North Country Rural Development hosts regional lead safety summit

TICONDEROGA | The North Country Rural Development Coalition, with support from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, hosted a regional Lead Safety Summit in Ticonderoga to bring together public health, housing, education, and nonprofit partners around one of the most serious and preventable health hazards still present in North Country homes: lead exposure. The summit included participation from the Capital District Department of Health, Essex County Department of Health, Franklin County Department of Health, Warren County Department of Health, New York State Department of Health, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, ADK Action, Rebuilding Together Saratoga, Flatley Read, school board members, and regional stakeholders interested in improving education, prevention, testing, referral pathways, and remediation. The discussion focused on the need to correct long-standing misconceptions around lead poisoning. Many adults who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s were taught to think of lead poisoning almost entirely as a child chewing on a windowsill or eating paint chips. At the same time, public education around asbestos remained highly visible, while broader messaging around lead hazards appears to have faded. As a result, many families and adults still do not understand that lead can be present in dust, deteriorated paint, renovation debris, soil, plumbing, and older housing materials. "Lead exposure is not an old problem. It is a current housing, health, and education crisis," said Nicole Justice Green, President & CEO of the North Country Rural Development Coalition. "I experienced this in my own life, and I know how easily families can miss the warning signs because the public perception has not kept up with the reality. In the North Country, the majority of our housing stock is older. In the past five years, NRDC has rarely had a housing project where lead was not present. From our housing rehabilitation programs to land bank properties and even some mobile home replacement projects, we are seeing lead in an estimated 90 to 95 percent of the homes we touch." The participation and insight from Rebuilding Together Saratoga, ADK Action, New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the regional health departments were especially valuable. Participants shared professional experience and personal stories that reinforced where lead exposure is most often occurring: inside homes. While water and soil remain important sources of concern, summit participants emphasized that many serious cases are tied to lead hazards in housing, including deteriorated paint, dust, renovation activity, and lead dust being tracked into living spaces by shoes or pets. Health department participants also discussed the serious risks that can occur when families renovate older homes themselves without realizing lead hazards are present. Sanding, scraping, demolition, window replacement, and other common renovation activities can disturb lead paint and create contaminated dust that spreads through the home. Participants noted that some of the most extreme lead poisoning cases they see are connected to renovations in older homes where families did not know lead was present or did not understand how dangerous lead dust can be. The conversation also underscored a major barrier facing families and local systems: even when lead hazards are identified, funding for abatement is limited and moves quickly. Full lead abatement can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000 or more, making flexible and expanded funding essential if communities are going to respond before children and families are harmed. "From a program and housing perspective, this conversation made clear that education has to happen before families are in crisis," said Dr. Katie Long, Deputy Director of NRDC and its CDBG Program Manager. "Families, contractors, landlords, schools, and medical providers all need practical information about where lead hazards are found and what steps can reduce exposure." Michelle DeGarmo, President of Flatley Read, emphasized the need for coordinated education and environmental awareness, noting that lead hazards are often hidden until someone knows what to look for. DeGarmo also helped underscore that lead poisoning is not a "poor people's problem." Severe lead poisoning can occur in million-dollar homes, middle-class homes, rental units, and owner-occupied homes alike. "Better education, testing, and coordination can help communities identify risks earlier and respond more effectively," DeGarmo said. The summit also opened discussion around a voluntary at-home lead test kit pilot, coupled with education, and continued regional convenings, with a goal of developing a North Country Lead Action Plan. Participants discussed the need to involve schools, medical providers, health departments, housing agencies, and community partners in a coordinated effort to improve public education, increase testing, identify funding gaps, expand existing resources, and support families before lead exposure causes lifelong harm. "This is one of the greatest preventable health hazards of our time, and it is sitting quietly in too many homes," Green said. "The answer is not fear. The answer is education, testing, prevention, funding, and partnership. We have to rebuild the public understanding of lead and work together to protect North Country families." Summit participants will continue working and interested partners to develop next steps, including additional convenings, a working Lead Action Plan, and possible pilot opportunities focused on education, voluntary home screening, and stronger funding. Families concerned about possible lead exposure should contact their child's doctor or pediatrician for appropriate blood lead testing and medical guidance. For more information about lead hazard reduction, prevention, testing, and available programs, visit the New York State Homes and Community Renewal — Leading in Lead Prevention Program website https://hcr.ny.gov/leading-lead-prevention-program or the New York State Department of Health — Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention website https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/

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North Country Rural Development hosts regional lead safety summit

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