Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said remediating the area's lead problem isn't as difficult as it was in the past.

“This issue used to be a funding issue, being able to identify resources to address it with. That's not the issue now. The issue now is getting out and finding these cases and getting out and proactively going into the old homes. The city now has inspectors going in and identifying where there is lead so that we can get the dollars there to remediate it," McMahon said.

The county is creating a new director of lead operations position. A new tool will help with tracking down lead issues. A mobile lead-testing van will visit communities and test kids for lead levels.

To be proactive, McMahon said support services will be offered to children with lead levels that have yet to reach a 100% health risk.

“We're going to immediately start support services for that kid with our new Lead it Go program. So we're not waiting for the lead to get to an elevated level in their blood. We're going to start the necessary enrichment services to make sure that that child doesn't have an adverse impact,” McMahon said.

McMahon said partnerships and funding are what has led Onondaga County to this point in its lead remediation efforts.

“We work very closely with our peers from around the state and we share best practices, and certainly, we think this approach is going to be impactful in a very positive way and hopefully a model for other communities to follow," he said.

As for the mobile lead-testing van, the county said it will be out and about later this spring, and community members will be notified ahead of time.

For other communities looking to get rid of unwanted lead, Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed about $38 million in state budget funds to address both lead exposure and lead poisoning in rental properties.

Some county health officials believe the scale of the problem and requirements of the 2019 law meant to protect children under 6 from lead exposure will require more spending.