EPA finalizes stricter rules meant to limit kids' exposure to lead paint

Washington — Two weeks aft setting a nationwide deadline for removal of lead pipes, nan Biden management is imposing strict caller limits connected particulate from lead-based overgarment successful older homes and child-care facilities.

A last norm announced Thursday by nan Environmental Protection Agency sets limits connected lead particulate connected floors and model sills successful pre-1978 residences and child-care accommodation to levels truthful debased they can't beryllium detected.

Paint that contains lead was banned successful 1978, but much than 30 cardinal American homes are believed to still incorporate it, including astir 4 cardinal homes wherever children nether nan property of 6 live. Lead overgarment tin spot disconnected erstwhile it deteriorates aliases is disturbed, particularly during location remodeling aliases renovation.

"There is nary safe level of lead," said Michal Freedhoff, EPA's adjunct administrator for chemic information and contamination prevention. The caller norm will bring nan United States "closer to eradicating lead-based overgarment hazards from homes and kid attraction accommodation erstwhile and for all," she said.

The EPA estimates nan caller norm will trim nan lead exposures of up to 1.2 cardinal group per year, including 178,000 to 326,000 children nether property 6.

Lead is simply a neurotoxin that tin irreversibly harm encephalon improvement successful children, little IQ, origin behavioral problems and lead to lifelong wellness effects. It besides affects different organs, including nan liver and kidneys.

The caller rule, which takes effect early adjacent year, targets levels of lead particulate generated by paint. Currently, 10 micrograms per quadrate ft is considered hazardous connected floors, and a attraction 10 times that precocious is considered hazardous connected model sills. The caller norm brings some of those levels down to nary detectable lead.

The projected norm besides would trim what level is allowed erstwhile a lead-abatement contractor finishes activity connected a spot wherever lead has been identified arsenic a problem. These levels would beryllium 5 micrograms per quadrate ft connected nan level and 40 micrograms per quadrate ft for sills.

Individuals and firms that execute abatement activity must beryllium certified and travel circumstantial activity practices. Testing is required afterward to guarantee dust-lead levels are beneath nan caller standards.

Environmental justness and nationalist wellness experts called nan EPA norm agelong overdue, noting that lead poisoning disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color.

"We tin each respire a small easier now that nan EPA has importantly lowered its particulate lead modular to protect children," said Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive head of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a New York-based defense group.

Shepard, who serves connected nan White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, said nationalist wellness experts person agelong understood location is nary safe level of lead successful a child's blood, yet New York authorities leads nan federation successful cases of children pinch elevated humor levels. Black children successful Harlem surviving beneath nan poorness statement are doubly arsenic apt to suffer from lead poisoning arsenic mediocre achromatic children, she said.

The U.S. authorities has gradually been reducing nan modular for what counts arsenic venomous levels of lead successful children's blood, pinch nan astir caller alteration occurring successful 2021. But nan EPA norm marks an effort to return much proactive action.

"When you are relying connected nan humor lead level successful children to bespeak whether location is lead successful nan environment, we are fundamentally utilizing nan children arsenic canaries successful nan mine," said Dr. Philip Landrigan, a Boston College biology professor who directs nan school's Program for Global Public Health and nan Common Good.

The National Child Care Association said erstwhile nan lead norm was projected past twelvemonth that it could wounded galore financially struggling child-care centers - particularly those successful low-income neighborhoods, wherever nan accommodation thin to beryllium older. Without due national funding, nan norm could push small, section child-care centers to close, nan group said.

Earlier this month, nan national Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $420 cardinal successful grants to region lead hazards from homes, including HUD-assisted homes. Additional HUD grants will proceed to beryllium disposable to thief pinch lead overgarment removal, nan White House said.