Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds as follows: Lead poisoning is an entirely preventable environmental illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that there is no safe level of lead, with even low-level exposure having lifelong negative impacts on children. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that a concentration of 5 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL) in blood is the reference level, at which it is recommended that public health action be initiated.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has described lead exposure as a causal risk factor for diminished intellectual and academic abilities, higher rates of neurobehavioral disorders such as hyperactivity and attention deficits, and lower birth weight in children. . Studies of children with a history of elevated blood lead levels at or above 5ug/dL show the impact over the course of their life, including diminished IQ scores, which lead to lower rates of high school graduation, lower earning potential, and fewer Quality-Adjusted Life Years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that children are at higher risk of lead or lead exposure if they are low-income, a person of color, or a recent immigrant, live in poorly maintained rental properties, or have parents who are exposed to lead at work. The primary sources of lead exposure are dust from chipping and peeling paint found in pre-1978 homes and water as a result of lead service lines used to transport drinking water, although lead has also been found in food, soil, jewelry, pottery, and other consumer products.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that about 23,000,000 housing units, most of them built before 1960, have one or more lead-based paint hazards, where young children under age 6 are endangered by chipping or peeling lead paint or excessive amounts of lead-contaminated dust. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 88,000 new cases of lead poisoning in the United States in 2016. A 2017 study by Pew Charitable Trust indicates that removing lead-based paint hazards and lead service lines from older housing with low-income children results in a combined return on investment of $2.77 per dollar invested.
The 2019 Interagency Task Force Lead Action Plan found that a national strategy is required to holistically address lead hazards in housing, drinking water, and soil. The Federal Government has historically had a role in assessing and correcting home health hazards to support the national goal of providing decent, safe, and sanitary housing for every family in the United States. Standards for lead cleanup funding should— align with Federal health and environmental recommendations; and move all States to health-protective lead exposure prevention and mitigation strategies.