EPA Proposes Cutting Restrictions on Airborne Lead Pollution

On December 5, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would consider revoking the national air standard for lead pollution.  This unbelievable proposal would leave our nation with no national standard for lead air pollution, and would expose all Americans, but especially children and the elderly, to the poisonous effects of lead.  I am outraged by this dangerous and haphazard proposal, and will fight any attempt by the EPA to roll back protections for the air we breathe.

The EPA itself defines lead as a “very toxic element,” which can cause a large number of awful health problems, including brain or kidney damage, and can slow cognitive development and growth in children.  Click here to read the EPA’s own description of the damaging health effects caused by lead.  Also according to the EPA, the standards currently in place have reduced the concentration of lead in the air by 90% over the past 25 years.  Clearly, the EPA’s current proposal contradicts its own recommendations and past success.

The EPA’s mission is to “protect human health and the environment.”  I call on EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to adhere to his agency’s mission statement by renouncing this proposal immediately.  We should not allow the air we breathe to be poisoned.  I will do everything in my power to fight the EPA’s proposal, and keep our air free from pollution. 

Return to the Washington Updates Page