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 in older homes and schools, potentially triggering its removal in millions of buildings. The new rules would almost completely prohibit lead dust in older buildings. The only contamination allowed would be the lowest levels that current removal efforts can’t eliminate, the agency said. Under the proposal, prompted by a lawsuit, inspections that find any level of lead in a home or child-care facility would require the location to be classified as a lead hazard. That would trigger requirements for disclosures to families or home buyers, and in some cases requirements for the paint or source of the lead to be removed. For the full text of the article, click here.