The Truth Staff
On Thursday and Friday, July 23 and 24, the Junction Coalition presented “Unleaded: Our Homes, Our Children, Our Future,” a two-day discussion on the impact on lead paint poisoning on the community – and what steps can be taken to eliminate the threat.
Lead paint was declared illegal in 1978, however, 80 percent of homes in Toledo were built before that year so the threat is quite ongoing after all these years.
On Thursday, after registration, welcome and introduction, the keynote presentation was offered by Paul Allwood, PhD. Allwood is branch chief of the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health in Atlanta, GA.
Allwood directs nationwide efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning and overseas surveillance, partnerships and program services that inform prevention policy and practice.
Allwood discussed his time at the CDC, the federal landscape of lead poisoning prevention and surveillance and his team’s work with Lead Free Communities.
Thursday’s presenters also included: Gloria Smith of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department who described the Health Department’s lead process; Dr. Iris Castillo of Nationwide Children’s Hospital who defined lead; Mounika Abbareddy of Women for a Healthy Environments who presented an overview of lead prevention poisoning prevention work in Allegheny County, PA; Drs. Matthew Tien and Olushola Fapo of Better Health Partnership who spoke about the possibilities of testing more kids and a collaborative approach to lead testing and Zachary Cofer and Kimberly Foreman of Environmental Health Watch who spoke about Cleveland’s Lead Safe Resource Center, a one-stop shop for lead poisoning prevention.
Breakout sessions followed, then a Junction Coalition presentation about lead poisoning closed out the first day.
On Friday, attendees heard from Monica Smith of the City of Toledo; Candace Buckley of the Toledo Lead Resource Center and George Thomas, president and general counsel of the Fair Housing Center who all spoke about the Toledo Lead Ordinance. The central point of all three presentations was how government and community groups can work together to ensure that such ordinances are effective.
State Rep. Dontavius Jarrells of Cleveland was the keynote presenter for Day Two. As the state representative for District 1, Jarrells has pursued change-making work through the introduction of legislation related to lead poisoning prevention, namely Bill 307, which proposes the removal of all lead service lines across the state of Ohio.
A final panel Q & A followed consisting of Candace Buckley, Dr. Marilynn Wood, George Thomas and Dr. Iris Castillo.
The following article is the opening address by Donald Wiggins, Jr on Day Two of the symposium!