It is time to act on behalf of the thousands of children who continue to suffer permanent neurological damage from a preventable hazard.
It is entirely within the control of our City and State government to end this plague on children in Baltimore. We have the funds and the means, and now we need the political will. Let the Mayor and Governor know that we demand they act for our kids.
The State of Maryland defines lead poisoning differently than the Centers for Disease Control, which means that we don't know how many children are poisoned each year. But, we do know that it is higher than the official count, which is over 1,000 children in the past 5 years, and over 65,000 children in the last 23 years, just in Baltimore City.
Baltimore Lead Emergency Demands:
1. Declare a Lead Poisoning State of Emergency in Baltimore City.
2. Increase enforcement resources for the Maryland Department of the Environment, and increase enforcement actions and penalties for non-compliant property owners, and lead inspectors who falsify inspection results and certificates of compliance.
3. Incorporate a strong lead elimination and lead safety component in Project Core and train and hire community members to test for and abate lead in housing and soil.
4. Support State Legislation to hold paint companies financially accountable, end predatory transfers of structured lead settlements, and require all landlords seeking eviction to prove, with documentation, their compliance with all lead certificate and registration laws.
5. Give all children exposed to lead free and appropriate medical care, as well as ongoing educational and behavioral therapies, and create a Lead Poison Treatment Trust Fund for all children and young adults affected by lead.
