Mayor Bibb calls for accelerated progress, pathways to abatement to reduce childhood lead poisonings across Cleveland

Targeted approach focused on risk assessment and removal of obvious lead hazards

Friday, October 11, 2024 - Cleveland - Today, Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced that the city will focus its lead poisoning prevention resources on risk assessment, abatement and expedited removal of lead hazards in order to protect Cleveland's children from lead poisoning.

The announcement comes on the heels of the Cleveland Department of Public Health's (CDPH) most recent data brief demonstrating that progress on lowering lead poisoning rates in Cleveland has stagnated.

"The data in this report from CDPH is clear," said Mayor Bibb. "The percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels has not changed since 2019, when we began to focus on lead safe certification. It's time for us to urgently reevaluate this program with a focus on preventing poisonings."

At the mayor's direction, the city team is working with City Council and the Lead Safe Coalition to pursue a data driven approach to the long-term challenge of lead poisoning in Cleveland. This includes potential revisions to the existing lead safe ordinance to eliminate uncertainty as to whether lead hazards are present and to provide clear direction on how to address them through risk assessment and public disclosure of those hazards to both the city and the tenant.

In the future, this information will also be available to the public on Cleveland Open Data. More information on the updated process will be published in the coming weeks.

Our programs must offer families assurances that a property is lead safe. Following a lead hazard control plan from a certified risk assessor is the only way to systematically reduce the risk of harmful lead exposure in homes built before 1978," said Emily Collins, a senior advisor to Mayor Bibb on this project. "The Lead-Safe Certificate program, which covers a rental unit as "lead safe" for a two-year period, relies on clearance examinations performed at a specific point in time. Unfortunately, short-term 'fixes' like cleaning and painting can deteriorate quickly within the certificate period, putting children at risk and offering a false sense of security."

While working on the most recent data brief, CDPH officials identified 11 instances of units that were issued a Lead-Safe Certificate that was followed - sometimes within a very short period of time - by a Lead Hazard Control Order due to a lead poisoning case.

In addition to collaborating with City Council on potential legislative changes to the Lead Safe ordinance, the Department of Building and Housing, through the code enforcement provisions of Residents First, will target properties in identified hot spots that have obvious lead hazards, such as peeling paint.

"The latest reports from the health department highlight the need to transition from interim controls to more permanent and reliable solutions to keep kids safe from the hazards of lead at home," said Cleveland's Director of Building and Housing Sally Martin O'Toole. "This will be an iterative process, and my team will work closely with landlords to meet them where they are, clarify what is required and work with them on a plan to ensure their units are truly lead safe. We will also engage our partners who are currently working in the inspection and lead abatement space to ensure we are all aligned and working together."

The Department of Community Development is expanding abatement efforts where lead poisoning is happening, both in targeted neighborhoods and citywide. The team is also focused on a robust program for the replacement of windows and doors, moving components that create lead dust through regular use and are a common cause of poisonings.

"Cleveland saw a dramatic reduction in lead poisoning from 2005 to 2018 but every year, for the last five years, 1,500 kids in Cleveland are still being poisoned," said Cleveland Director of Public Health Dr. Dave Margolius. "For us to make this a problem of the past, we have to work together with our partners to dedicate the resources to get the lead out once and for all."

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