Posted on February 23, 2018
State advocates came together in Trenton on February 14th and presented a $1.1 billion plan to eliminate lead exposure and poisoning in children within the next decade.
Read news stories:
NJ joins forces to eradicate lead poisoning in children
NJ’s 1.1 billion dollar plan to eliminate lead poisoning in children
ACNJ’s recommendations included requiring the state to share data on neighborhoods where lead-exposure risks are high. ACNJ’s Peter Chen stated, “Any successful lead-prevention strategy is going to require a strong data strategy to get information in the hands of the people who can use it best, we’re talking about local health department, nonprofits, community groups, and families themselves.”
Other recommendations consist of the following:
- Require occupied housing to be certified as lead safe and undergo mandatory inspections
- Create a New Jersey Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund as a dedicated source of money for remediation
- Find funding mechanisms to replace lead service pipes and update water infrastructure
- Provide services to at-risk families
- Require state agencies to share data and increase early childhood screening
- Support Medicaid investment in lead poisoning prevention and removal among other items
