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Your Update from Lead-Free NJ \| November 2025

Join us at the NJ League of Municipalities Conference and the Jersey Water Works Conference

Transforming Communities: Unlocking Funding for Lead Remediation

Panel at the NJ League of Municipalities Conference | Thursday November 20, 09:00 AM - 10:15 AM EST | 307, AC Convention Center

Discover how to leverage new NJ DCA Lead Paint Remediation and Abatement funding for safer, healthier communities. Our expert panel will share best practices for complying with state lead inspection laws, using available resources, and engaging local partners to protect families and ensure no child is at risk from lead exposure.

Moderated by Tenisha Malcolm, National Forum for Black Public Administrators
Ketlen Baptiste Alsbrook, Director/CEO, Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness
Alix Fellman, Director of Community Development, Lead-Free NJ Housing Committee Co-Chair, Trenton Health Team
Bhanu Jayarangan, Lead and Weatherization Administrator, NJ Department of Community Affairs
Shanikwa Lemon, Director of Programs & Impact, Lead-Free NJ Community Hub Leader in Paterson, Paterson Alliance
Natasha Tabachnikoff, Healthy Housing Policy and Technical Assistance Coordinator, Lead-Free NJ backbone staff for the Housing Committee, Green and Healthy Homes Initiative

Thank you to the National Forum for Black Public Administrators for sponsoring and coordinating this session.

Protecting Future Generations: Policy Solutions that Protect Health and Address Lead in Water

Join us for a world cafe policy discussion led by Lead-Free NJ committee chairs and academic researchers. There will also be a lead service line replacement learning lab.

December 11 | Register

Contact cbolinger@njfuture.org to inquire about scholarship opportunities.

Get Involved - Attend a Lead-Free NJ Committee Meeting

Housing Committee: 12/17, 10am

Advocacy Coordinating Committee: December 2, 3pm | REGISTER

Fill out this form to indicate your interest in joining new Lead-Free NJ ad-hoc subcommittees of the water & health committees.

Contact cbolinger@njfuture.org to join a committee or sign-up here.

NJ Governor-elect Transition

Mikkie Sherrill is now Governor-elect of New Jersey and has started developing a transition process. There are opportunities to get involved on the transition website. Consider lead poisoning prevention in your outreach! You can consult our guide What Every New Jersey Gubernatorial Candidate Should Know about Lead or reach out info@leadfreenj.org

Deadline to Apply is November 28

NJ schools can apply for grants through NJ DOE to remediate lead and other contaminants in drinking water. The deadline to apply is November 28, 2025, and the total grant allocation is over $94 million. Learn more here.

New Resources

NJ DCA on Lead Prevention | NJCDC's The Loft

In this episode, NJ state leaders Kia King, Chief of Staff at the NJ Department of Community Affairs, Dr. Novneet Sahu, DOH Deputy Commissioner for Public Health Services, Janel Winter, Director at the Division of Housing & Community and Christine Schell, Office of Environmental and Public Health Analysis, NJ Department of Environmental Protection. WATCH the episode.

Lessons from Prenatal and Perinatal Population Screening for Lead and Mercury in New Jersey

Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) hosted a webinar featuring the work of NJ Department of Health Biomonitoring Program, Rutgers Medical School, and University Hospital researchers and doctors, followed by input from community health advocates. WATCH the recording.

NJDEP, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Arcadis Launch Collaboration to Accelerate Lead Pipe Replacements

DEP announced an innovative public-private-philanthropic collaboration that will deliver critical planning, design, and predevelopment services to help under-resourced municipalities access New Jersey Water Bank funding for lead service line replacement and ensure safe, clean drinking water for their residents. Read more.

New Flyer Explaining the NJ Potential Lead Exposure Mapping Tool

Download the new flyer for NJ Potential Lead Exposure Mapping Tool (PLEM), published by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Download the flyer here.

Why Lead Exposure Matters During Pregnancy

New educational materials are available from Protect•Prevent•Nurture, a collaborative campaign with a focus on protecting and preventing pregnant individuals and their babies from harmful environmental exposures.

Read our new blog: NJ Households Should Access State Grants to Fix Lead Paint by December 2026, and Advocate for Future Funding

Events

Webinar hosted by Philadelphia Regional Center for Children's Environmental Health, November 19, 8am-9am, Register
NJ Rural Health Conference: November 20, Register

Lead in the News

Health

Water

Lead in Water: Strong Association Between Lead Pipes and Elevated Blood Lead Levels?

Soil

Lead in Soil: EPA Weakens Cleanup Action Levels Despite Claiming Lead is a Priority

Lead-contaminated paint, water, and soil, and other sources disproportionately affects young children, causing serious medical and behavioral issues into adulthood, and low-income communities and/or communities of color are most at risk, due to systemic inequities. However, these issues can be prevented by targeting the sources of lead. Working together as Lead-Free NJ, an inclusive and equitable collaborative focused on removing lead from New Jersey’s environment, we can address this complex problem on a larger scale than any individual or organization can alone. The time is now to demand action and organize for state-wide lead remediation in every home, childcare facility, school, and water system.

Staff Contacts: Heather Sorge, program manager (609) 262-3646 (direct), hsorge@njfuture.org; Cassie Bolinger, program coordinator, 609-262-3541 (direct), cbolinger@njfuture.org.

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New Jersey Future is a member of Lead-Free NJ, and serves as the “backbone” staff for the collaborative. NJF staff coordinate the day-to-day activities of each collaborative in support of its shared purpose.

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