House Restores
Funding for Lead Hazard Control, Keeps CDC Environmental Health Appropriations
Level with FY 2005
On June 29, the U.S. House of Representatives approved
an amendment to the FY 2006 Transportation-Treasury-HUD-Judiciary-DC appropriations
bill restoring $48 million in cuts to HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and
Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC). The cuts, proposed by the Bush Administration
and approved by the House Appropriations Committee in mid-June, would have eliminated
the High Lead Area Removal Initiative that is targeted to cities with the most
urgent lead hazard problems. The amendment, sponsored by Representatives Nydia
Velazquez (D-NY), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Lee Terry (R-NE), passed the
full House on a voice vote with no Members opposed. The full appropriations
bill passed June 30.
On June 24, the House passed a Labor-HHS appropriations
bill that included no increases over FY 2005 funding levels for the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention’s environmental health programs. The Senate
will begin work on its version of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill after July
11.
EPA
Cancels Lead-Safe Remodeling Voluntary Program as Advocates Press for Regulations
On May 16, EPA quietly published a one-word Federal Register
notice that its voluntary pilot program on lead-safe remodeling had been "withdrawn,"
giving no elaboration. Lead poisoning prevention advocates see this as a victory,
as the voluntary program was small and inadequate as planned, had not been funded,
and was primarily a fig leaf to hide the fact that the EPA has failed to issue
a regulation on lead safety and remodeling that is now nearly nine years overdue.
In late March, the Alliance collected signatures from over
130 organizations and individuals for a letter to EPA Administrator Steven Johnson,
urging him to cancel the voluntary program and return to formal rulemaking (see
www.afhh.org/aa/aa_alert_LSWP_sign_on_EPA.htm
for details). Representatives of several organizations also met in May with
EPA Deputy Administrator Susie Hazen, urging the agency to take meaningful action
on this and related lead safety issues. Lead poisoning prevention advocates
hope the recent action is an indication that EPA intends to return to formal
rulemaking on this issue very soon. To help ensure this outcome, the Alliance
and several other organizations are filing a notice of intent to sue EPA to
force the agency to issue the overdue regulations.
A press release issued on June 2 by Public Employees for
Environmental Responsibility (PEER) provides more details about the cancellation
of the voluntary program and can be found at www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=532.
In related Congressional action, the Senate accepted report
language to the Interior and Related Agencies appropriations bill that forbids
EPA from spending money delaying or otherwise impeding action on promulgating
the remodeling rule. The language, sponsored by Senator Barack Obama (D-IL),
will now go before a Conference Committee. While its ultimate fate is uncertain,
the language makes Congressional leadership aware of EPA’s actions regarding
the rule.
DuPont Agrees
to Settlement in Rhode Island Lawsuit Against Lead Paint Manufacturers
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch announced on
June 30, 2005 that the DuPont Corporation has agreed to pay nearly $12 million
to settle its case in the state’s landmark lawsuit against the manufacturers
of lead-based paints. This is a significant acknowledgment by a lead paint manufacturer
of its responsibility to address the problem it partly caused.
Under the agreement, DuPont will pay for education, training,
community, outreach, enforcement, and lead-hazard research. $6.6 million of
the agreement is to be used to abate lead hazards in 600 houses. This is a small
step forward in addressing lead hazards in Rhode Island. According to data from
the 2000 Census, combined with HUD’s National Survey of Lead and Allergens,
Rhode Island has 350,000 housing units built prior to 1978, of which more than
150,000 have lead hazards.
Rhode Island filed suit against the lead pigment manufacturers
in October 1999 to recover resources needed to advance lead poisoning prevention.
The state requested the court to order the defendants to detect and abate lead
hazards in the state’s public and private buildings, and to support other
measures to redress the cost to the taxpayers of childhood lead poisoning. Rhode
Island is continuing to press its case against the six remaining defendants:
Atlantic Richfield Co., Sherwin-Williams Co., Millennium, NL Industries, American
Cyanamid, and SCM/Glidden. The trial is scheduled for this September.
This settlement agreement comes as encouraging news to
other cities and states working to engage the lead industry in paying it’s
fair share of the cost of protecting children at highest risk for lead poisoning.
In addition to Rhode Island, the counties of Santa Clara, Alameda, Kern, Solano,
and Santa Cruz, CA; and the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Milwaukee, and
St. Louis all have suits pending against the lead pigment manufacturers.
For decades, the lead industry aggressively promoted lead-based
paint as safe for use in houses, apartments, schools, hospitals, and nurseries,
claiming that lead-based paint promoted health and sanitation. Although the
industry internally acknowledged the hazards of lead-based paint early in the
1900s, it concealed them from the public. Efforts to hold the industry accountable
have the potential to generate urgently needed resources to eliminate lead hazards
putting children at risk in older housing.
CDC
Announces Availability of Building Blocks Online Resource
The Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alliance have compiled 70 prevention
strategies in their recently released Building Blocks for Primary Prevention:
Protecting Children from Lead-Based Paint Hazards. The free publication
offers a comprehensive collection of primary prevention strategies, or “building
blocks,” which provides program personnel and policymakers easy access
to information about innovative lead poisoning prevention strategies. Program
directors can then select the activities that most appropriately match the needs
of their area. The summary of each building block is illustrated with ideas
on implementing the strategy and contact information for someone involved with
the activity.
Building Blocks for Primary Prevention: Protecting
Children from Lead-Based Paint Hazards spans a broad spectrum of preventive
measures including targeting high-risk properties, widely instituting safe work
practices, building community capacity to check for hazards and work safety,
motivating action, screening high-risk housing, expanding financial resources,
strengthening enforcement, raising public awareness and support, establishing
valuable partnerships and delivering hazard assessment, control and prevention
services.
The online edition of Building Blocks for Primary Prevention:
Protecting Children from Lead-Based Paint Hazards is available at www.afhh.org/buildingblocks.
Maine Enacts
New Lead Poisoning Prevention Laws
In June, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed two bills
aimed at lead poisoning prevention. One bill, LB 1034, assesses a 25-cent-per-gallon
fee on wholesale paint manufacturers and directs the proceeds of $500,000 per
year to a Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund to support grants, contracts, and programs
for educational outreach to identify and prevent lead hazards. Maine lead poisoning
prevention advocates say the fund may also pay for lead testing kits for Maine
families to use in their homes. Maine becomes the third in the nation to impose
a paint fee law; California was the first state to do so in the mid-1990s and
New Jersey followed in 2004.
The other bill, LD 1532, creates a strict liability standard
for lead poisonings when landlords fail to comply with Maine’s Lead Poisoning
Control Act and provides for disclosure and warnings for both prospective buyers
and tenants regarding lead paint hazards in pre-1978 housing. The bill complements
the federal lead disclosure law on the state level by requiring that notices
contain information based on the most recent science and health warnings that
are more prominent, forceful, and likely to be read. The required notice specifically
states that the only certain way to prevent lead poisoning is to conduct lead
tests in advance of taking residence. The bill also requires inspection of the
dwelling of any child whose blood lead level reaches or exceeds 15 micrograms
per deciliter and prohibits discrimination in sale or rental if the premises
may contain lead hazards or trigger liability for lead poisoning.
State lawmakers who ushered the bills through the Legislature
with the active support from Maine lead poisoning prevention advocacy groups
said that Maine children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning because
the state’s housing stock is very old. The state estimates that 350,000
Maine homes contain lead paint and 20,000 Maine children are exposed to lead
hazards in their homes each year. For more information, contact Susan Thornfeldt
at Maine Lead Action Project, mlap@verizon.net.
Federal Agencies
Report U.S. Childhood Lead Poisoning Rates Continue to Decline
CDC, EPA, HUD, and National Center for Health Statistics
reported in the May 27 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
that childhood lead poisoning rates continue to decline, as expected since the
banning of lead in paint in 1978 and the phase-out of leaded gasoline throughout
the 1980s and early 1990s. Based on data from the 1999-2002 National Health
and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), some 310,000 children between the
ages of one and six years, 1.6 percent of all US children in this age group,
have too much lead in their blood. An elevated blood lead level (EBL), which
consists of 10 or more micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (µg/dL),
causes intellectual and behavior deficits for young children that will interfere
with their capacity to learn and succeed in school. The 1.6% EBL prevalence
rate for 1999-2002 is close to a threefold decline from the 1991-1994 rate of
4.4%.
While childhood EBL rates have declined across Mexican
American, Black non-Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic populations, the report
reveals that striking disparities persist between ethnic and racial groups in
the United States. Black non-Hispanic children between the ages of one and six
years are more than twice as likely as white children of the same age to have
an EBL, and Mexican American children are 50% as likely as white children.
The mean blood lead level (BLL) of children aged 1-5 has
dropped from 2.7 µg/dL in 1991-1994 to 1.9 µg/dL in 1999-2002. As
a group, Black non-Hispanic children have the highest mean BLL, at 2.8 µg/dL,
of the subpopulations whose test results are available. The mean BLL of children
aged 1-5 from low-income families (across Mexican American, Black non-Hispanic,
and white non-Hispanic populations) is 2.5 µg/dL.
The report’s editorial note concludes, “[A]n
estimated 24 million housing units still contain substantial lead paint hazards,
with 1.2 million of these units occupied by low-income families with young children…
Continued vigilance to identify remaining lead hazards and children at risk
for lead exposure is necessary to meet this goal.” Indeed, despite the
important progress that has been made, much work remains to be done to reach
the federal government’s goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning
as a public health threat by 2010.
EPA Using
Data from Human Testing to Evaluate Pesticides
According to a report released by Senator Barbara Boxer
(D-CA) and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), the EPA is currently using data
from two dozen studies to help evaluate a number of pesticides. The data come
from third party sources, most notably pesticide companies seeking to market
new pesticides, and the report states that much of the data lack credibility.
Former President Bill Clinton banned the EPA from using
any data from human tests to evaluate pesticides, but the Bush Administration
reversed the ban, allowing the EPA to use the data on a “case-by-case”
basis until the Agency puts new testing rules into place. Until then, EPA is
supposed to be following human testing guidelines issued by the National Academy
of Sciences in 2004. Critics, including Boxer and Waxman, say that EPA is not
following those guidelines and that Congress must act to forbid the practice
altogether. In a 60-37 vote, the Senate in June approved language sponsored
by Boxer that bans EPA from using human test data. An identical measure sponsored
by Reps. Hilda Solis (D-CA) and Tim Bishop (D-NY) passed the House in May, but
because Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) opposes the language and is the chief Senate
negotiator for the EPA budget bill, the human test ban language could still
be killed in Conference Committee.
The Congressional report points to a number of studies
that deliberately exposed people to toxic doses of pesticides. In one study
conducted between 2002 and 2004, scientists exposed young adults to the chemical
chloropicrin, a toxic insecticide that was used as a chemical warfare agent
in World War I. The participants, mostly college students and minorities, were
paid $15 an hour to sit in a chamber and were exposed to insecticide vapor in
the air or had the vapor administered to their noses and eyes. This sometimes
exposed them to doses 120 times the safe hourly limit as established by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Other examples from the report include a study where eight
people received a toxic dose of a pesticide for 28 days, during which all the
test subjects reported headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms,
and another test where 36 people took an insecticide pill with orange juice.
The report concludes that nearly one-third of the 24 studies they surveyed were
similar to the examples cited, intentionally designed to harm the test subjects
or increase their risk of harm. The report’s authors also assert that
the informed consent forms used in many of the studies do not meet ethical standards,
though the researchers involved in the most recent studies disputed that conclusion.
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has been quoted as saying
that human pesticide testing is not necessary to protect public health. However,
Johnson did support the Children’s Health and Environmental Exposure Research
Study, or CHEERS, that would have enrolled 60 low-income families who agreed
to continue exposing their children to indoor applications of pesticides in
exchange for $970, children’s clothing, and a camcorder. Johnson was forced
to cancel the study due to public outcry and Congressional pressure, but on
June 2, he reportedly defended CHEERS, saying that its cancellation was “an
unfortunate result of public misunderstanding.”
The chemical industry has been pressing EPA for years to
accept and use data from human tests of pesticides and other toxic chemicals.
The industry claims that data from human tests is more reliable than that from
animal tests, but environmentalists and public health experts say that EPA should
instead sponsor rigorous epidemiological studies, which do not require the intentional
infliction of harm or risk of harm on study participants, to examine the effects
of pesticides on human populations.
House
Financial Services Committee Approves Affordable Housing Amendment
On May 25, the House Financial Services Committee approved
a bill, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005, or H.R. 1461, that provides
stricter federal oversight for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two large, government-chartered
mortgage finance agencies known as government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs.
The GSE bill includes language setting aside five percent of Fannie and Freddie’s
after-tax profits for the production of affordable housing. Permitted uses of
dollars from this fund include rehab of low-income housing that could address
conditions affecting occupant health. This affordable housing fund provision
was supported by a variety of Representatives on the Committee from both sides
of the aisle.
Currently, members of the House leadership do not support
the affordable housing amendment and are on record as being committed to stripping
the language from H.R. 1461. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chair of the Senate
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, has also expressed his opposition
to the affordable housing provision and will likely attempt to keep such language
out of the Senate version of the GSE bill.
For more information on the affordable housing language
included in H.R. 1461, visit www.nlihc.org.
IPM Provides
Health Benefits to Asthmatic Children, Boston Scientists Say
A Boston study awaiting publication shows that integrated
pest management (IPM) not only effectively reduces infestations of cockroaches
and mice in homes and apartments, the practice can also pay out significant
health benefits for asthmatic children.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Boston Medical
Center and the Boston Public Health Commission, examined the effects of IPM
strategies in private and government-subsidized urban homes where most families
were experiencing some level of cockroach or mouse infestation. Prior to IPM
treatments, roughly half the families with pest problems reported heavy or very
heavy infestations, and nearly 40 percent of families had at least one child
with severe or very severe asthma symptoms.
Families were also asked to report pest infestation and
asthma severity following an in-home education session about physical measures
used to keep pests at bay, along with two lower-toxicity treatments from a professional
pest control company. Heavy or very heavy pest infestations dropped dramatically,
with no family reporting high levels of cockroach infestation following IPM
treatments. Severe or very severe childhood asthma symptoms also decreased significantly.
The study backs up prior anecdotal evidence that IPM is
effective in making homes healthier places to live by substantially reducing
the level of pest infestation in the home. The study is also the first to show
a relationship between IPM treatments for both mice and cockroaches and reductions
in childhood asthma symptoms. The authors of the study call for further research
into IPM and its effectiveness at improving health, as well as cost-benefit
analyses of IPM services, especially those targeted to low-income urban residents.
For more information about the study, contact Dr. Megan
Sandel at the Boston University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
at megan.sandel@bmc.org.
World Health Organization
Names Radon Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer Worldwide
The World Health Organization (WHO) in June named radon
the second leading cause of lung cancer throughout the world. The announcement
follows a January 2005 health advisory issued by the U.S. Surgeon General urging
Americans to be vigilant about protecting themselves from high concentrations
of radon in their homes.
The WHO announcement is part of its program to reduce the
rate of lung cancer worldwide. While acknowledging that smoking tobacco products
is the leading cause of and death from the disease, minimizing the risks of
radon can substantially reduce the number of cases and fatalities from lung
cancer throughout the world.
WHO’s Radiation and Environmental Health Unit head,
Mike, Repacholi, says that around the globe, tens of thousands of people die
from radon-caused lung cancer each year. Radon-related lung cancer is preventable
through inexpensive radon testing and moderately priced repair efforts that
can keep radon concentrations from soaring in basements and living areas in
both single-family and multi-family dwellings. Radon can enter buildings through
improperly constructed or maintained foundations or crawlspaces as it is naturally
emitted from bedrock containing uranium.
Areas of the world at highest risk of dangerous radon levels
are generally found in cold and temperate climates, such as the United States,
Europe and the former Soviet republics, and Japan, though high radon levels
can occur in residential and commercial buildings anywhere in the world.
Study
Shows Certain Environmental Toxins Can Permanently Alter Genetics
Researchers reported in June that they have found evidence
that a certain class of pesticides known as endocrine disruptors can permanently
alter some genetic material in developing fetuses. Endocrine disruptors can
interfere with or mimic the action of hormones throughout the bodies of animals
and humans.
The researchers’ findings have been described as
“astounding” by other scientists. The male fetuses of pregnant rats
that were exposed to two endocrine-disrupting pesticides later experienced abnormalities
in reproductive development, but what shocked the researchers was that these
deformed rats passed their genetic and reproductive defects on to future generations.
The researchers say that this is evidence that the pesticides permanently altered
the genetic makeup of the animals.
The health impacts on these rats included important reproductive
effects, such as high rates of sperm death and decreased sperm count. The scientists
involved in the study cautioned that such potential changes in humans may not
be expressed in the same way, and that the rats were exposed to very high levels
of the pesticides in question.
People use endocrine-disrupting pesticides both outdoors
and indoors. Pesticides applied indoors are of special concern because they
don’t readily break down due to lack of sunlight and rain, because they
can become highly concentrated in the home, and because they can be found in
house dust and carpets for months or years following application. To learn more
about how you can reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides in the home, see
www.afhh.org/dah/dah_pesticides.htm
and www.pesticide.org/factsheets.html#alternatives.
Pesticide
Exposure Named as Possible Factor in Development of Parkinson’s Disease
Scientists in Europe are cautioning that people who regularly
use and apply pesticides could be at increased risk for developing Parkinson’s
disease later on in life, though they could not identify the specific pesticides
that lead to such a risk.
The study, sponsored by the European Commission, studied
the environmental histories of nearly 3,000 people in Great Britain (Scotland),
Italy, Malta, Romania, and Sweden, 767 of whom had Parkinson’s disease.
The individuals who used pesticides regularly were more likely to have the disease.
Those with lower levels of exposure, including most amateur gardeners and those
who used pesticides in their homes, were 9 percent more likely than non-users
to develop Parkinson’s; high-exposure groups were 43 percent more likely
to develop the disease.
The investigators who authored the study said that while
pesticide use appears to only be a minor risk factor in the development of Parkinson’s,
the discovery reinforces the need for individuals to reduce their exposure to
the chemicals as much as possible.
Journals
Explore Children’s Environmental Health Challenges and Policies
In June, the journal Children, Youth and Environments
focused on a variety of children’s environmental health challenges and
policies that could offer solutions and best practices. Some articles explore
questions important to the public health community, including: how planners,
engineers, and architects could be included in discussions and decisions that
affect children’s environmental health; what roles the precautionary principle
and cost-benefit analysis might play in children’s environmental health;
and how research results can be most effectively communicated to those who make
policy decisions that affect children’s lives.
Another section of the journal examined proposed science-based
policies in Europe that could prove to be protective of children. The author
explored the proposal in the context of the lack of current policies that are
protective of children, the need for knowledge and information based on science,
the need for public participation in the policy development process, and the
need for action beyond policymaking. These and other children’s environmental
health articles are available in full text at www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/15_1/index.htm.
The May-June 2005 edition of Clearinghouse Review,
a publication of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, explored
a variety of issues surrounding childhood lead poisoning prevention and healthy
homes in general. The articles focused on legal and policy remedies to healthy
homes problems, including the lead hazard disclosure law, private rights of
action, improving Medicaid blood lead screening rates, and a partnership between
doctors and lawyers to advance healthy, affordable housing. These articles are
available in full text at www.afhh.org/res/res_publications_CR05062005.htm.
Ohio County
Examines Costs of Lead Poisoning to Taxpayers
In 2002, Mahoning County, OH, undertook a study of costs
of lead poisoning to county taxpayers. The county examined both the direct,
immediate and the long-term taxpayer burden imposed by childhood lead poisoning.
The paper describing and explaining the results of the study was published in
the May-June 2005 issue of Public Health Reports.
The county’s Board of Health found that childhood
lead poisoning costs taxpayers $500,000 each year, using very conservative figures
and economic discounting rates. Health care costs, including lead screening
and treatment, were estimated at $124,653 per year, while public health costs
came to $66,000 annually. Special education services were also included in the
estimate of expenditures and totaled $85,295 each year. The largest annual costs,
however, were incurred by the county’s juvenile justice system, estimated
at $224,536.
The Board of Health reported that in light of its findings,
community leaders and juvenile justice officials in Mahoning County have demanded
more aggressive action to compel rental property owners to control lead hazards.
ESA Biosciences, Inc. has undertaken a voluntary recall
of certain lots of its LeadCare® blood lead testing kits used by health
care providers and agencies. ESA reported in May that certain kits shipped between
September 2003 and April 2005 showed a negative bias in test results.
The company advises providers to stop using kits from the
defective lots and inform ESA how many kits were received. ESA will replace
all unexpired, recalled kits free of charge. ESA also recommends that providers
and agencies retest all patients who showed a blood lead level above 6 µg/dL.
National
Center Issues New Healthy Homes Guidance Documents
The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) posted two
new healthy homes guidance documents on its website in May. The first is a checklist
that offers owners and renters basic guidelines for achieving seven principles
of healthy housing: keeping homes dry, clean, well-ventilated, free from contaminants,
pest-free, safe, and well-maintained. The checklist can be accessed at www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/checklist4.pdf.
The second document provides cost estimates for healthy
homes items and activities for a typical two-story home. The items and activities
are grouped into four categories of costs: 1) A package of items that costs
less than $500; 2) a package that costs less than $2,000; 3) a package that
costs less than $5,000; and 4) a set of baby safety items priced around $800.
The cost breakdown can help owners and renters plan for needed repairs. It also
helps programs develop budgets for healthy homes projects for grant proposals.
The cost comparison document is available at www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/Costs_to_Create_a_Healthy_Home.pdf.
Alliance Offers Survey
Opportunity to HUD SuperNOFA Applicants
The FY 2005 funding competition was the first time that
electronic submissions were required for applications to HUD’s Office
of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC). The Alliance for Healthy
Homes is interested to learn whether the submissions system worked as intended
and help identify any areas where improvements are needed to ensure fair access
to grant opportunities. We have designed a short survey to learn about the experiences
of organizations and agencies that were interested in applying for grants. We
invite feedback from all who successfully applied, those who sought a waiver
from submitting online, and those who opted not to apply.
Whether you are from either the public or private sector,
we hope that you will respond. Please complete only one survey per entity, even
if you applied in more than one grant category. Our lists of OHHLHC grants allow
you to select more than one. To take the survey, please go to www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=625431167043
and complete the survey online.
If needed, there is an alternative to completing the survey
online: go to our website at www.afhh.org/res/res_2005_SuperNOFA_survey.htm,
complete the survey as a Word document, and either send it as an email attachment
to Brian Gumm at bgumm@afhh.org
OR print and complete the Word document and fax it to us at 202-543-4466.
Please complete the survey by Monday, July 11th. The Alliance
will compile the results and report back.
Alliance for
Healthy Homes Position Announcement—Executive Director
The Alliance for Healthy Homes (AFHH) is seeking an Executive
Director to provide experienced leadership, vision, and management skills to
build on its track record of work on preventing housing-based health hazards.
Successful candidates will have the following competencies
and attributes, among others:
A passion for and proven effectiveness in policy advocacy
at the national and/or local level and as an executive or senior manager of
a mission-driven organization
Experience in staff hiring, development, management
and retention
A track record in fundraising from public and private
sources
Ability to work successfully with diverse allies, constituents,
and audiences
An understanding and appreciation of the value of community-based
organizations
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
A collegial and flexible management style
Experience preferred in one or more of these areas:
low-income housing issues
tenants rights
community organizing
nvironmental health
public interest housing law
environmental justice
Salary will be negotiated based on experience and qualifications.
Application Process:
To apply, e-mail resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to afhh@transitionguides.com
(attach files in Microsoft Word or PDF format).
AFHH is governed by a 20-person Board of Directors comprised
of community leaders, experts, practitioners, and advocates. The 2005 annual
budget is $1.5 million drawn from contracts and grants from federal agencies
and foundations. AFHH employs a DC-based staff of 12. A full position profile
is available at www.transitionguides.com/futeds/afhh.htm.
AFHH values diversity in its staff and encourages applications
from persons of color. AFHH is an equal opportunity employer.
Funding Opportunities
Region 6 EPA has announced requests for proposals
addressing indoor air quality issues by developing and implementing outreach
and educational programs to inform the public about indoor air quality and the
potential risks in homes, schools, and workplaces. Those eligible to apply include
state governments, institutions of higher education, Native American tribal
governments, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Projects must be carried
out in one of Region 6’s states: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
and Texas. A total of $220,000 is available for an estimated 10 recipients.
Applications are due by July 29, 2005. For more information, see www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6pd/iaq/iaq_rfp.pdf.
Upcoming Conferences
EPA’s annual Community Involvement Conference and
Training will be held July 12-15 in Buffalo, New York. The theme of this year’s
conference is “Building Bridges Through Strong Partnerships.” This
conference is designed for EPA and its federal, state, local, and tribal partners
who plan and implement EPA’s community involvement, partnership, outreach,
and education programs. For information, visit www.epancic.org/2005/overview.cfm.
A lecture, “A Vulnerable Populations: Toxic Exposures
and the Developmental Disability Community,” will be held via conference
call on July 13 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. The lecture will address the vulnerabilities
of individuals with developmental disabilities with regard to toxic environmental
exposures. It will focus on the unique physical, social, and economic characteristics
that increase risk for health disparities and poor health outcomes from environmental
toxins in the home, community, and workplace. To RSVP for the lecture, E-mail
mgagnon@aamr.org
and state your organizational affiliation, if any. At the time of the lecture,
call 1-877-888-3490. No passcode is needed, and the lecture is free of charge.
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