First Year

• To complete the original goals, as stated in our original grant proposal, to control lead-based paint hazards in 195 housing units.
• To enlarge upon current childhood lead poisoning outreach and education efforts.
• To develop a self-sustaining network of public and private organizations dedicated to fulfilling the Program's vision.

Third Year

• To at least double the federal funding of the program. To seek other sources of funding, such as local philanthropic, State Prop, etc., to ensure program services will remain available to needy residents at no or low cost.
• To extend cooperative efforts beyond County boundaries in order to deal with lead-based paint as a regional, rather than local, public health problem.
• To establish a staffing structure necessary to implement program vision and accomplished our goals.

• The Program provides general awareness regarding lead-based paint hazards. This awareness is targeted at educating both the general public as well as the various government agencies that deal with housing. · Lead is fetotoxic and has long been known to cause reproductive problems such as abortion and neonatal mortality and morbidity. A few studies have found an increase in chromosomal defects in workers with elevated blood leads which could increase the chance of conceiving a genetically defective fetus. This Program serves to prevent pre-natal and perinatal exposure to lead via direct services and hazard awareness education and can be therefore said to improve perinatal outcomes.
• The Program provides services to identify, remediate and prevent the on-going exposure to a toxin that causes permanent damage to the developing nervous system. It therefore serves to prevent chronic disease.
• Lead is a potent toxin that can cause permanent damage to the developing nervous system of a child. Permanent loss of IQ and anti-social behavioral problems have been linked to childhood lead exposure. One of the most significant sources of lead in the home environment is lead-based paint. This Program provides services to identify and control residential lead paint hazards
• Because childhood lead exposure can lead to a decrease in academic performance and anti-social behavior, lead poisoned children can add stress to the family environment. The Program is designed to improve the environmental quality of the home by controlling the exposure to lead-based paint, thus fostering family development.
• The Program is working collectively with other public and private organizations to assess the extent of lead-based paint hazards throughout the County. The information gained from this cooperative will be used to assess the County's over-all lead-based paint needs.
• The Program is designed to provide state-of-the-art lead-based paint inspections, expert consultation and high-quality construction-related services to County residents who could otherwise not afford such services. The Program also works in tandem with other agencies to couple lead-based paint hazard control with other programs such as weatherization and home rehabilitation.

First Year

• Increase the number of Environmental Impact reviews for the County's Planning and Transportation reviews. Begin to solicit other municipalities for community noise consultation work.
• Join with Public Health in applying for grants that addresses pediatric allergens and asthma triggers in the home environment.
• Expand the existing Lead-based Paint Hazard Control Program, via the HUD's Healthy Homes Initiative, to include other home-based childhood health hazards.

Third Year

• At least double the federal funding for the HUD

Indoor air quality system

• Since the 1970's, it has become apparent that the proper maintenance of the indoor building environment is essential to the health and well being of building occupants. Improperly maintained buildings can cause a variety of problems ranging from biological-based indoor pollution (mold, bacteria, allergens, microbial toxins, etc.) to chemical air pollution (emission from synthetic building materials, furnishings, home appliances, office equipment, janitorial products, etc.). Health effects resulting from these environmental problems vary from mild irritations to debilitating disease.
• Environmental problems affect commercial and residential buildings alike. Our Indoor Air Quality system has developed state-of-the-art consulting services determining the cause of occupant complaints and designing solutions to remedy the problem.

Environmental Review System

• The ever increasing expansion of commercial and residential development in Riverside County brings with it concerns regarding the potential negative environmental impact such development might have on the community. Concerns range from excessive community noise and vibration, air-borne emission from vehicles and industrial processes, etc.
• Since the 1970's the Office of Industrial Hygiene (OIH) has been providing the County's Transportation and Land Management Agency (TLMA) with the technical expertise necessary to conduct these Environmental Reviews. OIH continues to serve as the technical link between TLMA and developers concerning such matters as community noise, vibration issues and various forms of air pollution. We serve the public interest by ensuring that developers incorporate necessary safe guards to mitigate adverse environmental impacts.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)

• Since the 1980's OIH has assisted the County's Public Health Nursing section with the environmental portion of childhood lead poisoning investigations. Lead is a potent toxin that can cause permanent damage to the developing nervous system of a child. Permanent loss of IQ and anti-social behavioral problems have been linked to childhood lead exposure. Therefore, our involvement in the CLPPP benefits the community by safeguarding the health our children.

Turberculosis (TB) Control Consultation System

• The relatively recent emergence of drug resistant TB has caused great concern in the Public Health community. Whereas previously controlled by antibiotics and hygiene, drug resistant TB has the potential of being as great a public health threat as it was in the days before antibiotics.
• This threat has spawned new, and more complex, workplace regulation in order to prevent the spread of this disease. The Office of Industrial Hygiene, drawing on its expertise in the area of the engineering control of workplace hazards, assists public agencies in complying with these regulations. These services have already been given to our Public Health and Sheriff's Department, as well as to our Regional County Medical Center. OIH's assistance has not only helped protect County employees working in these facilities, but the general public who access these County services as well.

Grant Writing

• OIH continues to aggressively pursue grants as a source of program funding thus making program services affordable for low-income citizens of the County.