{"id":6395,"date":"2017-04-17T08:05:37","date_gmt":"2017-04-17T13:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/?p=6395"},"modified":"2017-04-17T08:32:44","modified_gmt":"2017-04-17T13:32:44","slug":"chpac-letter-on-lead-to-epa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/2017\/04\/17\/chpac-letter-on-lead-to-epa\/","title":{"rendered":"EPA’s Children\u2019s Health Protection Advisory Committee recommends four top priorities for EPA to protect kids from lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Neltner, J.D.<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>is Chemicals Policy Director<\/p>\n

For the past 20 years, the Children\u2019s Health Protection Advisory Committee<\/a> (CHPAC), with its diverse members that include pediatricians and industry toxicologists, has been responding to requests for guidance from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrators. In December 2016, EPA\u2019s Administrator asked CHPAC to provide the agency with its \u201chighest priority advice\u201d on lead. Citing the children\u2019s health risks posed by lead, the economic and racial disparities and the demonstrated effectiveness of national leadership on the issue, on April 6, CHPAC sent the new administrator, Scott Pruitt, a letter<\/a> with its four recommended priorities:<\/p>\n

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  1. Strengthen the Agency\u2019s Lead-Based Paint Hazards Standard for lead in paint, dust, and soil.<\/strong> CHPAC stated that the \u201cbest evidence shows that a young child living in a home meeting the current lead dust standard still has a 50% chance of exceeding the CDC reference level for blood lead.\u201d The EPA standard is so insufficient and outdated that on February 1, 2017, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said it would require its lead hazard control grantees to meet a more protective level that is one-fourth of EPA\u2019s standard.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Revise the Lead and Copper Rule to reduce lead in drinking water. <\/strong>CHPAC highlighted several high profile incidents of high levels of lead in drinking water and called for EPA to overhaul its 1991 Lead and Copper Rule to better protect children, especially infants dependent on formula for nutrition. CHPAC recommended the revisions be consistent with the recommendations from the agency\u2019s National Drinking Water Advisory Committee<\/a> and the lessons from recent water system lead contaminations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Improve risk communication efforts to provide clarity and consistency. <\/strong>CHPAC asked that EPA revise its \u201cProtect Your Family from Lead In Your Home<\/a>\u201d booklet that is given to every family buying or renting a home built before 1978 so that it more effectively helps families make decisions regarding the risks posed by lead. The committee cited three problems with the booklet, it:\n