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THE CALL TO PREVENT LEAD POISONING IN CHILDREN ACROSS THE STATE.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM HIS PRESS CONFERENCE

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO FOOTAGE FROM HIS PRESS
                        CONFERENCE AND TO VIEW THE ARTICLE BY DAVE
                        LUCAS "CALL TO END CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING IN NY"

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE BY CARA MATTHEWS URGING PASSAGE
                         OF STATE BILL "TO KILL 'SILENT MONSTER"

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE FROM THE LEGISLATIVE
                        GAZETTE RE: "GETTING THE LEAD OUT"

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE FROM THE (UTICA) OBSERVER-DISPATCH
                        WHICH ALSO RAN IN THE FOLLOWING NEWS PAPERS.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE FROM EL DIARIO RE: "PLAN CONTRA EL
                        ENVENENAMIENTO CON PLOMO" 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTICLE FROM THE AM NEW YORK RE: RACIAL
                       DIVIDE ON CANCER DEATH RATE ( BY DAVID FREEDLANDER)

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Paper: Daily Gazette, The (Schenectady, NY)
Title: Senate minority pushing to combat lead poisoning
Author: BOB CONNERGazette Reporter
Date: April 5, 2007
Section: B: Local
Page: B6

While the new state budget calls for more money and measures to combat lead poisoning in New York's children, Senate Democrats on Wednesday called for more far-reaching measures.And they released a list of local hot spots that included five ZIP codes in the city of Albany, and other problem areas in Schenectady, Troy, Gloversville and the village of Fort Plain in western Montgomery County. 

    The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Safe Housing Act of 2007 is sponsored by Sen. Bill Perkins, D-Harlem, who said more than 10,000 children a year in the state are diagnosed with lead poisoning. The bill would have the state Health Department identify communities at high risk for lead poisoning and work with them to reduce it. It would step up inspections of housing and offer property owners tax credits to "make their units lead-safe." 

    The primary risk of lead poisoning is from children ingesting paint from older buildings. But too-high lead levels also have been found recently in drinking water samples in Albany and Amsterdam.

    The budget provided $8.1 million, up $3 million from last year, to prevent lead poisoning in children. It also requires the Health Department to establish pilot prevention programs in four areas, including Albany. 

    Perkins has not yet lined up majority-party sponsors for his bill. Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar, appeared with him at the news conference to endorse the measure, saying a "crusade" was needed and that it fits Gov. Eliot Spitzer's push for more prevention of health-care problems. 

    The Senate Democrats released a statement from Spitzer praising Perkins' approach, but Breslin said later he does not expect the bill to pass this year.

    Aaron Mair, president of the Arbor Hill Environmental Justice Coalition, also appeared at the news conference and said lead poisoning may contribute to crime and other problems in poor areas. Other activists said lead was a factor in health and learning problems. 

    Russ Haven, legislative counsel for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said, "There's a lot Gov. Spitzer can do under existing authority" to better enforce laws to prevent lead poisoning. The administration of former Gov. George Pataki had "a failure of leadership and vision" on the issue,
Haven said. 

    Guy Barton, the mayor of Fort Plain, said later that he had been unaware of a widespread lead poisoning problem in his village.

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