San
Mateo County, CA, Joins Lawsuit Against Former Lead Pigment Manufacturers
In mid-November, San Mateo County, California, joined a
multiparty lawsuit against several former lead pigment manufacturers. The suit,
originally filed by Santa Clara County in 2000, alleges that the existence of
lead-based paint in millions of homes and other buildings is a public nuisance
under California law.
The case, County of Santa Clara v. Atlantic Richfield,
has already traveled heavily through the California court system. Originally
dismissed at the trial court level, the case was reinstated on appeal, though
several causes of action were thrown out. When the defendant corporations appealed
to the California Supreme Court, they were denied. With the state appeals court
ruling in force, the lawsuit is awaiting a trial date.
Momentum in cases like Santa Clara has been building
over the last two years. In 2005, paint company defendants dropped their appeal
to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, allowing the City of Milwaukee to proceed to
trial with a public nuisance lawsuit in early 2007. Also in 2005, the New Jersey
Court of Appeals said that 22 municipalities and four counties in that state
can sue former lead pigment manufacturers on a public nuisance theory. On November
28, the New Jersey Supreme Court heard arguments in an appeal of the 2005 decision.
In February 2006, a jury in Rhode Island found that three former lead pigment
manufacturers had created a public nuisance in that state, and throughout the
fall, multiple municipalities in Ohio filed their own lawsuits to hold the industry
accountable for its actions.
Lead,
Solvents, Other Chemicals Impair Brain Development in Millions of Children
Researchers from the United States and Denmark went on
record in November, stating that the brain development of millions of children
has been impaired by a variety of industrial chemicals and heavy metals. Lead
and solvents, commonly found in the home and in household products, and mercury
appear to be among the biggest culprits.
The scientists writing in the Lancet say that
chronic prenatal and childhood exposure to even small amounts of some chemicals
may be causing a “silent pandemic” of neurological diseases in the
United States and abroad. Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
and cerebral palsy are among several diseases that have been associated with
environmental pollution, both outdoors and in the home.
The Lancet article identifies 202 chemicals with the potential
to damage the brain. However, researchers caution that this count may be just
the tip of the iceberg, as more than 1,000 chemicals are known to cause neurological
problems in animals. The effects of many of these substances on human brain
development are unknown. Also, of the more than 80,000 chemicals registered
for use in the United States, fewer than half have been subjected to any testing,
and no more than 20 percent have been studied for their potential to harm children.
Prenatal
Exposure to Pesticide Linked to ADHD, Other Problems
Exposure in the womb to a certain pesticide was recently
linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other neurological problems.
Chlorpyrifos, a now-banned organophosphate pesticide once used heavily by pest
control operators and rental property owners for cockroach control in the home,
is highly toxic to humans and has already been linked to such medical problems
as low birth weight.
Scientists writing in the journal Pediatrics examined
potential neurological and developmental impacts on children who experienced
prenatal exposure to the pesticide. They found that children who were heavily
exposed to the chemical before birth were more likely to have attention deficit
and hyperactivity problems. They also observed delays in the Psychomotor Development
Index and the Mental Development Index among children exposed in the womb to
high levels of chlorpyrifos.
Though officially banned, chlorpyrifos is still sold on
the black market and by small retailers unaware of its illegal status. The best
way for residents, rental property owners, and homeowners to avoid using such
dangerous chemicals is to use a safer pest control strategy known as integrated
pest management (IPM) in the home.
Fetal
Lead Exposure in First Trimester May Have Lasting Effects
For years, medical experts have theorized that fetal lead
exposure can cause serious problems when a child reaches preschool age. However,
until recently, the picture of when a fetus is most at risk from lead has been
unclear.
In the November issue of Environmental Health Perspectives,
Harvard Professor Howard Hu and others show that lead exposure in the first
trimester of pregnancy may pose the greatest danger to the developing fetus.
Levels of lead in a mother’s blood stream during the first trimester of
pregnancy, at approximately 7.1 µg/dL, generally predicted a lower childhood
score on the Mental Development Index. The current “action level”
for lead in blood, set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
is 10 µg/dL.
Hu and his colleagues asserted that their study reinforces
the need for the primary prevention of lead poisoning. Lead exposure at any
time in a girl or woman’s life can have profound impacts on the neurological
development of a fetus, according to the scientists. This is because lead from
remodeling or pre-existing hazards during pregnancy can be directly passed on
to the fetus. However, women who were only exposed to lead as children can also
pass on their lead burden during pregnancy, as a woman’s bones dissolve
somewhat to provide calcium to the growing fetus. Lead can be released and passed
to a fetus during this process.
Medicaid
Management Institute Recommends Use of WIC Clinics to Test Children for Lead
In October, CDC recommended that Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC) clinics test children for lead exposure as a new strategy for fighting
childhood lead poisoning. CDC acknowledges that this will require two or more
agencies to work together, as well as reimbursement to WIC clinics that administer
blood lead tests to children eligible for Medicaid.
CDC highlights four “best practices” examples
as collaborative success stories:
1. The City of Chicago Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Program (CLPPP) partners with the Medicaid program and local WIC clinics. As
a result of this collaboration, the City of Chicago has increased WIC-Medicaid
screening rates by an estimated 18 percent, from 49 percent in 2004 to 67 percent
in 2005. At least half of the city’s WIC clinics receive direct reimbursement
for this service.
2. City of Newark’s CLPPP has 13 WIC programs providing
lead testing through a memorandum of understanding (MOU). As a result, in Newark
Medicaid-eligible children’s screening rates increased an estimated 14
percent, from 69 percent in 2003-2004 to approximately 83 percent in fiscal
year 2006. Direct reimbursement from Medicaid partially funds this project.
3. The State of Ohio CLPPP has a successful collaboration
with 18 WIC clinics funded in part by the state’s tobacco settlement.
This has increased Medicaid screening rates from 22 percent in 2003 to 28 percent
in 2004 in 26 Ohio counties.
4. State of Wisconsin CLPPP has partnered with WIC clinics
since 1989 and has established several mechanisms for reimbursing WIC clinics
for lead testing, including MOUs with managed care providers and direct Medicaid
reimbursement to WIC agencies. There has been a 44 percent increase in Medicaid
screening from 2000 (31,912) to 2005 (45,985). In 2003, 38 percent of Medicaid
children who were tested received their test at a WIC clinic.
EPA Issues
Guidance on Safeguarding Indoor Air after a Flood
A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) flood
cleanup booklet, entitled "Flood Cleanup and the Air in Your Home",
is now available on the Agency’s website. The booklet covers how to clean
up your home after a flood and how to avoid indoor air quality problems. A flood
cleanup poster is also available, and all materials are available in English
and Spanish. Vietnamese language versions are also in development.
The Alliance for Healthy Homes was recently awarded the
"Best in America" seal from the Independent Charities of America (ICA).
The seal indicates that ICA considers the Alliance one of the best charities
in America and ensures donors to the Alliance that their funds will be used
effectively.
According to the ICA, “The ICA Seal is awarded to
the members of ICA and the Local Independent Charities of America that have,
upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate
on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability,
program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. These standards include those
required by the U.S. Government for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign,
probably the most exclusive fund drive in the world. Of the 1,000,000 charities
operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000,
or five percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000,
or 0.2 percent, have been awarded this Seal."
Those interested in contributing to the Alliance can visit
www.afhh.org/misc/misc_contrib.htm
to donate via credit card online or may donate via check through the U.S. Mail.
Alliance Participating
in 2006 Combined Federal Campaign--Please Give!
The 2006 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which started
in September and runs through the end of December, is the federal government’s
workplace charitable giving program. Federal employees who wish to give to the
Alliance through the CFC can do so by using organization code 1503.
Thank you for your support!
Funding Opportunities
EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, in coordination with
the EPA Regional Offices, has announced the availability of up to an estimated
$509,000 in FY2007 State and Tribal Assistance Grant monies to further the pesticide
risk reduction goals of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. The
Agency anticipates funding approximately ten projects, one per EPA Region, with
a maximum funding level of approximately $50,900 per project. Eligible applicants
include the 50 States, District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any agency
or instrumentality of a state including state universities, and all federally
recognized tribes. Proposed projects must address implementation of integrated
pest management approaches that reduce the risks associated with pesticide use
in agricultural or non-agricultural settings. Proposals are due to the agency
January 12, 2007. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/PESP/regional_grants/2007announcement.htm.
EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances is soliciting grant proposals from eligible entities to conduct activities
to reduce incidences of childhood lead poisoning in vulnerable populations under
its “Targeted Grants to Reduce Childhood Lead Poisoning” program.
Eligible for funding are projects to: (1) Reduce lead poisoning in areas with
high incidences of elevated blood-lead levels; (2) identify and reduce lead
poisoning in under-studied areas with high potential for undocumented elevated
blood-lead levels; and (3) develop tools to address unique and challenging issues
in lead poisoning prevention, especially tools that are replicable and scalable
for other areas. Activities eligible for funding include outreach and public
education, data gathering, monitoring, training, inspections and assessments,
and demonstrations of new and innovative approaches for identifying or reducing
lead poisoning. EPA is awarding grants, which will total approximately $3,000,000.
The Agency anticipates awarding individual grants of $25,000 to $100,000. Proposals
are due January 12, 2007. Read the summary of this program at www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=11484,
and view the full request for proposals at http://epa.gov/lead/pubs/nofa2006.pdf.
EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances is accepting proposals from Federally-recognized Indian tribes and
tribal consortia to support Tribal educational outreach and to conduct a baseline
assessment of Tribal children's existing and potential exposure to lead-based
paint and related lead-based paint hazards. Activities eligible for funding
include educational outreach, data gathering, inspections, risk assessments,
training, and development of new and innovative approaches to identifying or
reducing lead poisoning. EPA is awarding grants that will provide approximately
$1 million to federally recognized Indian tribes to perform those activities
and to encourage Indian tribes to consider continuing such activities in the
future. The number of grants EPA will fund as a result of this announcement
will be based on the quality of proposals received and the availability of funding.
It is anticipated that approximately 15-30 awards will be made. Proposals are
due January 12, 2007. To view the full request for proposals, visit www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/tribal_rfp_2006.pdf.
Upcoming
Conferences
The University of California—San Francisco –
Collaborative on Health and the Environment Summit on Environmental Challenges
to Reproductive Health and Fertility will be presented January 28-30, 2007,
in San Francisco. The Summit will provide overviews by leading researchers of
the science on environmental contaminant impacts on male and female reproductive
health and fertility, developmental health, and peri-conceptional and fetal
origins of adult disorders. The Summit will also explore critical research directions
and tools; translation of the research to public health policy; integration
with health professional education; federal government environmental reproductive
health priorities; patient advocate and community health concerns; and translation
of research to clinical disorders. For more information, visit www.ucsf.edu/coe/prhesummit.html.
The 7th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the
Environment: Integrating Environmental and Human Health will be held February
1-2, 2007, in Washington, DC. The conference will explore the linkages between
environment and human health and will address the many essential roles the environment
plays on our well being today, as well as the multi-dimensional relationships
between human health and environmental components, which may have far-reaching
consequences. For more information, see www.ncseonline.org/2007conference/cms.cfm?id=1238.
The Great Lakes Region Asthma Forum will take place on
February 8-9, 2007, in Chicago. This regional effort builds on the launch of
the Communities
in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments. Through interactive
sessions with model programs from the Great Lakes region, Asthma Forum participants
will learn how to implement proven successful strategies in their community-based
programs. EPA will also recognize Model and Emerging Asthma Programs. Representatives
of health care plans and providers, government health and environmental agencies,
advocacy and other nonprofit organizations, schools, employers, universities,
and others affiliated with community asthma programs are invited to the Forum.
For registration information, contact Jennifer Head at AsthmaChicago@techlawinc.com.
The registration form is available at www.epa.gov/region5/air/radon/asthmaforum/07glrasthmaforumregistrationform.pdf.
The 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building
Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities Conference will be held in Los Angeles,
February 8-10, 2007. The conference hosts a variety of participants and speakers
who cross disciplines to share experiences and insights, and valuable tools
and strategies to encourage smart growth implementation. Public health is one
important discipline that has begun to recognize smart growth as a viable solution
to improve our nation’s health. To view more information on this conference,
visit www.newpartners.org.
The International Conference on Developmental Toxicity
and Fetal Programming will take place May 20-24, 2007, in Tórshavn, Faroe
Islands (located in the North Atlantic). This international conference emphasizes
a) the developmental perspective, i.e., the risks during different developmental
stages, from preconception to adolescence, from toxic substances; b) the environmental
perspective, i.e., the impacts of different environmental hazards; and c) the
disease perspective, i.e., long-term health implications. For further information,
please visit www.pptox.dk.
Alliance
for Healthy Homes Contact Information Update
The Alliance for Healthy Homes has moved its offices, and
staff members have new phone numbers. The Alliance’s new mailing address
is:
Alliance for Healthy Homes
P.O. Box 75941
Washington, DC 20013
To reach the Alliance by phone, call 202-739-0882.
Direct phone numbers for staff:
Robert Zdenek, Executive Director -- 202-739-0883
Jane Malone, Housing Policy Director -- 202-739-0880
Ralph Scott, Community Projects Director -- 202-739-0881
Alliance
Alert Publication Note
The Alliance for Healthy Homes will move publication of
the Alliance Alert to a bimonthly basis beginning January 2007.
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