Breaking News: October 16, 2024
Discovery of LEAD-CONTAMINATED Drinking WATER in Syracuse
Public Officials Should Take 8 Specific Action Steps NOW to Protect Syracuse Residents
More info here: Testing Reveals Tap Water Contamination
Medical Doctors, Families Deliver Demands to Mayor Walsh: Take 8 Key Actions for Safety and Health of All Residents
November 2024
Syracuse Medical Doctors, Families Leaders Respond to Public Officials: Take Emergency Action for Safety, Public Education, and Equity
News Updates
October 22, 2024 CBS News Story on Water Crisis:
October 24, 2024 CBS News Story on Families and Water Crisis:
We are Syracuse families. We know childhood lead poisoning.
We understand the experience of suffering that lead poisoning causes families.
We are the experts in how lead affects us and our community, and what to do to end its violence among us.
We provide each other mutual support, fight for environmental justice (especially smarter decisions by policy makers about our community’s health), and demand healthy housing to prevent childhood lead poisoning.
A healthy Syracuse needs our voices.
SYRACUSE COMMUNITY REPORT - LEAD POISONING: Where We Go From Here
Now is the time for urgent, effective, and sustained action.
Now is the time to protect our children’s health and safety!
Check out the Syracuse Community Report - Lead Poisoning: Where We Go From Here, based on the June 12, 2021 People’s Public Hearing:
I
Time for Our State to be Lead-Free …
Opinion: Onondaga County’s ‘lead van’ isn’t delivering on promise of large-scale testing: https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2023/10/onondaga-countys-lead-van-isnt-delivering-on-promise-of-large-scale-testing-your-letters.html
Tenant Power: West Branch Leader Darlene Medley’s Call for Tenant Protections: https://www.leadfreedomcny.org/community-video
Historic: NYS Senate Hearing: Childhood Lead Poisoning (Oceanna Fair testifies at hour 2:42:10 ): https://www.leadfreedomcny.org/community-video
You can make a difference! Join South Branch Leader Oceanna Fair & Citizen Action: https://www.leadfreedomcny.org/community-video
Syracuse Lead Crisis: Watch the January 26, 2022 forum: https://www.leadfreedomcny.org/community-video
II
Media Reports: Stay Informed…
Ground-breaking! Press Reports on I-81 Construction: Advocates Say It's Time to Protect Workers, Nearby Residents from I-81 Lead Dust
Featuring: Darlene Medley-Williams, North Branch Leader, and Oceanna Fair, South Branch Leader
South Side Stand: https://mysouthsidestand.com/more-news/families-speak-up/
Syracuse.com: https://www.syracuse.com/state/2021/12/advocates-ny-state-should-be-careful-about-lead-paint-dust-during-i-81-construction.html
WAER news: https://www.waer.org/news/2021-12-08/residents-advocates-raise-concerns-about-lead-paint-dust-exposure-when-i-81-viaduct-is-demolished
Urban CNY: https://www.urbancny.com/residents-flag-health-safety-concerns-as-state-moves-closer-to-i-81-viaduct-demolition/
III
Breaking News! October 1, 2021
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, by LETITIA JAMES, Attorney General of the State of New York, and ONONDAGA COUNTY and the CITY OF SYRACUSE,
- against -
JOHN KIGGINS and ENDZONE PROPERTIES, INC.,dba CITY RENTALS
“Kiggins’ and Endzone’s widespread leasing of housing with conditions conducive to lead poisoning creates a public nuisance that impacts individuals, families, and the community.”
**Read the Official Complaint: https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/008397_2021_the_people_of_the_stat_v_the_people_of_the_stat_summons_complaint_1.pdf
Local news coverage:
Press Release: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2021/attorney-general-james-sues-syracuse-landlord-exposing-children-lead-hazards
LocalSYR.com: https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/ag-james-sues-syracuse-landlord-for-exposing-kids-to-lead-hazards/
News 10abc: https://www.news10.com/news/attorney-general-james-sues-syracuse-landlord-for-exposing-children-to-lead-hazards/
570 WSYR: https://wsyr.iheart.com/content/2021-10-01-landlord-in-syracuse-sued-by-nys-attorney-general-for-lead-poisoning/
Spectrum News: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/public-safety/2021/10/01/new-york-ag--county--city-sue-syracuse-landlord-over-lead-poisoning
Syracuse.com (via Syracuse Tenants Union): https://www.syracusetenantsunion.com/stu-in-the-news/ny-attorney-general-sues-notorious-syracuse-landlord-over-lead-poisoning-of-18-children
IV
People’s Public Hearing on Lead Poisoning: Environmental Justice for Syracuse Now!
Sign the Petition!
Join us - our elected leaders have missed the deadline!
Sign the petition for the Four (4) Demands and tell our elected leaders to do the right thing by families:
News Coverage
https://mysouthsidestand.com/more-news/community-groups-call-for-greater-lead-remediation/
https://www.syracusetenantsunion.com/stu-in-the-news/in-syracuse-peoples-public-hearing-on-lead-demands-swift-action
Our Four (4) Demands - Two for the Mayor of Syracuse
OPERATE THE ORDINANCE (STOP THE HARM): Begin full operation and implementation of the Syracuse Lead Ordinance, which was supposed go into effect on October 1, 2020, but has yet to be effectively implemented or enforced.
RENTAL REGISTRY IN PLAIN VIEW: Give the public full and complete public transparency via an easy-to-access online database of which properties are on the Syracuse Rental Registry.
Two for the Onondaga County Executive
TESTING NOW: a return to mass-based population testing of Syracuse residents under 6 years old for Elevated Blood Lead Levels (EBLL). Reinstate lead testing at WIC appointments.
SHARE THE DATA ON RACE AND PLACE: Twice a year Onondaga County Department of Health should release de-identified (non-personalized) data of race and ethnicity and place (census tract and/or zip code) of children suffering lead poisoning. Environmental Justice is rooted in race and place. Providing such data is central to a commitment to stop environmental injustice.
V
June 12, 2020
Syracuse Post-Standard OpEd:
Childhood Lead Poisoning is an Issue of Racial Justice.
Syracuse Must Address It.
Congratulations Syracuse!
The Syracuse Lead Ordinance has passed!
Syracuse Common Council voted 9-0 for the Ordinance.
July 13, 2020
Thanks to all our partners, advocates, allies, the Mayor and Councilors for this important city-wide victory!
About
January 2018 CNY Rise Friendship Dinner with co-host Legal Services
Ending Childhood Lead Poisoning by 2025
Community members like Lisa Saka (SCSD Teacher), Palmer Harvey (TNT Housing Taskforce), Jaime Howley (TNT Housing Taskforce), and Charlie Pierce-El (Syracuse Communications Center) coming together out of care for our children got us started.
Families working together with love for one another keeps us going.
Take Action
During the January 2018 Friendship Dinner, Mustafa Santiago Ali (former official with the Environmental Protectoin Agency), encouraged us to remember we are “truly blessed” and, working together,
We can make a Difference!
From our friends at Cornell Co-operative Extension
““Why [is] there so little effort to bring other ways of knowing - fresh metaphors - to the table?” Why is such a narrow group of people “invited to sit at the tables of decision, where the fate of so many will be decided?”
Barry Lopez, author (interviewed by Vincent J. Miller)”