Thousands of children in Ohio are exposed to dangerous levels of lead each year, but state lawmakers have cut key prevention and mitigation programs despite ongoing health risks linked to aging housing and infrastructure.
Jessie Balmert reports for The Columbus Dispatch.
In short:
- Ohio Republicans reduced annual funding for lead abatement from $7.5 million to $250,000 and eliminated a separate $1 million Lead-Safe Home Fund, arguing the programs lacked efficiency.
- The state increased the lead abatement tax credit from $10,000 to $40,000, but capped the total available credits at $3 million — less than previous years and below the governor’s proposal.
- In 2024, more than 4,500 Ohio children tested positive for elevated blood-lead levels, with experts warning that under-testing means the real number is likely far higher.
Key quote:
"To zero out that line item, it is going to be at the expense of families continually being poisoned. These children who are poisoned are going to be adults who are poisoned, and that is a travesty."
— Dontavius Jarrells, Ohio state representative
Why this matters:
Lead poisoning remains a silent but potent threat to children’s health, particularly in older cities where paint and plumbing systems predate federal bans. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause permanent neurological damage, affecting speech, learning ability and behavior. In Ohio, more than two-thirds of homes were built before 1978, and hundreds of thousands of lead service lines remain in place. Pediatricians warn that without sustained state investment, families — especially in low-income neighborhoods — will be left to navigate the risks on their own.
Related: Toddlers across U.S. already exposed to dozens of toxic chemicals, study finds
