Childhood lead experts across the country panned a federal action plan to reduce childhood lead exposure that the Trump administration unveiled on Wednesday, criticizing the strategy’s shortcomings, including its failure to commit to the elimination of lead poisoning, update federal standards and regulations with concrete timelines, and specify funding sources to implement its goals. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler described the plan as a roadmap to reduce lead exposure nationwide. “Lead exposure is a calamity that disproportionately harms children in low-income communities. But childhood lead experts and advocates who reviewed the action plan said it falls far short of what’s needed to eliminate the risk of childhood lead exposure. This task force is talking about simply reducing exposure and not taking any concrete steps to actually make that happen.

Source: Huffington Post December 20, 2018 03:56 UTC