EPA announces new final regulations and new funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda for clean drinking water New York – Today, October 8, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI)… Read more »
Posts By: Golden Square
Biden EPA requires Chicago to dramatically speed up replacement of toxic lead pipes
Chicago must replace every toxic lead pipe connecting homes to water mains within two decades — an aggressive deadline imposed this week by President Joe Biden after his administration initially proposed giving city officials twice as long to complete the job. The more stringent requirement is part of a broader package of changes in federal regulations intended… Read more »
Illinois expands lead exposure risk areas, adds 148 new ZIP codes
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced [ July 3, 2024] Wednesday an expanded list of high-risk for lead exposure ZIP codes. [IL-DPH and WGN] IDPH is recommending increased mandatory testing for lead exposure of children who live within those areas. One hundred and forty-eight new zip codes, representing parts of 60 Illinois counties, have… Read more »
Getting the Lead Out: A Career-Long Perspective onLeaded Gasoline, Dust, Soil, and Proactive Pediatric Exposure Prevention
Howard W. Mielke, Ph.D. Affiliation, Department of Pharmacology,Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USASara Perl Egendorf, Ph.D., Researcher, NYC Compost Project Hostedby Earth Matter, New York, NY“The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not concealany part of what one has recognized to be true.” Albert Einstein.Engraved on a… Read more »
ILLINOIS RECEIVES $240.9 MILLION FOR LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT
llinois is receiving nearly $241 million to identify and replace lead service lines, which connect water mains to people’s homes, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said last week. [Health News Illinois] The effort aims to prevent kids from being exposed to lead in drinking water. Lead can have serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to… Read more »
Durbin, Garcia propose update to national lead prevention measures
Two of Illinois’ federal lawmakers want to update national regulations related to lead poisoning. [Health News Illinois] The plan, proposed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Chicago, would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to use risk assessments for low-income housing built before 1978 before a family moves into… Read more »
EPA sets first-ever national limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
The Biden administration on Wednesday set the first-ever national limits for toxic and pervasive ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water. [The Hill] The administration’s action seeks to reduce the amount of chemicals belonging to a class known as PFAS in drinking water. These substances, which have been used to make waterproof and nonstick products, have seeped into a… Read more »
Durbin, Duckworth call on MCOs to address lead poisoning risk for children
Illinois’ two Democratic senators have called on Medicaid managed care organizations to do more to address lead poisoning risks to children in Chicago. [Health News Illinois] Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin urged the heads of the state’s five MCOs to take presumptive preventive action to protect children. That includes sending drinking water test kits,… Read more »
Lead in the drinking water is still a problem in the U.S. — especially in Chicago
In Chicago, about 400,000 homes still get their tap water through lead service lines — pipes that connect individual homes to the main water line. [NPR-WBEZ] And nearly 70% of young children are getting exposed to lead from their home tap water, according to recent estimates published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study also finds that Black and Hispanic neighborhoods are more likely… Read more »
EPA seeking input on lead exposure from lead wheel weights
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking the public for information on the potential ways in which people might be exposed to lead through the use of wheel weights. Lead exposure can have devastating impacts to human health and can be especially harmful to developing children. [Green Car Congress] The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) requests information… Read more »