Western NY Kids' Rate of Lead Poisoning Far Higher Than in Flint

"WASHINGTON – Young children in Western New York suffer from the highest rate of lead poisoning in the upstate region – a rate that’s more than three times higher than that in Flint, Mich., where a cost-driven switch to an alternate water system left 4 percent of children tested with signs of lead exposure.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the region’s high rate of exposure to lead poisoning Wednesday as he announced a legislative proposal aimed at removing lead paint from older homes.

Some 13 percent of children ages 5 and younger who were tested in Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties tested positive for lead poisoning in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Out of 4,514 children who were tested in those counties that year, 585 met the federal standard for exposure to lead, which can lead to neurological damage and behavioral disorders."

Jerry Zremski reports for the Buffalo News February 24, 2016.