I W 5 iSEZ j EPA Lead Program Grant Fact Sheet Lead Safe Silver Lake Providence, Rhode Island EPA has selected the Childhood Lead Action Project's Lead-Safe Silver Lake project in Providence, Rhode Island for a Targeted Lead Grant. The $100,000 grant project will use a comprehensive approach to reducing the incidence of childhood lead poisoning in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Providence, Rl. Silver Lake is a densely populated residential area where 72 percent of the housing stock was built prior to 1950 and 40 percent of families are living below the poverty line. In addition, the area has a high concentration of children under age 6. Health data confirm that approximately one-third of the population has been lead poisoned. Silver Lake is also a very diverse community, with 58 percent of the population Latino, 10 percent African-American, and 5 percent Asian. The project is expected to achieve the following measurable results: • 50 percent decrease in the incidence of lead poisoning in the Silver Lake neighborhood by May 2009, • 25 percent increase in rental housing in the targeted area undergoing lead hazard remediation or achieving lead safe status, • Creation of a sustainable community advisory group with resident input for future actions. This project combines community education and neighborhood organizing to accomplish these goals and make a difference in an area currently not being addressed through targeted action. The project partners plan to mobilize a range of resources including education, outreach, enforcement, technical assistance, and financial resources to meet its goals. 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 ------- |