Governor Granholm's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative

"Lead poisoning may affect as many as 20,000 children under the age of six in Michigan. If not detected early, the lead that accumulates in a child's body may cause brain damage, mental retardation, developmental delay, learning difficulties, behavior problems, anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, hyperactivity, and in extreme cases, even coma and death." - Governor Jennifer Granholm's July 2003 - Call to Action - Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Report.

 In the summer of 2003, Michigan’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Task Force was convened by the Governor and charged with leading a statewide effort to eliminate lead poisoning in Michigan’s children by 2010, This 170-member multi-agency/organization task force included representatives from all affected state agencies as well as members of state and local partnerships, parents and other stakeholders.  The Task Force addressed this charge in it’s June 2004 Final Report of the Task Force to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning, offering a wide range of initiatives and concrete recommendations for future policy direction.  Consequently, Governor Granholm, through the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), has committed more than $1 million to address lead prevention statewide for Fiscal Year 2005 alone.