NY Gov. Paterson Issues Executive Order 21: Establishes Governor’s Task Force On Prevention Of Childhood Lead Poisoning

State Agencies Will Collaborate on the Development of a Coordinated Strategy to Eradicate Childhood Exposure to Lead

June 2, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced the creation of the Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of Childhood Lead Poisoning to further the State’s efforts to eliminate childhood lead poisoning. The Task Force will bring together a variety of State agencies to make findings and recommendations for the development and implementation of a coordinated strategy to reduce childhood exposure to lead.

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Increases in funding over the last few years – including in this year’s budget – have allowed the State to target lead poisoning prevention activities to communities where children face the greatest risk of exposure to lead-based paint. While screening and testing children for lead poisoning and then providing treatment to those with elevated blood lead levels will continue to be vital components of the State’s public health efforts, Governor Paterson’s new Task Force will advance an even more aggressive prevention strategy.

“As I said in October, when New York’s fiscal crisis forced me to veto a worthy bill that I had sponsored years ago, lead poisoning is a scourge that has plagued and destroyed the lives of too many children, the vast majority of whom live lives deprived in too many ways. I am committed to eradicating lead poisoning in New York State, and with the creation of this task force, our public health efforts will now focus on prevention,” said Governor Paterson. “I will now give those children a voice through this task force. I have been a vocal proponent for addressing this issue for more than two decades. Responding to this plague is and should be an obligation for everyone in government.”

In 2007 and 2008, State funding for lead programs was almost doubled and a pilot program known as the Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention Program (CLPPPP) was implemented. Under that program, the Department of Health (DOH) works with city and county health officials to target primary prevention activities to children living in areas at high risk for exposure to lead-based paint. In October 2008, Governor Paterson pledged to intensify the State’s efforts to address the problem of childhood lead poisoning even further. The 2009-10 enacted budget included the Governor’s proposals to add $2.5 million more funding for the CLPPPP, for a total of $15.6 million over a three-year period, and made the program permanent.

Childhood lead poisoning is primarily caused by exposure to lead-based paint and lead-based paint dust in housing built before 1978. Lead poisoning can have severe and irreversible consequences on childhood growth and development, and disproportionately impacts affects low-income and minority children.

Governor Paterson also announced that in addition to creating the Task Force and increasing funding for the CLPPPP, his administration has taken additional actions to address lead poisoning:

• Legislation proposed in the Governor’s Executive Budget and included in the enacted budget links the statewide immunization registry and the statewide registry of children with elevated blood lead levels, promoting timely lead screening by practitioners and improving DOH’s ability to survey screening rates.

• DOH released a report showing that in 2006-07, childhood lead poisoning fell by 17 percent in Upstate New York since 2005 and that testing rates have increased over the last several years, providing valuable feedback to guide future prevention efforts.

• DOH revised its regulations so that comprehensive follow-up interventions for children are triggered when a child has a blood lead level of 15 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL), instead of the previous level of 20 mcg/dL.

In making its recommendations, the Task Force will consider matters such as how to maximize available State resources for the purpose of State and local primary prevention activities designed to reduce childhood exposure to lead, as well as the need to partner with county and local governments in such efforts. Particular attention will be paid to housing issues, as the Task Force will consider questions such as whether feasible measures exist to ensure that public housing is free of lead-based paint hazards prior to occupancy by children child under six years of age, and how to ensure that housing renovations performed with public funding include lead-based paint hazard remediation. The Task Force will also examine potential sources of funding or revenue, such as Federal grants, that can be used to help fund State and local primary prevention activities aimed at eliminating childhood lead poisoning.

The Task Force will issue a preliminary report by November 30, 2009 and a final report on or before November 30, 2010.

The Task Force will be chaired by First Deputy Secretary to the Governor Val Grey, and the Governor’s Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services will serve as the Vice-Chair. Members of the Task Force will include the Governor’s Deputy Secretaries for the Environment, Economic Development and Housing, Labor and Financial Regulation, and Energy as well as the Counsel to the Governor and representatives from the following State agencies: DOH; the Division of Housing and Community Renewal; the Housing Finance Agency; the Department of State; the Department of Environmental Conservation; the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance; the Office of Children and Family Services; the Council on Children and Families; the Insurance Department; the Department of Taxation and Finance; the Department of Labor; the Empire State Development Corporation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Task Force will consult with stakeholders such as advocacy organizations, scientific and academic institutions, professional medical associations, and local governments.

Information on childhood lead poisoning and the CLPPPP is available on DOH’s website at http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/lead.

Source: New York Governor