Washington, D.C.: A National Model for Lead Poisoning Prevention and Healthy Housing

Abstract

Lead poisoning remains a serious environmental health threat for children in the United States, despite the fact that it is completely preventable. For 30 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has emphasized the need for local jurisdictions to adopt lead poisoning prevention strategies that eliminate lead hazards in a home before a child is exposed. However, even though substantial progress has been made through federal and state efforts to reduce risk of lead exposure, challenges, largely at the local level, persist, and become greater without strong and savvy leadership.

What one finds at the local level is not always ideal. First, most jurisdictions lack a proactive approach to dealing with the problem and public health officials must wait until a child has high lead levels before any intervention can take place. Second, because lead poisoning is a multi-agency issue involving health, housing and the environment, poor inter-agency coordination negatively affects results. And finally, where interactions between government officials and advocates, who are also working to protect the public, are uncooperative, it can be challenging to develop comprehensive laws and regulations that protect residents and provide them with recourse at the local government level.