Lead Paint Funding Cut Worries NJ Children’s Groups

Children’s rights groups in Jersey are expressing concern about a lack of funding for lead paint abatement programs in the fiscal year 2013 budget. 

Over the past 8 years the state spent more than 50 million dollars on the battle against lead poisoning, but the proposed spending plan put forth by Governor Christie contains no new money for remediation efforts.

Mary Coogan, the Assistant Director of the group Advocates for Children of New Jersey says this will have a very negative impact because “we have a large inventory of houses in New Jersey that were built before 1978 – when lead paint was outlawed- and these properties need to be abated.”

She points out “lead causes learning problems, it can actually cause physical problems – it can lower IQ, causes behavioral problems…any amount of lead in your system is bad- with children under the age of 6, there’s an increased danger because their bodies absorb lead at a faster rate than adults.”

Coogan adds “there was a concerted effort back in 2004-2005 to really get more collaboration between state Departments and local County Health Departments and the state – to this point they’ve done a tremendous job in tracking children – getting kids screened – and making it less intrusive – and then the next step is to get rid of lead that’s in houses…it’s in older houses, in more urban communities, but also it’s in the suburbs- and it needs to be permanently removed.”

She says with no new additional funds for remediation “I think it means we’re taking a giant step backwards – we’re not going to be able to abate the remaining properties that have lead in them – and so more children will become lead burdened…if you get rid of the lead in kids early, you’re going to see a long-term impact in terms of reducing health costs, reducing special education costs.”

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs says funding has been cut because the number of lead poisoning cases in the Garden state has dropped dramatically over the past decade.