A neurotoxin found across LA homes, schools and parks threatens thousands of children as healthcare access plummets 50% amid immigration enforcement, leaving a generation vulnerable.
“If a child has elevated blood lead levels, officials typically distribute to parents guidelines for reducing lead exposure largely focused on what’s happening inside the home. But many exposure sources exist outside the home due to a legacy of industrial pollution across the county, including leaded gasoline and lead-emitting facilities, like the former Exide lead-battery recycling facility in Vernon that contaminated some 10,000 homes.
“Rossmery Zayas, a grassroots organizer for the nonprofit advocacy organization Communities for a Better Environment, is concerned that parents are often missing information vital to protecting their children from all potential lead sources.
“’We need to stay ahead of the lead,’ said Zayas, repeating a phrase central to an ongoing educational program on lead exposure that her organization is conducting for community members in South East LA, funded by Kaiser Permanente.”