WALSH ANNOUNCES FEDERAL FUNDINGFOR LEAD HAZARD CONTROL IN ONONDAGA COUNTY
$6 Million Program to Abate Lead Hazards

(Syracuse, New York )- Congressman Jim Walsh today announced the awarding of a $3 million grant to Onondaga County’s Community Development Division from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Lead Hazard Control Grant Program. Onondaga County will match the grant with another $3 million of their funds. The grant funds will be used to continue and enhance outreach and education efforts, to train 72 workers to perform lead hazard control activities, and to remove lead hazards from over 200 housing units, benefiting the 225 children living in those units.

"The health of our children is of the utmost importance," said Walsh. "We need to aggressively address lead hazards in homes, especially if they are the residences of young children.  Lead poisoning has a significant impact on pediatric health and development."

This is Onondaga County's third grant from HUD for lead hazard control. The previous two have been used very successfully to promote education, and create 174 lead safe units, with an expected 400 at completion of the second grant and another 200 with funds from the third. Since 2002, the three grants will total over $8 million in federal resources for lead hazard control in our community.

Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro said, “Our emphasis continues to be safety and with the federal assistance from HUD as piloted by Congressman Walsh, our Community Development Division has been able to assist County homeowners with lead removal and repairs and work in conjunction with our Health Department in outreach and educational efforts involving the dangers of lead paint.”

The County's Lead Hazard Reduction Program is a joint effort of the Onondaga County Community Development Division and Onondaga County Department of Health.

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