Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Katrina Korfmacher, PhD and Kate M. Kuholski, BS. Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, 585-275-3354, kate_kuholski@urmc.rochester.edu

In December 2005 the Rochester City Council passed an amendment to its municipal code requiring inspection for lead hazards. Local lead poisoning prevention advocates have long recognized the need for stronger lead policy to address Rochester's high rate of childhood lead poisoning in the absence of a statewide primary prevention law. Over the past five years, a diverse coalition of educators, health care providers, community leaders, researchers, government officials and many others worked to develop a strategy for preventing lead poisoning in Rochester. With input from leading lead researchers, the Alliance for Healthy Homes, the National Center for Healthy Housing, the Centers for Disease Control and many others, the Coalition submitted proposed legislation in January 2005. Alternative proposals were submitted by the Mayor and by a property owner group. These various possibilities were vigorously debated over the past year, resulting in a final law with several unique and nationally significant features. This presentation will focus on the process of developing a precautionary policy using the best available scientific information, the input of diverse community groups, and an intergovernmental policy process. The passage of an aggressive law to prevent environmental health hazards is surprising to many, given Rochester's depressed housing market. This paper focuses on the collaborative process that succeeded in advancing a progressive policy to protect children's health despite serious concerns about negative economic and housing impacts in the City.

Learning Objectives: