[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11488-S11489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO RON RUPP

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to recognize 
an outstanding Vermont public servant who goes above and beyond to 
advocate for better laws and protection to keep children safe from lead 
poisoning--the No. 1 environmental health threat affecting young 
children in the United States.
  Ron Rupp serves as the current director of the Vermont Housing and 
Conservation Board, VHCB, Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program and 
has played a major role in securing more than $10 million in HUD funds 
for the State of Vermont for lead hazard control efforts. Having been 
with this program since its inception in 1994, Ron has worked to expand 
the availability and quality of training and assistance for landlords 
and homeowners in order to reduce the hazards of lead poisoning caused 
by lead-based paint. Under his leadership, the program has provided 
comprehensive technical and financial assistance to make Vermont 
properties lead-safe. In addition to direct intervention, Ron has 
worked to expand education outreach efforts for the public on lead 
paint hazards, including training of construction and service workers, 
as well as property owners, and on the importance of testing young 
children for lead poisoning.
  Ron's fight against childhood exposure to lead hazards is not limited 
to the State level. He has worked closely with the National Center for 
Healthy Housing to increase the overall body of knowledge on effective 
control of lead hazards and coauthored two papers on research into lead 
hazard control methods. Considered an expert on lead and environmental 
health, he has served as a reviewer for HUD's Lead Paint Safety Guide 
and other HUD documents.
  The most common cause of lead poisoning is exposure to dust from 
deteriorated lead-based paint, the foremost cause of childhood lead 
poisoning, in old homes and buildings. Children are most frequently 
exposed to miniscule lead dust particles from chipping, peeling or 
flaking paint that cling to toys, fingers and other objects, leading 
young children to ingest the particles. Poisoning can also come from 
sources such as soil containing lead from car exhaust, water pipes, 
lead-glazed ceramic dishware, and plastic mini-blinds.
  Too much lead in the body can cause damage to the brain, kidneys, 
nervous system and red blood cells. According to data from the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 million children living 
in the United States between the ages of 1 and 5 years have 
unacceptably high levels of lead in their blood, which may result in 
learning disabilities, reduced intellectual ability, behavioral 
problems, or other health problems. Poor children are at special risk 
because inadequate nutrition increases lead absorption by the body.
  Ron's job is by no means an easy one, but he has done exceptional 
work advocating for better policies and practices so that Vermont's 
children can grow up in lead-free homes. My home State has the seventh 
oldest housing stock in the Nation--a real ``Lead Leader.'' In the city 
of Burlington alone, housing units occupied by low-income residents 
constitute the highest concentration of older homes in Vermont. 
Significant lead paint hazards are characteristic of the deteriorated 
condition of many of these buildings. The result is that Burlington has 
a childhood lead poisoning rate that is more than double the national 
average.
  Through the hard work of Ron and the VHCB Lead-Based Paint Hazard 
Reduction Program, Vermont is becoming a place where our children can 
grow up safe from lead poisoning. The

[[Page S11489]]

removal of lead hazards from our old homes and buildings is a slow 
process and success can be long in coming, but with dedicated public 
servants like Ron I have no doubt that success will indeed be met. 
Thank you, Ron, and congratulations to you for making Vermont's Lead-
Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program the continuing success it is 
today.

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