Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led a group of 19 senators to call for robust federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead-based paint abatement, inspection, and enforcement programs. The senators noted that despite a decline in overall exposure—blood lead levels have declined by more than 90% since the mid-1970’s—lead poisoning continues to be a problem in places with older homes and buildings. Lead-based paint is the most common source of childhood lead exposure. Among the negative health effects of lead exposure in children and adults are decreased performance of the nervous system, severe damage to the brain and kidneys, and even death.
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance takes federal enforcement actions regarding lead paint regulation, holding contractors, landlords and property managers accountable. The program funding is also used to clean up lead-contaminated waste sites.
The senators wrote to urge “robust funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead based paint abatement, inspection, and enforcement programs” and noted that “despite a decline in overall exposure, lead poisoning continues to be a problem in places with older homes and buildings.” The senators requested robust federal funding for the EPA programs and affirmed that “keeping our communities safe from lead continues to be a priority of the federal government.”
In addition to Gillibrand, the letter was signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to Senate appropriators is available here or below:
Dear Chair Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski,
As you draft the Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2025, we write to urge you to include robust funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead based paint abatement, inspection, and enforcement programs.
Blood lead levels have declined by more than 90% since the mid-1970’s – easily one of the great public health achievements in recent history. EPA, along with federal and state partners had worked together to drastically reduce or eliminate the use of lead in paint, gasoline, plumbing pipes, food cans, and a variety of other products to put us on a path towards minimizing human exposure.
However, despite a decline in overall exposure, lead poisoning continues to be a problem in places with older homes and buildings. Lead-based paint chips and flakes off, contaminating dust and entering the populace through touch and inhalation, and is the most common source of childhood lead exposure. In both adults and children, lead poisoning decreases performance of the nervous system. At high levels of exposure, lead can severely damage the brain and kidneys and ultimately cause death. For pregnant women, lead may cause miscarriage. Lead is also especially dangerous for children under six years old, as exposure can reduce IQ, cause learning disabilities, and create behavioral problems.
Fortunately, lead poisoning is preventable. Federal law requires certification for all firms (or sole proprietorships) that provide renovation, repair, and painting services which disturbs lead based paint in housing and facilities built prior to 1978 and where children are routinely present. EPA works in cooperation with states, tribes, and territories to ensure firms are certified and use leadsafe work practices. In December 2023, EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance announced over 107 federal enforcement actions of EPA’s lead-based paint regulations were completed over Fiscal Year 2023 that held renovation contractors, landlords, and property managers accountable for protecting communities from exposure to lead. Additionally, EPA uses its program funding to clean up lead contaminated waste sites to minimize exposure in surrounding areas.
We thank you in advance for your careful consideration and hope you will ensure that keeping our communities safe from lead continues to be a priority of the federal government by funding these critical EPA programs.
Sincerely,