DHS Secretary visits Richland County to view lead abatement progress in area homes

Photo by Nicole Aimone, Editor-in-Chief

Pictured: DHS Secretary-designee, Karen Timberlake, center foreground, tours a home included in the Lead Safe Homes project in Richland Center with Troy Morris, Richland County’s environmental health consultant, right background, and Rose Kohout, Richland County’s public health officer, at left.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee, Karen Timberlake visited a home in Richland County April 22 to see progress on a house that will benefit from Lead Safe Homes funding from DHS.

The Lead Safe Homes project was introduced about two years ago, and aims to give homeowners or landlords funding to remove any lead based paint or other lead based products in pre-1980s homes to minimize lead poisoning in children.

In the upcoming biennial budget, Gov. Tony Evers is proposing additional funding for lead removal in homes and water supplies.

For more information on how to benefit from the Lead Safe Homes project, contact your local county health department.

Richland County

Phone Number: (608) 649-5921

Website: https://co.richland.wi.us/departments/hhs/

Sauk County

Phone Number: (608) 355-3290

Website: www.co.sauk.wi.us/publichealth

Iowa County

Phone Number: (608) 930-9870

Website: www.iowacounty.org/departments/HealthDepartment