* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Dixon
At the request of: Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
c/o Ruth Ann Norton, Executive Director
Address: 2714 Hudson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
Telephone: 410-534-6447 or 800-370-LEAD
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Task Force on Lead Hazard Inspection, Enforcement, and Abatement
FOR the purpose of establishing a task force to review Baltimore City's inspection, enforcement, and abatement laws and regulations that address the issue of lead paint and other lead-related hazards in structures throughout the metropolitan area; to determine if enforcement protocols and practices are adequate to address the scope of lead contaminated properties; to identify measures to better coordinate enforcement activity both within and between agencies; and to ascertain if lead enforcement responsibilities are assigned to the appropriate agency.
Body
Recitals
The Maryland Department of the Environment reports that hundreds of children throughout Maryland are diagnosed with lead poisoning each year. In Baltimore, over the last 3 years 5,300 young children were diagnosed with lead levels greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter, a level identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as cause for alarm. A child can be poisoned by ingesting an amount of lead the size of 3 granules of sugar.
In children, lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, violent behavior, lowered IQ, juvenile delinquency, seizures, slowed growth, attention deficit disorder, mental retardation, severe behavioral problems, headaches, hyperactivity, and hearing loss. These damages are irreversible and permanent, and the only cure is prevention. Years of exposure to lead may take place before a child exhibits any noticeable symptoms.
Pregnant women exposed to lead are subject to miscarriages, low birth weight babies, stillbirths, and underdeveloped babies. While children and pregnant women are most vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning, adult exposure may result in high blood pressure or hypertension, memory and concentration problems, sterility and impotence in males, wrist drop, nervous system disorders, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and irritability.
To combat the devastating and totally preventable scourge of lead poisoning, the Task Force on Lead Hazard Inspection, Enforcement, and Abatements is formed to unite the efforts of, in part, the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development Code Enforcement Division, the Baltimore City Health Department, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Property Owner's Association of Greater Baltimore, the Maryland Multi Housing Association, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office, Baltimore City Healthy Start, and the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.
The work of the task force will include exploring ways to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of current lead enforcement efforts, a review of the City's current Winter Waiver policy, analyzing and making recommendations for revisions to the Health Department's Abatement Regulations for Lead-Based Paint, and consideration of the transference of Lead Violation Enforcement to the Department of Housing and Community Development.
In addition, the task force will explore to how better coordinate the inspection process between the Health Department inspectors and the Housing inspectors, including those assigned to rent court, and will undertake a complete review and evaluation of enforcement protocols and practices.
Further, the task force will make recommendations to increase the blood lead testing levels of children ages 1-2 as mandated by Baltimore City law and for all children under age 6 in accordance with Center for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines.
There is no excuse for any child, woman, or man to suffer from a wholly preventable illness, and all forces of government, private industry, and public charity most be leveraged and organized to eliminate the lethal legacy lead has left behind.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body will establish a task force to review Baltimore City's inspection, enforcement, and abatement laws and regulations that address the issue of lead paint and other lead-related hazards in structures throughout the metropolitan area; to determine if enforcement protocols and practices are adequate to address the scope of lead contaminated properties; to identify measures to better coordinate enforcement activity both within and between agencies; and to ascertain if lead enforcement responsibilities are assigned to the appropriate agency.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the mission and membership of the Task Force on Lead Hazard Inspection, Enforcement, and Abatement will be amended at the discretion of the membership.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, those requested to participate on the Task Force, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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