WASHINGTON - The United States Conference of Mayors and DuPont Co. recently announced a program to award $1 million to cities that demonstrate lead-safety excellence in 2004. The Conference of Mayors and DuPont also launched the USCM-DuPont Spotlight on Excellence Awards, which rewards 18 cities with grants totaling $500,000 during 2003 and 2004 for outstanding strategies to make cities lead-safe.

In addition, DuPont announced an additional $500,000 in continued support of Cities United for Science Progress' (CUSP) Lead-Safe for Kids' Sake grant program.

More information on the awards is available from the websites located at www.usmayors.org and www.cusponline.org. Information also is available from the NPCA website by going to www.paint.org/ind_issue/current/dec/issue18.cfm.