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EPA Takes Notes from NJ Lead Law &

Partnerships Facilitate Community Outreach

Your Update from Lead-Free NJ | December 2023

Partnerships Facilitate Community Outreach

Lead-Free NJ Community hub lead in Paterson, Shanikwa Lemon of Paterson Alliance, employed her convening skills to form partnerships with trusted Paterson organizations Eva’s Village, Passaic County Habitat for Humanity, and the YMCA of Paterson to plan and deliver “Get the Lead out of Paterson” lead awareness presentations with community members. Feedback from community attendees revealed a lack of awareness around the importance and availability of blood lead level testing for children. Additional presentations with Paterson public schools are planned for 2024.

Creating connections with regional partners, Shanikwa (pictured above, tabling at the YMCA) was recently named chair of the Passaic, Bergen, and Essex County sub-coalition of the Northern Lead and Healthy Homes Coalition. Contact Shanikwa Lemon for more information and check out this article from Clean Water Action featuring her work.

Lead-Free NJ community hub lead in Trenton, Shereyl Snider of East Trenton Collaborative, is hosting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 at the East Trenton Center as they conduct lead in soil testing throughout the neighborhood. Shereyl has hosted community meetings with residents and other stakeholders to facilitate communication and understanding between EPA and the community. 

Collaboration between Rutgers and East Trenton Collaborative to test for lead and identify mitigation actions with paid community members is ongoing. Contact Shereyl Snider for more information.

Shereyl Snider speaks to Rutgers students on a panel with EPA Region 2, NJDEP, and Trenton NAACP. From left to right: Kathleen Bell, Matthew Farrell, Shereyl Snider, Austin Edwards, Towana Joseph

EPA Takes Notes from NJ Lead Law

On November 30, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed its Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, a great step toward promoting public health and eliminating lead exposure. This federal-level proposal cites our state’s work and model, and mandates that all states remove lead service lines within ten years, matching New Jersey’s statewide mandate, passed in 2021. Read the full statement from Lead-Free NJ Advocacy Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs Yvette Jordan & Kelvin Boddy here.

Yvette Jordan, an environmental and social justice advocate who was instrumental in holding Newark accountable for its lead in drinking water crisis is quoted in the below articles:


Yvette Jordan, pictured above, speaks at the July 2023 Lead-Free NJ Membership Meeting.

Lame Duck Legislative Priorities

In early January 2024, all unfinished bills in the NJ legislature will expire, and newly elected members will join the legislature. This means we are currently in a “lame duck” session. Which bills are lead advocates watching?


  • S1507: Revises and codifies schedule for childhood lead screenings; requires lead screenings as precondition of child's initial entry into school system. For more information, contact Ben Haygood, bhaygood@isles.org 
  • S2695: Requires disclosure of lead drinking water hazards to tenants of residential units; prohibits landlords from obstructing replacement of lead service lines; concerns testing of residential units for lead drinking water hazards. For more information, contact Deandrah Cameron, dcameron@njfuture.org
  • AJR239: Designates October as "Lead Poisoning Awareness Month.
  • S2459: Requires State government entities provide vital documents and translation services in 15 most common non-English languages. For more information, contact: Amy Torres, NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, atorres@njimmigrantjustice.org 

Watch and Share: Lead Hazards in New Jersey


Learn more about lead hazards, how to prevent lead exposure for you and your family, and how community leaders are addressing lead and environmental justice in their neighborhoods. Watch recordings in English and Spanish here.

Drinking Water Utility Track Fills the Room at the Jersey Water Works Conference


Over 50 drinking water utility staff, community advocates, consultants, and funders attended the Lead Service Line Implementation workgroup’s presentation at the Jersey Water Works conference on December 13. Missed the workshop? Review the work group’s latest resource:

2023 Primer for Mayors - Let’s Get the Lead Out of Our Drinking Water: Lead Service Line Efficiency Measures

From left to right: Rich Calbi, Deandrah Cameron, Michael Furrey, Stephen Marks, Kouao-Eric Ekoue, Jan Chwiedosiuk, Michael Cohrs, Don Shield, Kristin Epstein, Sandra Kutzing

Lead in the News

Water

Yes, we CAN get the lead out—without making water bills unaffordable


New Florham Park laws take aim at illegal sump pump connections, lead water lines


Lead pipe check planned for Northfield


Lower Lead Levels In Water? It's About Time, Newark Activist Says


Biden-Harris Administration Proposes to Strengthen the Lead and Copper Rule to Protect All Communities in America from Lead in Drinking Water


Biden Administration to Require Replacing of Lead Pipes Within 10 Years


Public schools across the country plagued by high lead levels in drinking water


Paint

Lead-Based Paint Inspections Required for Rental Dwelling Units


Health

Cost of lead poisoning drug jumps from $3,500 to $32,000, making it hard for hospitals to stock



A new study says the global toll of lead exposure is even worse than we thought


New research supports potential link between low-level lead exposure and liver injury


Food

Applesauce pouches may have been contaminated on purpose, FDA foods chief says


Why there still aren’t limits on lead in baby food


Applesauce lead cases in kids surge amid questions on FDA oversight


Recalls

PandaEar Recalls Stainless Steel Children’s Cups Due to Violation of Federal Lead Content Ban; Sold Exclusively on Amazon.com (Recall Alert)


Investigación sobre los niveles elevados de plomo en las bolsas de puré de manzana y canela (noviembre de 2023)

Funding Opportunities

Funding from NJ DCA for Lead-Based Paint Remediation with Capacity Building - Contact Peter Rose


CFF Rapid Response Fund - Rolling application


New Jersey - New York Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center

  • Watch their introductory webinar here.
  • Request technical assistance here.


EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program (Community Change Grants)


HHS Environmental Justice Community Innovator Challenge - Due 1/30/24


Lead Hazard Reduction(LHR) Capacity Grant Program- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) - Due 1/17/24

Lead Related Bills to Watch


  • S280 - Requires DOE and DCF to establish online reporting systems for schools and child care centers to report lead testing results.
  • A799 - Allows gross income tax deduction for amounts paid for removal of lead, asbestos, sodium, chloride, and other contaminants from taxpayer's property.
  • A659 - Authorizes common law public nuisance suits regarding lead paint under State law; exempts Attorney General from certain aspects of public nuisance claims when pursuing lead paint actions.
  • A1892 - Allows municipalities to establish loan programs to fund replacement of lead service lines.
  • A2416 - Requires financial institution that has foreclosed on property to remove water service lines that contain lead.
  • A3712/S2695 - Requires disclosure of lead drinking water hazards to tenants of residential units; prohibits landlords from obstructing replacement of lead service lines; requires inspection of residential rental units for lead drinking water hazards. 
  • S1507 - Revises and codifies schedule for childhood lead screenings; requires lead screenings as precondition of child's initial entry into school system.
  • A4770 - Requires landlords of certain properties providing child care services who refuse lead service line replacements to install and maintain water filters.
  • A2416 - Requires financial institution that has foreclosed on property to remove water service lines that contain lead.

Job Opportunities

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Lead-Free NJ | info@leadfreenj.org | www.leadfreenj.org

The Mission of Lead-Free NJ

About 4,000 children in NJ are lead-poisoned every year. Many of these children reside in low-income communities and/or communities of color and are most at risk because investments have not been made to remove lead from its most common sources—paint, water, and soil. Lead-Free NJ is a collaborative made up of neighbors, friends, families, faith leaders, professionals, and elected officials working together to #GetTheLeadOut. 

Staff Contact

Heather Sorge, Program Manager

(609) 262-3646 (direct)

hsorge@njfuture.org

Cassie Bolinger, Program Coordinator

609-262-3541 (direct)

cbolinger@njfuture.org

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