EPA Lead Program Grant Fact Sheet Two Rivers Regional Council EPA has selected the Two Rivers Regional Council in Quincy, Illinois for a National Community-Based Lead Outreach and Training Grant. This project will address lead safety in the home in four predominantly rural Illinois counties through outreach, training and infrastructure development. Under this grant, the recipient will: • Build a leadership infrastructure to increase efforts to identify young children with elevated blood lead levels and homes with lead hazards in their region • Increase public awareness of lead poisoning issues • Identify the children most at risk; • Educate homeowners, landlords and housing professionals on safe lead practices • Improve infrastructure within local governmental units and among other community agencies. EPA's National Community- Based Lead Grant Program EPA grants are helping communities with older housing reduce childhood lead poisoning. The funds enable communities to educate those at risk, provide lead-awareness training and develop local ordinances aimed at lead abatement. The National Community-Based Lead Outreach and Training Grants are aimed at promoting efforts to prevent or reduce childhood lead poisoning. In 2007 The Agency awarded more than $3.1 million in grant dollars to fund this ambitious program. Grant recipients range from city health departments to universities and colleges, community organizations, religious groups, and other non-profit organizations. 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. Projects supported by these grant funds are an important part of this ongoing effort - and we are seeing their effects. By 2002, the number of U.S. children with elevated blood-lead levels dropped to 310,000 from 13.5 million in 1978, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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. The project will result in a network of organizations and people with a foundation of skills, awareness and knowledge that will make it possible to continue collaborative work to prevent lead poisoning of children in the community. 2007 National Community-Based Lead Grant Program Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics www.epa.gov/lead ------- |