Kohl and Barrett contacted HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo in support of Milwaukee's grant application. Despite vigorous efforts to eradicate childhood lead-based paint poisoning, there is still much work to be done.
Lead poisoning continues to rank as the number one environmental threat to children.
An astonishing number of children are still at risk of the adverse health effects caused by lead poisoning, and that number will only grow if we are not proactive in eliminating the problem. I have heard from a number of people in Milwaukee who are rightly concerned about this issue, and these grant funds are a result of the community's concerted effort to protect our children from the hazards of lead-based paint. The health effects of lead on children can be severe and include permanent neurologic and physiologic impairment.