Broome County Scores Big With $6 Million To Get Rid of Lead Paint

Over $6 million in federal funding is heading towards Broome County to address a big problem - lead paint found in many homes. This announcement that federal funding is coming was made by U.S. Senators. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand earlier this week.

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The funding is part of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It will mostly support efforts to remove lead-based paint hazards from around 180 qualifying privately-owned homes which were all built before 1978 and that are all located in Binghamton, Union, Johnson City, and Endicott.

Chuck Schumer Expresses Concern About Lead Exposure

Schumer expressed his concerns about the negative impact that lead exposure has on children, saying, "No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for the children of Binghamton and Broome County." Schumer mentioned how important it is to protect the health of our kids by securing this massive $6.3 million funding to remove lead paint and prevent more future lead poisoning cases.

According to the senators, lead exposure is a huge issue in Broome County, especially in homes that were built before the 1978 ban of lead paint. With this new funding, the senators say that they will initiate widespread lead paint removal and prevention efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our families in the Southern Tier.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said how appreciative he is for this collaboration with HUD to address low-income housing issues and reduce lead-based paint hazards. Garnar gave credit to Mary McFadden, the Health Department Director, and her team for securing this grant for Broome County, noting that the health and safety of Broome County's families and children always remain a top priority.