Archive for July 2023
Asbestos Found in Ash, Debris from Former NE Portland Kmart Fire, Oregon DEQ Says
KATU2 ABC Portland, OR – State and local agencies are investigating possible health concerns from the ash that fell over Northeast Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood when a former Kmart building burned on Wednesday. Some debris that fell at Luuwit View Park tested positive for asbestos, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said. They found more charred pieces…
Read MoreBiden-Harris Administration Proposes to Strengthen Lead Paint Standards to Protect Against Childhood Lead Exposure
EPA Washington, DC – EPA announced a proposal to strengthen requirements for the removal of lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 buildings and child care facilities, known as abatement activities. The proposal would reduce the DLHS from 10 micrograms per square foot (µg/ft2) for floors and 100 µg/ft2 for window sills to any reportable level greater…
Read MoreAG Sues Syracuse Landlord After 11 Children in Rental Units Test Positive for Lead Poisoning
Syracuse.com by Douglas Dowty Syracuse, NY – The state Attorney General is suing a Syracuse landlord after 11 children living in his apartments have tested positive for lead poisoning since 2016. Todd L. Hobbs, of Van Buren, owns 18 properties scattered across some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods under TLH Holdings LLC. His business has ignored federal, state…
Read MoreEPA and HUD Will Hold Virtual Public Workshop to Receive Stakeholder Input on the Detection, Measurement, and Characterization of Lead-Based Paint to Support Efforts to Reduce Lead Exposure
HUD National – On October 17 and 18, 2023, the EPA and HUD will hold a virtual public workshop to receive stakeholder input on the detection, measurement, and characterization of lead-based paint to support efforts to reduce lead exposure. They will use information received during the workshop to inform their joint effort to revisit the…
Read MoreE.P.A. Proposes Tighter Limits on Lead Dust in Homes and Child Care Facilities
New York Times by Carol Davenport Washington, DC – The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed to strengthen requirements for the removal of lead-based paint dust in homes and child care facilities built before 1978, an effort to eliminate exposure to lead that could require millions of property owners to pay for abatement. Under the proposed…
Read MoreMillions of Homes, Schools May Have to Eliminate Lead Dust Under EPA plan
Washington Post by Timothy Puko Under the proposed rules, any amount of lead dust in floors and window sills would qualify as “hazardous” and require abatement. Washington, DC – In one of its strongest measures yet against a contaminant that poisons children, the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed tougher standards on lead in paint…
Read MoreLibby’s Health Clinic Accused of Submitting False Asbestos Claims
E&E News by Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson Washington, DC – BNSF Railway — controlled by billionaire Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate and found liable for spreading hazardous asbestos that killed hundreds of people in Libby is trying to convince a federal jury that a local clinic submitted hundreds of asbestos claims for people…
Read MoreEPA Nominee: 200 Enforcement Jobs ‘Will Be Restored’
E&E News by Kevin Bogardus Washington, DC – David Uhlmann, nominee to be assistant administrator in EPA’s enforcement office, said at a panel discussion hosted by the Federalist Society on Tuesday that he had advocated for more resources for the program. He added the agency had suffered losses from a decade of budget cuts, including…
Read MoreUNEP Report Provides Guidance on Compliance, Enforcement of Lead Paint Laws
International Institute for Sustainable Development International – The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has published guidance on lead paint law compliance and enforcement, which are critical for the effective implementation of laws limiting lead in paint. The report outlines actions governments could take to ensure compliance with and enforcement of lead paint laws. The guidance also…
Read MoreEPA Launches Nationwide Series of Community Lead Awareness Sessions
EPA National EPA is announcing a series of free educational sessions on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure. These sessions are based on the Lead Awareness Curriculum, an adaptable resource to protect communities from potential lead exposure, and will be held in English and Spanish. Throughout 2023, EPA will host…
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