Erie County Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention Program (CLPPPP)

The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) has been providing technical assistance and evaluation support to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention Program (CLPPPP) since the inception of the initiative in 2007. Each of the 15 grantee programs operates within a unique local landscape that impacts the distinct challenges they face and successes they accomplish.
As a CLPPP Program grantee, the Erie County CLPPPP program seeks to achieve five goals:
1. Identify housing at greatest risk of lead-based paint hazards.
2. Develop partnerships and community engagement to promote primary prevention.
3. Promote interventions to create lead-safe housing units.
4. Build lead-safe work practices (LSWP) workforce capacity.
5. Identify community resources for lead-hazard control.

Since 2007, Erie County CLPPPP has worked with property owners to remove lead paint hazards from housing in census tracts and/or block groups that the Erie County commissioner of health has designated as an “Area of High Risk,” and accepts directed referrals for families with children residing in a “Community of Concern for lead poisoning” comprising ZIP codes 14201, 14207–14213, 14215. Within the Areas of High Risk, individual units are identified for inspection through door-to-door neighborhood canvas, while individual partner-referrals, such as units with a child or children with an EBLL of 5–14 μg/dL, are accepted from any of the target ZIP codes in the Community of Concern. Such referrals may come internally from Department of Health programs, or from any of a number of external community partners.

Program staff approach targeted units in two different ways, depending on the method of recruitment. For door-to-door canvas units in the Areas of High Risk, risk assessment staff go block-by-block surveying the building characteristics, physical condition, and occupancy status of each housing unit. They assess the exterior of each housing structure with an XRF (x-ray fluorescence) analyzer to measure the concentration of lead on painted surfaces. In conjunction with the exterior risk assessment, staff also try to identify and gain access to units where young children reside. Upon gaining access, they perform a visual inspection of interior painted components, educate the resident about lead poisoning and ways to protect their family, determine if all children have received blood lead level testing, and provide cleaning supplies to help ensure a lead-safe environment.

If the unit is recruited through one of the program’s community partners as opposed to door-to-door canvas, an appointment is made with the family or occupants for a visual inspection and education visit. Any interior or exterior potential paint hazards are documented, and staff provide the family with educational materials as well as directed referrals for blood-lead testing and other resources. The family also receives an incentive package with cleaning and safety items as an incentive for participation. In either case, when presumed or confirmed paint hazards are identified, remediation is ordered via enforcement of the Erie County Sanitary Code, rather than Notice and Demand. Property owners who are cited by the program are eligible to attend EPA certified renovator training at a reduced cost, or a free HUD lead-safe work practices course, depending on the unit’s occupancy. Included with each course and available to any owner under notice who shows proof of proper work certification is an incentive package containing primer and all the supplies needed to mitigate the identified hazards safely.

Lead paint dust created during renovation work can substantially increase children’s exposure to lead. The program works addresses this problem by training landlords, homeowners, and contractors in lead-safe work practices. This training focuses on reducing the amount of dust generated during paint-disturbing work, containing any dust generated, and thoroughly cleaning the jobsite after work to remove any lead-contaminated dust.