Trump EPA Brings Laser-Focus to Reducing Lead Exposures
At this week’s Children Health Protection Advisory Committee meeting, Administrator Zeldin announced that EPA reconstituted the senior leadership committee that drives the Agency’s work to reduce exposure to lead, especially in children. The memo reconstituting this committee can be found at www.epa.gov/lead.
The U.S. has made great progress in lowering children’s blood lead levels over the last 50 years, yet potential exposures to lead in the home and the environment present a risk. Administrator Zeldin noted in remarks to the committee, “Our work on lead demonstrates how vital protecting children’s health is at the heart of EPA’s mission and the wins we’ve accomplished in reducing lead exposures should be carried out to other elements of children’s environmental health.”
EPA aims to address and prevent lead exposure through three main approaches: Risk Communication, Cooperative Federalism, and Private Sector Innovation. These approaches are intended to find efficiencies and amplify EPA’s impact beyond meeting the statutory responsibilities and continuing to work under the federal government-wide 2018 Federal Lead Action Plan.
Continuing to reduce childhood lead exposure requires local partnerships for efficient and effective implementation of EPA’s programs. EPA recognizes regional offices are the front line for this work. The leadership team will focus on developing more streamlined, actionable risk communication from EPA; supporting and partnering with state, local, and Tribal governments; and identifying opportunities to unleash private sector innovation in the shared goal of protecting children’s health.
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