About Community Outreach

The Departments of Public Health, Mental Health and Health Services continue to support and conduct outreach to residents in the communities affected by the release of hazardous materials from Exide Technologies, the former battery recycling facility in Vernon, CA.

With the support of Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, the Department of Public Health led an unprecedented effort on June 10, 2017, to conduct a door-to-door community outreach event to homes within 1.7 miles of the Exide facility. Outreach teams visited households in Bell, Boyle Heights, Commerce, Maywood, East Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon to conduct a health survey to understand the concerns and needs of residents and provide health education materials and resources.

Community Engagement

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are re-engaging in the affected Exide Preliminary Investigation Area (PIA) to provide community members with available services and resources. For more information, please check the Exide and Lead Information Resource Center Flyer to know when the CHWs will be conducting outreach.

Upcoming Blood Lead Testing Event(s)

Information & Resources

Flyers

Steps to Lower Risk of Lead Exposure

Tips for communities near the Exide Technologies battery recycling plant in Vernon, CA

• Wash hands and toys often
  • Lower hand-to-mouth transfer of lead dust or soil by washing your children's hands after
• Playing outside, before eating, and at bedtime. Wash their toys often. Do not let children play on bare soil
  • Playing on grass or sand can lower exposure to bare soils that may have lead.
  • Watch your children play outside and avoid contact with bare soil.
  • Do not let children eat bare soil.
• Take off shoes before coming into your home
  • This helps to lower the chance of bringing lead into your home.
• Also note that pets may bring lead into the home from the soil outside
  • Wash lead tainted clothes separately.
• Request a free blood lead test, call the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Hotline: 1-800-LA-4-LEAD(1-800-524-5323)