Published on October 23, 2024
Source: City of Minneapolis
Minneapolis is putting its dollars towards an ambitious goal: making it the first city in the United States to eradicate childhood lead poisoning. As detailed in a recent report by the city's Health Department's Lead and Healthy Homes team, Mayor Jacob Frey's proposed 2025 budget includes over $1 million dedicated to battling lead hazards in local homes. As outlined in the report, these hazards, predominantly stemming from old, lead-based paints, have placed a disproportionate burden on young children, particularly in low-income and minority communities.
It's a multi-million-dollar effort, and pending City Council approval, the Health Department plans to spend roughly $3.5 million in the upcoming year on its lead program, combining city funds with federal dollars. Historically, since 1998, around $60 million has been funneled into ensuring that family homes are free from lead risks. "After my children tested for elevated blood-lead levels, I was worried," Minneapolis resident Jamie Laudert shared in a statement obtained by the city's announcement. Laudert's story, unfortunately, underscores a wider issue in the community where older housing stock means a higher risk of lead exposure for unwitting residents.
Through a combination of blood-lead testing, education events, and in-home evaluations, the city's commitment to preemptively identifying and addressing lead exposure is evident. As per the report, a Leadie Eddie mobile testing van, operated in partnership with the Sustainable Resource Center, has been a part of 19 lead education events and has facilitated testing for 265 children. "We know that there is no safe amount of lead exposure. Thatâs why my 2025 budget includes more than $1 million to invest in new City funding to help us stay on track to become the first city in the country to eliminate childhood lead poisoning," Mayor Frey was quoted as saying.
Lead poisoning's impact extends far beyond immediate health concerns; the neurotoxin is associated with delayed development, behavioral issues, and learning difficulties. "Lead is not meant to be in our bodies. It is a toxin, a poison," Hennepin County Public Health nurse Amy Waller said, as reported. Often, the symptoms of lead poisoning don't manifest immediately, making early testing critical. The city urges that all children under six, especially those living in pre-1978 homes or areas where recent renovations might have disturbed painted surfaces, be tested for lead exposure.
The city's targeted approach relies heavily on historical data, identifying neighborhoods and dwellings with high risks of lead presence. These assessments dictate where resources and assistance are directed to avoid any child becoming an unwitting detector of lead in their own home. With approximately 75% of lead poisoning cases stemming from rental properties â often occupied by low-income families and disproportionately families of color â the matter of public health is also undeniably an issue of environmental justice.
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