But what do you really think about Lead Safety?

Are Advocates Losing the fight for Lead Safety?

By the time that Primary Election day in September, it will have been 61/2 years since the passage of Cleveland’s Lead Safe Certificate Plan which was, by the way, a watered down version of CLASH’s 2019 ballot initiative. Lets build on what we have learned over that period of time, to make a workable plan going forward. The risk that Cleveland faces is rejection of a “failed” program. Mayor Bibb's speedy pivot from Lead Clearance Testing to Lead Risk assessment is an example of policy adapting to new information, but the risk is that the public will grow tired of failed plans. That's why speedy resolution of the certificate backlog is so important. Voters need to see steady progress towards the goal of lead safety.

That’s going on right now in New Hampshire where an ambitious plan of child testing failed to lower the number of children with elevated blood lead levels. A report on the failure of New Hampshire’s single-step voluntary compliance strategy recommended that NH add new approaches. But it was too late. Last month the NH general assembly rejected two new bills to address childhood lead poisoning”.  

But...there's more.

• The City of Louisville Ky was forced by their state legislature to water down mandatory home testing. Frankfort to Louisville: Weaken lead hazard rental registry ordinance, or lose it

• Detroit has voluntarily weakened their lead inspections which were challenged as too weak by Michigan state standards. Detroit softens lead inspection rules in new rental program: Expert says it’s ‘unconscionable’ move

• The Milwaukee School Crisis is an on-going example of the failure of city health, public schools, and citizens to address a fundamental problem...triggered by the discovery of children with Elevated Blood Lead levels...despite a progressive policy approach at the State level. 

March 30, 2025

It takes a comprehensive plan and a generational commitment

CLASHers are beginning to realize that there's no single answer and no quick "fix" to make Cleveland Lead Safe. As outlined on our Lead Safe Tool Kit there are 3 elements to a comprehensive strategy: Awareness, child testing and home testing. Each element must be in operation at the same time. Milwaukee is a classic example of what happens when the health department, the school system, and the community are working in isolation and fingerpointing.  Here's a footnote from Milwaukee.  March 20, 2025

From the March 11, 2025 Stay in Touch. What is your ideas on how to remove the BackLog at Building and Housing

SC writes: "...As a retired lead professional, i interviewed for a a job reviewing the certificates but I did not want FT employment. Karen said that due to the union i couldn't do a PT position. Here i was a well qualified candidate, wanting to come into CLE to help and then i was willing to accept a fairly low wage but they could not  figure out how to repost it or talk to the union to allow me to work PT.  So they do have candidates willing to come into CLE to assist them, but they don't seem willing/able to "think outside the box". I even offered to do be a contract person. crazy thing is that i could easily have 1-2 of my old co workers who are retiring to apply for these jobs, but none of us want FT employment."

In the February 23, 2025 Edition of "Stay in Touch" CLASH asked: What practices can the city adopt to speed implementation of the city's Lead Safe Certificate Law?

Here's your responses (all anonymous)

• To make testing more effective and really prevent further child lead poisoning, Targeted Selection should be implemented.   The City already has the data analytics to implement.    Using the 2022 city wide building condition audit and GIS data, first select ALL homes described as in poor condition, collate this with children under 6 years old.   Test all these home whether rentals or owner occupied.    Next Target homes in Fair condition.  My experience with testing makes me believe a large number of home being tested are occupied by only adults.  

• Hire retired lead risk assessors to clear out the backlog of cases at Building and Housing and put the new staff to work bringing more landlords into the system. Speed up the reimbursement of landlords who claim the grant from the Lead Safe Resource Center when their Certificate is approved.

The more EBLL cases you find, the better the outcome
CLASH told the funders: "There will be an increase in the number of children with elevated blood lead levels who live in CMHA properties. This seems counter intuitive for lead safe advocates to cite as an outcome, but the reality is that, for too long, children with elevated blood lead levels have not been identified at a time when they are most easily treated by removing the lead hazard and the stigma of treatment. One of the barriers to the accomplishment of lead safety is the fact that there are no good baseline statistics. For now we may have to rely on anecdotal reports to create a baseline for evaluations."

Requesting the PD for a correction

Friday December 13, 2024 Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) asks that the Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com make a correction to the article Lead safety advocates say Cleveland was unprepared when it pivoted to stricter rules for landlords in order to avoid any confusion between the Cleveland Lead Safe Advisory Board and our organization.  Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing had no role in Thursday's meeting. Thanks for your immediate attention to this concern.

Saturday December 14, 2024. Sean McDonnell responds: Hi Spencer, I appreciate you reaching out. However, we don't mention CLASH in the story at all. So, there's no reference to CLASH to take out.

CLASH responds to Sean McDonnell and Elizabeth Sullivan: We have no objection to the content of the article, we'd like the title of the article to be changed.  Many casual readers will only read the headline and jump to the conclusion that "Lead safety advocates say Cleveland was unprepared when it pivoted to stricter rules for landlords" is a reference to Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing. Who are the "Lead safety advocates" referenced in the headline? With all due respect, there were no "lead safety advocates" at the meeting. There were only Lead Safe Advisory Board members and city officials. We repeat our request for a correction. spencer

Sean responds: Spencer, I can understand where you're coming from, and I hope we can work together in the future as I cover lead issues in the city. However, I disagree that people will see that headline and assume its CLASH. More than one group of people can advocate for lead safety. And we don't write stories for people who only read headlines. I'll forward this onto my boss, Chris Quinn, so he's aware. He could always feel differently than I do. 

Spencer says: thanks for forwarding this request to Mr. Quinn. That was going to be my next step. I know that you are new to this beat. On the other hand CLASH and its predecessor organization have been working this beat for 8 years. Let me know when you want a backgrounder. spencer for CLASH

Sean says: He replied, and decided we did not need a correction.  I’m relatively free most of this next week, other than Tuesday. 

Spencer to the public: Let's suppose that Signal Cleveland or Ideastream wrote "Not enough plain dealing at Lead Safe Advisory Board meeting" 

Final thoughts

Spencer to Sean: Clearly we're beating a dead horse, but we'd like you to understand why we were concerned about the headline. 

Cleveland lead safety advocates call on city hall for greater lead soil testing efforts Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing or CLASH applauds new lower lead soil safety standard, but wants more done to protect children

have a good holiday. spencer

Lead Remediation: Taxpayers clean up the mess left by the Richies via the Politicians

On December 4, 2024, the website NEO Trans-Ohio published news of a Brownfields grant to Clean up toxic wastes in downtown buildings. One of the grantees caught my eye. The Centennial Building in downtown Cleveland will receive $10 Million in tax payer dollars for asbestos removal, lead-based paint remediation, and soil gas mitigation (we're guessing that's leaded gas). 

The article Centennial still alive, among Ohio Brownfield winners quotes the State Spokesperson: “Plans include adaptive reuse of the 1.4 million-square-foot property into workforce housing, offices, and retail spaces. The project will create 350 permanent jobs and support more than 3,200 construction jobs.” 

In case the name Centennial Building doesn't ring a bell, the owner is Millennia Companies, which was recently debarred from receiving HUD funds last year and is under investigation by HUD and DOJ for it's financial operations. Millennia sues HUD after raid, accusations of misconduct. 

Where is the environmental justice of Ohio Taxpayers remediating the properties of past oligarchs for future oligarchs? It almost seems like Robin Hood in reverse. 

PS: "Creating 350 permanent jobs" probably means moving them from somewhere else in Ohio.

CLASH communications