Syeisha Byrd purchased a home in Syracuse’s Northside neighborhood in 2010. The home was built in 1850, and she liked its original oak floors and spacious backyard for her son. 

Byrd, the director of engagement programs at Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel, knew there was lead in her home after an inspector visited. The bathroom, front windows and front porch all had lead. The windows were replaced, and the affected areas were repainted with three coats of paint. The front porch was covered in indoor-outdoor carpet. 

Byrd is the mother of three children. After the porch was covered, she and her sons spent a lot of time playing there during the summer. She thought it was a safe place for her family to play. But later two of Byrd’s children were found with high levels of lead in their systems.

“For months, while my boys and I were going through this, I was angry, sad and scared,” she said. “I already knew the effects lead poisoning could have on children.”

Byrd was one of several speakers at a town hall on lead poisoning in the city held in downtown Syracuse on Tuesday. The event was the last in a series of three meetings aimed at addressing lead poisoning in the city. 

City and county officials also spoke at the town hall. About 50 people attended the town meeting, held in the John H. Mulroy Civic Center. 

In his remarks, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh acknowledged that lead poisoning disproportionately impacts individuals, particularly young people, residing in specific city neighborhoods.  

“We need to do more, and we’re committed to doing more,” Walsh said. “We’re focused on building off of the momentum that we have right now.”

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said local departments need to work in a coordinated effort to ensure constituents are sufficiently serviced. Success is achieved by coming together, he said.

The county received $5.6 million to combat lead. Additionally, the city and county collectively received a $4.1 million grant in 2018 from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Walsh said it’s hoped that the HUD grant will cover the lead paint remediation of up to 250 rental units. The Central New York Community Foundation, a public charity, is spending $2 million over four years to address lead in Syracuse.

Also at the town hall, Debra Lewis, program coordinator of the Onondaga County Health Department’s lead program, spoke about new state regulations concerning blood-lead levels that went into effect Tuesday. 

The regulations lower the standard for elevated lead levels in children’s blood from 10 to 5 micrograms per deciliter. The legislation is a “dramatic change” in the state that holds health care providers accountable for providing more comprehensive services to a larger number of children who now require them, she said. 

“We are very much in support of providing this comprehensive list of services to children with elevated blood-lead test results,” Lewis said. “We’ll work very closely with providers in our community to coordinate the care of each child with an elevated test result.”

The health department’s responsibilities include conducting environmental risk assessments and in-home lead inspections. Lewis said the department also ensures that health care providers perform developmental evaluations and screening to children who need them and provide families with resources.

The blood-lead test results of children in Onondaga County are close to state and national ones, Lewis said. Overall, the number of children found to have an elevated blood-lead level has decreased.

“There are still more children in our community that are identified with elevated test results than we’re happy about,” she said. “We’re continuing to work with our community partners and with our provider community to make sure that we are addressing this through testing, education, outreach and environmental management.”

Melanie Carden, of the county District Attorney’s office, discussed the charges landlords could face if they ignore orders regarding lead paint at Tuesday’s meeting. The charges depend on the continuous nature of the ignorance, she said.

Potential charges include endangering the welfare of a child, Carden said. If a child becomes severely ill or dies, the landlord can be charged with reckless endangerment or homicide. 

Seven landlords were charged this year with willful violation of health laws, a class A misdemeanor, for failing to address lead paint on their properties.

Near the end of the town hall attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions. Darlene Medley, a single mother of nine who’s twin boys were affected by lead, said Byrd was the only person to speak at the forum about children and tenants. 

“I keep hearing about all these different grants that are being granted for the city, that are gonna be granted for the landlords. Where’s the grants to protect the tenants and the babies?” Medley said. “Children are being poisoned it’s like it’s okay, and it’s being swept underneath the rug.”

Published on October 2, 2019 at 12:16 am

Contact Emma: esfolts@syr.edu