speech, language, IQ deficits between children with elevated blood lead levels and children with normal levels.

The Ohio Department of Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program assessed childhood lead poisoning issues in Ohio by conducting several focus groups. The participants consisted mainly of physicians, nurses, health educators, social workers, physician assistants, and a health commissioner. The focus groups revealed the following statements:

· It is believed that since lead was taken out of paint and gasoline in the late 70’s, it should not be a problem.

Because of such issues, it is possible that many children with elevated blood lead levels will go undetected unless health care professionals understand and comply with the local screening guidelines and recommendations. It is necessary for health care professionals to be aware and knowledgeable about the prevalence and significance of childhood lead poisoning for those they provide care for. Primarily, the emphasis is now not only detection and treatment of seriously lead poisoned children, but also the early detection and primary prevention efforts of chronic low lead level exposure (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1998).

Hence, PLANET, the Pediatric Lead Assessment Network Educational Training, has been developed to address the needs and issues raised through the focus groups. It is intended to serve as a consciousness raising and action provoking tool. It shall serve as a tool to clarify and disseminate information about proper screening techniques, with the hopes that it will ultimately lead to behavior change. PLANET intends to update health care providers who work closely with at risk families. Physicians and other health care professionals are at the forefront of lead poisoning prevention because they have routine contact with children who may be at risk. Through well-baby check ups and prenatal care, health care professionals have the opportunity to educate parents about the effects of lead poisoning, the importance of screening, ways to reduce exposure and absorption, and hazards of renovating and remodeling. The PLANET program is a peer-to-peer program that will bring healthcare professionals the most current information available in the field of childhood lead poisoning prevention. The program is modeled after the successful MOBI program. This free program comes to the medical healthcare provider side and provides CMEs and CNEs (Continuing Medical/Nursing Education Credit). Those interested in scheduling a PLANET program, or interested in becoming a PLANET trainer call Elizabeth Cho, at 614-644-9849.

On March 21, 2002, Indiana Governor, Frank O'Bannon, signed a bill requiring home repair and painting contractors to change their habits when working in housing or child-occupied facilities built before 1960. Unless they are positive that the paint is not lead-based, they are not allowed to dry sand, dry scrape, burn, or char more than two quare feel of interior paint, 10% of interior painted components, or twenty square feet of external paint.

This bill also requires public health agencies to share blood-testing data among themselves to better help children and to more effectively focus their limited resources. Also, private labs must join public labs in reporting blood lead testing results to the State Department of Health (ISDH) including critical demographic data. Also, private labs must join public labs in reporting blood lead testing results to the State Department of Health (ISDH) including critical demographic data.

This bill also extends all licenses issued before July 1, 2002 to expire June 30, 2004. Licenses issued after July 1, 2002 will expire three years from the date issued as oppose to the current one-year. Additionally, by July 1, 2003, the State must have rules in place to license clearance examiners - a step that will make it easier and cheaper for property managers to ensure maintenance work has been done properly. For more information about this bill contact Tom Neltner at neltner@in.net or (317) 442-3973

Indiana recently passed a landlord-tenant law. For all leases entered into after July 1, 2002, tenant are required to comply with all obligations imposed primarily on a tenant by applicable provisions of health and housing codes; and keep the areas of the rental premises occupied or used by the tenant relatively clean.

Landlords are required to deliver the rental premises to a tenant in compliance with the rental agreement, and in a safe, clean, and habitable condition. They are also required to comply with all health and housing codes applicable to the rental premises; and make all reasonable efforts to keep ocmmon areas of a rental premise in a clean and proper condition.

Help End Lead Poisoning General Membership Meeting

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