North Nashville Lead Hazards Reduction Demonstration Grant from HUD one of Largest in Nation of 48 Awards

Over 500 jobs estimated for training contractors

On April 7, 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conversation (TDEC) a $4.5 million Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant. With the help of local partners the project will mitigate lead hazards in more than 242 residential units; conduct approximately 4,800 blood-lead tests of children younger than six years of age; provide lead-safe training and job readiness opportunities to 545 eligible area residents; and increase public awareness about childhood lead poisoning. Among the local partners are Core Development Services, the Tennessee Board of Regents / Nashville Tech Center, Nashville Electric Service, Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Community Development Corporation, Phase One Consultants, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The partners will concentrate their work in North Nashville for the next three and one-half years. There are approximately 4,000 lead affected homes in Davidson County. North Nashville was chosen because it best met specific grant criteria including: number of rental properties, area income, children under the age of six, known lead-blood issues in children and other statistical data.

"This HUD grant award to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for the City of Nashville makes it clear healthy homes for families and children are a priority," said HUD Nashville Field Office Acting Director John Gemmill, who presented the check at Thursday's presentation. "We congratulate them for supporting this extremely essential effort, as we are committed to protecting children and families from these hazards."

The $4.5 million Tennessee grant is one of the largest of 48 projects across the United States. Nationally, the Lead Hazard program will clean up lead and other health hazards in more than 11,000 homes. Lead-contaminated dust is the primary cause of lead exposure and causes a variety of health problems in young children, including: reduced IQ; learning disabilities; developmental delays; reduced height; and, impaired hearing. At higher levels, lead can damage a child's kidneys and nervous system, causing anemia, coma, convulsions and even death.

"Lead paint in toys gets a lot of attention. But more important is eliminating lead hazards in the home," said John Gemmill. According to HUD officials, to receive funding through its Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant program involves a highly competitive process. TDEC's Toxic Substances Program worked tirelessly to secure the necessary funding that ultimately will provide safer homes for families and children.

"This grant will help the North Nashville community remove harmful lead paint from impacted homes and provide the tools needed to ensure families are not at risk," said Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau. As part of the community outreach campaign, billboards, educational literature and other outreach tools will encourage concerned local citizens throughout the North Nashville community to contact TDEC's Lead-Safe Tennessee toll-free hotline at 1 (855) 511-1210 or via e-mail.

"You can't be healthy if your home is sick and based on our own research, there are just far too many homes in the North Nashville community that are eligible for this program," said Adrianne White, program manager of TDEC's Toxic Substances Program. "We need everyone's help in getting the word out to local citizens about the program's benefits to encourage participation."

At the same time, the grant will train 545 jobless or underemployed workers in lead paint abatement and include them in crews. Metro has tested and removed lead paint from its public housing units, said Julie Oaks of Metro Development and Housing Agency (http://www.nashville-mdha.org/). It also rehabilitates homes for low-income owners.

TDEC's Toxic Substances Program will begin with outreach. A large billboard promoting the lead program is along Interstate 40 near Jefferson Street. It will hold 10 events in North Nashville to recruit participants, including children to be tested and houses to be inspected and treated. The first event will be from noon to 4 p.m. May 21 at McNairy Hill Baptist Church, 2208 Hermosa Street.

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