"The Environmental Protection Agency is about to issue strict limits on lead dust, which poses a threat to millions of children across the United States."
"JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The home Jade Shirey bought over a decade ago was a bargain and exactly what she needed for her growing family. But she knew it needed some touch-ups, and after a few years, she turned her attention to the chipping, dark-red-painted wood under the carpet. She started sanding the painted floors, before staining the wood.
She had been remodeling the stairs for two months when she took her son, Benny, to his 1-year-old checkup. A finger prick showed he tested positive for lead levels four times higher than the national standard at the time. The lead paint hidden beneath the floorboards had turned into clouds of dust, poisoning him.
Nearly a half century after the federal government banned lead-based paints in homes across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to finalize tighter lead dust standards within days in an effort to eliminate toxic paint in homes built before 1978, according to agency officials. But even in some of the communities whose children face the highest risk for lead exposure, officials worry whether they can accomplish that goal.
The EPA estimates that more than a third of all housing units in the country — 31 million — still contain lead-based paint that was applied before the ban, and 3.8 million of them have one or more children under the age of 6 living there."
Amudalat Ajasa and Carolyn Van Houten report for the Washington Post October 19, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"E.P.A. Toughens Requirements to Remove Lead Paint Dust Around Children" (New York Times)
"EPA Imposes Stricter Standards To Protect Children From Exposure To Lead Paint" (AP)
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