EPA moves to reduce childhood exposure to lead-based paint dust

By INGRID LOBET and MIKE STOBBE

NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration is moving to reduce children’s exposure to lead, proposing stricter limits on dust from lead-based paints in older homes and child-care facilities. Declaring that “there is no safe level of lead, the administration estimates the proposed rule would reduce lead exposure for approximately 250,000 to 500,000 children under the age of six each year. That’s important because health scientists say there is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Lead exposure takes points off IQ, deprives kids of problem-solving abilities, and can make it harder to learn to read. But it also affects other organs, including the liver and kidneys.