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State approves funding for lead safety programs

Two different proposals currently exist in Toledo, but the administration wants to wait until a lawsuit is settled.
Credit: wtol

TOLEDO, Ohio — There is now another program on its way to help make and keep your house lead safe; this time, it's coming from the state level.

It's a proposal that could bring more resources to the city. Currently, there is one program available, the Toledo Lead Grant.  

Since it's unknown if or when another local ordinance could pass, having some state funding could get more things moving.

"Everybody's looking at this, so all it takes now is how we market the program to get the parents to understand, to get the realtors to understand that there are funds that they have out there available to assist us," Councilman Larry Sykes said.

The state program wants to expand testing to more people and provide water filters and cleaning supplies to homes that have been contaminated with lead. Meanwhile, Toledo's existing Lead Grant program still has openings and is encouraging people to apply.

"Right now we currently have 16 units that have been cleared and we have another 36 under contract," Lead Program Manager Jerrry Culkowski said.

They want to have 160 units complete within the next few years.

Meanwhile, Councilman Larry Sykes believes the city needs to move on a local ordinance now to get lead out of homes, while the Mayor's office wants to wait until a current lawsuit on the topic is complete.

"The best way to stop a child from being lead poisoned is to fully abate lead contamination in a home," Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said.

This is something Sykes is also trying to do and believes the states increased testing can help.

"To do pregnant women and small children, that's a benefit to us because you can catch the lead poisoning of the kids earlier," Sykes said.

Right now, it's unclear how much money Toledo could get from the state, but the money would come through the Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP.

"Our two programs look like they are going to align pretty well, as far as what we're going to be able to do for folks, but how the two programs will be intertwined is yet to be seen," Culkowski said.

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