$31.4 Million Dollars to Clean Up Lead

With all the lead and dust talk lately focusing on the EPA, I would be remiss if I did not give kudos to HUD for continuing its efforts to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010 (EPA’s unattainable goal date). In a press release dated January 5, 2007 HUD announced this year’s recipients of $31.4 million dollars in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant funding.

According to Secretary Alphonso Jackson, "The communities receiving grants today have demonstrated that they are fully committed to making their older housing safer and healthier places for children."

This year’s grants were issued to 12 cities and counties throughout the United States. These programs will provide community education, homeowner awareness training, contractor lead safe work practices (LSWP) training and fund actual renovations to what are known as ‘target housing’ -- housing built before 1978 with a child under the age of six living there.

Remodelers will find interesting that these programs provide what is known as HUD’s 3R’s training. This training is almost the exact LSWP training required in EPA’s proposed Renovation, Repair and Painting Proposed Rule. With these classes being mandated in the future, taking them now will give you a jump start on your competition.

The best news is that taking one of these training sessions is free and gives your workers the training necessary to bid on the actual renovation projects funded by this program

To see the list of cities and counties receiving HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant funding this year click the link ‘here’.