A joint effort between the city and county health department to prevent lead paint poisoning in children by repairing Syracuse’s old housing stock appears to be making some progress. Out of 541 preschoolers enrolled in Syracuse City Schools, only 1% tested positive for high lead levels. However, County executive Ryan McMahon said those results are mixed.
“That was a data point that was deemed to be positive. Not that five to seven kids have an elevated blood lead level," he said. "But, certainly with that type of testing we thought it could certainly be higher than that.”
McMahon says further test results are pending. He says a component of the program also includes getting foster families into 12 new homes following lead remediation. Mayor Ben Walsh said more than 8,000 code violations were issued for lead paint…. mostly rental properties.
“... 40% of those cited violations are specifically from the lead ordinance and 60% reflect other deteriorated surface violation types. 72% of those violations have been addressed and closed,” he said.
If you’re a parent with young children in Syracuse and are interested in having a free lead test of your home click here to learn how. Click here to find out about testing young children ages 1 or 2 for lead poisoning.