Feds unveil plan for reducing children’s exposure to lead sources
Posted December 21, 2018
EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan recently unveiled the Federal Lead Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts (Lead Action Plan). The plan is the product of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, which is the focal point for federal collaboration to promote and protect children’s environmental health.
EPA says the Lead Action Plan is a blueprint for reducing lead exposure and associated harms by working with a range of stakeholders, including states, tribes, and local communities, along with businesses, property owners, and parents.
The goals of the plan are to:
- Reduce children’s exposure to lead sources
- Identify lead-exposed children and improve their health outcomes
- Communicate more effectively with stakeholders
- Support and conduct critical research to inform efforts to reduce lead exposures and related health risks
EPA says it is committed to developing an implementation plan – by March 2019 – that includes performance metrics for monitoring progress and demonstrating accountability for EPA activities identified in the Lead Action Plan. The Agency also commits to providing periodic updates on the progress of these actions.
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