REALNEO is a founding affiliate of the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council (GCLAC) - and REALNEO actively promotes "Lead Safe Living" in NEO. For the past several years it has been my honor to work with 100s of amazing people associated with GCLAC, the most innovative and important community redevelopment initiative in Ohio, eradicating lead poisoning and its consequences in this most lead poisoned region in America. We have made great strides and enter a transition stage where we are "institutionalizing" lead poisoning eradication by making it core to public awareness and action for healthy living, centered on healthy homes and environment. So the lead poisoning dialog will no longer be centered only on the plight of poor urban children and toys from China but on lead poisoning's impacts on all of society, and community strategies for mitigation. This year's GCLAC annual meeting, at the Cleveland Natural History Museum, focuses on this turning point in our community approach to lead poisoning, as the topic of the world-class meeting is "Lead Poisoning and Urban Redevelopment". You are invited to attend... see detailed information on the free event and how to register in the message from the event coordinator, Jacqueline Knox Kelly, below.

We are pleased to announce that online registration is now open for the 2008 Annual Meeting to be held from 7:30 am to 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval, Cleveland, OH.

 

The topic of this year's symposium is Lead Poisoning and Urban Redevelopment: Challenges and Affordable Solutions. Dr. David Jacobs, of the National Center for Health Housing is the keynote speaker.

I am the Annual Meeting Coordinator, so please feel free to contact me directly for questions that you may have about the entire meeting.  I can be reached at (216) 664-2480 or jkelly@city.cleveland.oh.us.  

 

Attached is detailed material for the Meeting, To register, visit www.clevelandhealth.org. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. 

 

Jacqueline Knox Kelly

Deputy Project Director

Cleveland Department of Public Health

Division of Environment

1925 St. Clair Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115

(216) 664-2480   Fax (216) 664-3353

jkelly@city.cleveland.oh.us  

www. clevelandhealth.org

About the Symposium
WHO:                       Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council
WHAT:                      2008 Annual Meeting
WHEN                       Thursday, May 22, 2008
                           7:30 am-1:00 pm
WHERE:                     The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
                           1 Wade Oval Drive
                           Cleveland, OH 44106
                           Lead Poisoning and Urban Redevelopment:
THEME:
                           Challenges and Affordable Solutions
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:           David E. Jacobs, PhD, CIH
                           Director of Research
                           National Center for Healthy Housing
BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Breakout sessions will feature the symposium keynote speaker and other experts in lead hazard control; as well as community leaders, city planners and housing experts.

# 1: Integrating Lead Hazard Control with Healthy and Green Housing
This session will consider the benefits and difficulties of combining lead hazard
control with other interventions to reduce housing-related health hazards. How
lead hazard control fits with an emerging affordable green housing model (lower
utility costs, reduced environmental impact, and health) will also be discussed.

Participants: Stuart Greenberg and Mandy Metcalf, Environmental Health Watch
and Andy Nikiforova, Executive Director of Community Housing Services
(formerly Lutheran Housing).

# 2: Urban Planning for Lead Burdened Communities
The session will focus on how the City of Cleveland’s redevelopment planning
reduces lead hazards is leading to a reduction in the number of homes with lead
hazards; the challenges and opportunities municipalities face because of the large
number of vacant homes and apartment structures; strategies to remediate vacant
land; and cooperative efforts between Community Development Corporations and
the City to renovate vacant and abandoned properties.

Participants: Keynote speaker, David Jacobs and Theresa Schwartz of the Kent
State University Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio will lead a panel of city
planning and redevelopment experts.

# 3: Lead Safe Renovation: Rules & New Technology for Preserving Cleveland’s
Housing Stock

This session, aimed primarily at contractors. Panelists from the Ohio Department
of Health and Cleveland Department of Public Health will provide a practical
introduction to the new EPA rules for home renovation. The session will include a
hands-on demonstration of some new and emerging technology for paint removal.
Participants: Cleveland Lead Hazard Control program manager, Jonathon Brandt
and lead hazard control contractor, Mansukh Hirani, of Cleveland Housing
Network will lead the discussion.

PARKING:                  Free parking at The Cleveland Museum of Art,
11150 East Blvd.
BREAKFAST:                Free for annual meeting registrants. Service will begin at 7:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION:             Registration deadline is May 20, 2008. On-line Registration: www.clevelandhealth.org.
                          For more information, contact Jacqueline Knox Kelly,
                          Lead Safe Living Campaign at 216-664-2480.

The GCLAC Annual Meeting is free and open to the public