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EPA Lead Program

Grant Fact Sheet

Building Capacity for Primary
Prevention: Housing Codes and
Code Enforcement

Indianapolis, IN

EPA has selected Improving Kids
Environment, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana
for a Targeted Lead Grant.

Improving Kids Environment, Inc. (IKE) will
use the funds to implement a program
which will increase the number of
communities in Indiana where local housing
or health codes explicitly address lead
hazards in housing, and will provide tools to
local governments to strengthen their code
enforcement activities.

The elements of this project include:

•	Education of city and county health
officials about the prevalence of
childhood lead poisoning and the legal
tools available to proactively require
identification and remediation of lead
hazards, including the use of lead safe
work practices;

•	One-on-one consultation with local officials in the highest risk cities to encourage the
adoption of new or revised ordinances that will provide greater authority to address lead
hazards, preferably before children are poisoned;

•	Provision of model ordinance language; and

•	Education and assistance if local governments choose to rely on State statutory authority
to address lead risks rather than adopting local authorities. In areas where code revisions
are adopted, IKE will assist local agencies in the development of outreach materials that
explain the new revisions.

EPA's Targeted Lead Grants

EPA's Targeted Lead Grant Program funds
projects in areas with high incidences of
children with elevated blood-lead levels in
vulnerable populations. In 2007 the Agency
awarded more than $5.2 Million in grants
under this ambitious program. These
targeted grants are intended to address
immediate needs of the communities in
which they are awarded, and will also
highlight lead poison prevention strategies
that can be used in similar communities
across the country.

EPA's lead program is playing a major role
in meeting the federal goal of eliminating
childhood lead poisoning as a major public
health concern by 2010, and the projects
supported by these grant funds are an
important part of this ongoing effort.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control in 1978 there were 13.5 million
children in the US with elevated blood lead
levels. By 2002, that number had dropped
to 310,000.

For more information about EPA's Lead
Program, visit www.epa.gov/lead or call
the National Lead Information Center at
1-800-424-LEAD.

2007 Targeted Lead Grant Program

Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics

www.epa.gov/lead

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