EPA recognizes Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2020

WASHINGTON (October 27, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) from October 25 – 31, 2020. Held annually on the last week of October, NLPPW serves as a “call to action” aimed at bringing families, individuals, community-based organizations, state, tribal and local governments, and others together to protect current and future generations from exposure to lead.

“Lead poisoning is one of the most preventable health tragedies for children in this country, and the EPA under President Trump is committed to eliminating lead exposure across this nation,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “In 2020 EPA has awarded or announced nearly $49 million to remove lead in drinking water in schools and day cares, announced a final rule to cut the level of lead in new plumbing material, and proposed a rule to cut lead dust levels on windowsills and floors. Just last week, EPA selected 10 projects to receive funding under the WIIN Act’s Reduction in Lead Exposure via Drinking Water grant program, including selecting seven grantees to receive $22.8 million to reduce lead in schools and child care facilities.”

Under the Trump Administration’s December 2018 Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts (Action Plan), EPA committed to aggressively addressing lead issues by working with communities and partners to identify and eliminate lead exposure across the nation, especially for children who are the most vulnerable. For more information on the Action Plan, visit: https://www.epa.gov/lead/federal-action-plan-reduce-childhood-lead-exposure.

Through cross-governmental collaborations, public partnerships, rulemaking processes, enforcement actions, and targeted outreach, EPA has made tremendous gains to reduce lead exposure and associated harms throughout Fiscal Year 2020. Visit: https://www.epa.gov/leadactionplanimplementation to view EPA’s progress in implementing the Action Plan and stories of on-the-ground work being conducted nationwide.

To learn more about EPA’s actions on lead, visit https://www.epa.gov/lead.

To view EPA’s Protecting Children’s Health October 2020 booklet, visit: https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-october-2020-booklet.