Chautauqua County will get approximately $5.75 million in federal funding to help protect children from toxic lead poisoning, according to a Spectrum news report. This money comes from $22.4 million in funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program. The funds were secured by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to help clean lead from homes in Chautauqua and Onondaga counties as well as in the cities of Albany and Schenectady.
Last year, Schumer helped secure $3.3 million for Niagara County through the program to bolster ongoing efforts to battle lead poisoning. The goal of the federal program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible rental or privately owned housing. The grants help cities carry out lead hazard control activities. Lead paint is a common threat in communities that have older homes. Lead-based paint that may still remain in the walls of many older homes creates a danger as it erodes and settles on surfaces in the home where children can ingest it.
Why is Lead Paint Particularly Dangerous for Young Children?
Lead paint is especially harmful for young children because their developing bodies and brains are more susceptible to the toxic effects of lead. When children are exposed to lead, either through inhalation or ingestion of lead paint dust or chips, it can have severe, long-lasting health consequences. Young children are more likely to ingest lead paint particles as they put items such as toys that are contaminated with lead dust into their mouths. Even small amounts of lead can accumulate in their bodies over time, leading to lead poisoning.
Lead interferes with several essential biological processes, particularly in the nervous system. In children whose brains are still developing, lead exposure can result in cognitive issues, lower IQ, behavioral problems, and developmental delays. It can also damage other organs such as the kidneys and the cardiovascular system. High levels of lead can cause seizures, coma, or even death.
What makes lead particularly dangerous is that it can be difficult to detect. Many children with lead poisoning show no immediate symptoms, meaning that the damage can occur long before it is identified. Regular screening is crucial in areas where lead paint may still be present, particularly in homes built before the 1978 U.S. ban on lead-based paints. Preventing lead exposure in children requires vigilance, including testing for lead in older homes and removing lead paint.
What Are Property Owners’/Managers’ Responsibilities in NYC When it Comes to Lead Paint?
In New York, a property owner/manager has specific legal responsibilities regarding lead paint, especially for rental properties built before 1978, when the use of lead-based paint was banned. These laws are primarily aimed at protecting tenants, particularly children, from the harmful effects of lead exposure.
One key regulation is New York City’s Local Law 1 of 2004, which is also known as the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Under this law, a property owner/manager must take proactive steps to address potential lead hazards in his or her building. This includes:
- Annual inspections: Property owners/managers must conduct annual inspections of their rental units for potential lead paint hazards. If a child under the age of 6 lives in the unit, the property owner/manager must perform a thorough inspection to identify peeling paint or deteriorated surfaces that may contain lead.
- Disclosure: Property owners/managers are required to disclose any known presence of lead paint or lead hazards to tenants before leasing a property. Federal law mandates that landlords of buildings constructed before 1978 provide tenants with an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet and disclose any known information regarding the presence of lead-based paint in the building.
- Safe repairs: If lead paint hazards are identified, property owners/managers must hire certified workers to address the issue. The repairs must follow lead-safe work practices to prevent further contamination during the process.
New York Lead Poisoning Lawyer
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If your child has been diagnosed with high blood lead levels, regardless of whether you live in public or private housing, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the NYCHA (the Projects) or private landlords (building owners and building managers) for damages. Those who have been affected can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, cost of diagnostic tests, permanent injuries, lost income and benefits, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If your child has been affected by lead poisoning, the experienced personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Our law firm recovered $1,162,500 for a child who suffered lead poisoning from paint in her apartment. The child’s injuries were subtle and difficult to recognize. We recovered $162,500 above the $1 million dollar total insurance policy in this case. Despite the judge’s efforts to settle the case for $950,000, we fought hard and recovered $162,500 more than the insurance policy of one million dollars. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2024/10/04/nearly–6-million-coming-to-chautauqua-county-to-remove-lead-hazards