But what do you really think about Lead Safety?
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Who gets the credit for lead safety? Why is credit important.
What is the lead belt?
Innovative technique for lead detection.
The awareness spectrum
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.
to the public: Let's suppose that Signal Cleveland or Ideastream wrote "Not enough plain dealing at Lead Safe Advisory Board meeting"
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.