EPA Plans To Repeal, Replace Programs To Prevent Childhood Lead Exposure

"Environmentalists brace for the worst, and advocates say the move will leave children more exposed to lead."

"Environmental advocates are bracing for potentially 'catastrophic' changes to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations that protect children from dangerous lead exposure across the country. Advocates say if the agency moves forward with its plans to repeal or replace programs that regulate hazardous lead levels, lead poisoning prevention efforts would be set back decades.

The advocates plan to voice their concerns at a May 1 public meeting that the EPA is hosting in Washington D.C. to seek input on regulations 'to make them less burdensome,' according to an email the EPA sent last week to stakeholders. That email cited Donald Trump’s presidential order directing federal agencies lower regulatory burdens.

The lead regulations, which are part of the Toxic Substances Control Act, affect how hazardous lead levels in dust, soil, and paint are identified, remediated, and disclosed. Legal advocates expressed concern that these potential changes will relax standards rather than strengthening lead protections at a time when communities across the country are discovering that lead contamination is more pervasive than previously thought."

Yvette Cabrera reports for Think Progress April 27, 2017.